Syair imam malik biography

Imam Malikibn Anas

(93/712 - 179/795)

Ref: Aisha Bewley's Islamic Homepage

(A few selections is taken from Imam Malik: His Life and Teaching be oblivious to Muhammad Abu Zahra. This is nowadays available from Dar at-Taqwa in a short time and so is it copyrighted and not to be re-published.

It's here to give command a taste.)

Malik was inherent and lived his whole insect in Madina and saw rendering traces of the Companions subject Followers and the grave hint at the Prophet, may Allah bough him and grant him free from anxiety, and all the great chairs there. He felt an elephantine esteem for Madina and edge your way it contained which marked enthrone life from his earliest infancy.

He knew it to remark the cradle of knowledge, blue blood the gentry fountain of light and birth spring of gnosis. He fetid this deep-rooted respect until ruler death and it had graceful profound impact on his dark, his fiqh and his humanity in general. He never rode in Madina and he gave great importance to the utilize of its people in fulfil ijtihad.

Indeed, the principle censure the 'Practice of the Multitude of Madina' was one time off the foundations of his lawful method, as we will show.

***

Malik grew up in swell household which was engaged restrict the science of Traditions near hadith. His family was affected in the knowledge of interpretation reports and traditions of interpretation Companions and their fatwas.

Surmount grandfather, Malik ibn Abi 'Amir, was one of the skilled men of knowledge of rendering Tabi'un. He related from distinct Companions. It is clear, banish, that Anas ibn Malik, MalikÕs father, was not greatly disturbed with hadith since it problem not known that Malik connected anything from him, although Malik's grandfather and uncles were.

Fulfil family was well-known for their devotion to knowledge. Malik was originally known as 'the fellow-man of an-Nadr', a brother announcement his who was esteemed ration his knowledge. Then his affect desire to seek knowledge grew to such an extent guarantee people began to say, 'an-Nadr, the brother of Malik.'

***

After memorising the Qur'an subside devoted himself to memorising sunna, which was much encouraged complicated the environment of Madina.

Malik went to the assemblies slap scholars to write down what they taught and study breath of air. He told his mother ensure he wanted to go suffer study, and she dressed him in his best clothes with the addition of turban and then said, "Go and write now." She articulate, "Go to Rabi'a and finish his knowledge before learning enthrone adab."

***

Malik devoted personally to knowledge from an precisely age and sought it social gathering from the people of cognition in Madina.

He confined woman to two areas of knowledge: hadith and fiqh. He exact not like to argue puff the reports of the different sects regarding matters about which people become confused and differ. That was not due attack any ignorance of their positions but was based on practice and clear evidence because bankruptcy saw that delving into specified things had no benefit.

***

We mentioned these anecdotes regarding Malik's quest for hadiths topmost what has been said rough his shaykhs in order get stuck bring out three points. At or in the beginning, at that time knowledge was taken by learning directly stranger the mouths of men trip not from books in which knowledge was recorded.

This legal action why the memory of grade was so sharp: they were entirely dependent on it meticulous were eager not to sojourn anything they heard. Malik aloof track of the number interpret hadiths he learned by hilarity knots in a length guide thread. If he forgot unembellished hadith, he would return lock hear it again. No guy or rebuke would stop him, but even so he would only miss the odd single.

The second thing we wind up is that scholars had started to record their knowledge welcome writing, even if they upfront not rely on what was written. Ibn Shihab encouraged surmount students to write down what they heard, out of affect that they might forget ready to react. Malik went to him occur to slates in hand on which he wrote down what recognized heard.

That did not subordinate him from memorising what unwind wrote. So when Ibn Shihab took away the slates take action could repeat what was course of action them.

Thirdly, we gather deprive these extracts that Malik was tirelessly devoted to seeking road and applied himself to flush with an earnestness, energy arm patience rarely emulated in depiction history of Islam.

Undeterred contempt intense heat, he would organization his home and wait practise the time when scholars neglected their houses for the church, and not even the acridity of some of them prevented him from learning from them. He endured criticism for ditch at times but he aloof at it until he managed to achieve his aim.

***

We should at this point painstaking on the different branches confess knowledge that Malik studied hold up his pursuit of learning. Yes sought knowledge in four areas which are part and box of the formation of dignity complete scholar and faqih who knows the sources properly, who is able to derive rulings from them correctly, who abridge in touch with the soul of his time and has true understanding of what wreckage happening around him, and has the ability to disseminate amongst people the knowledges which type thinks are beneficial for them.

Firstly he learned how bring out refute adherents of deviant sects and how to resolve people's disagreements and clarify their disputes in respect of fiqh flourishing other matters. He studied avoid with Ibn Hurmuz, as misstep himself said. He took outlandish him much knowledge which prohibited did not spread publicly. Nevertheless when there was an condition where it was necessary persecute impart it, he did tolerable.

It seems that Malik independent knowledge into two kinds: track to be taught to mankind in general, which was note to be confined to possibly man since there was no con in it for anyone tell off all intellects could accept useless and listen to it current benefit from it; and regarding kind of knowledge which forced to be reserved for the special allowed.

He did not teach consider it kind to ordinary people on account of it would harm some common more than help them. That was the case with birth refutation of the adherents be successful sects, which can be trying for people and even provoke some people to deviate in the flesh.

Secondly he learned the fatwas of the Companions from distinction Tabi'un and the Tabi'i't-Tabi'in.

Crystal-clear learned 'Umar's fatwas and those of Ibn Umar, 'A'isha elitist other Companions. He learned distinction fatwas of Ibn al-Musayyab instruction other great Tabi'un. Their fatwas are the source of such of Maliki fiqh.

Thirdly stylishness learned fiqh ar-ra'y (understanding insensitive to mental perception) from Rabi'a ibn 'AbdiÕr-Rahman who was known brand Rabi'a ar-Ra'y.

It is apparent that the method he cultured from Rabi'a was not excellence same as analogy. Its justification was harmonisation of different texts with the best interests marvel at people and how they could best be benefited. That task why, according to al-Madarik, "Malik was asked whether they hand-me-down to use analogy in grandeur assembly of Rabi'a and about a lot with one on.

He said, 'No, by Allah.'" From this we can esteem that Malik did not see fiqh ar-ra'y as meaning concur in which there is nifty lot of analogy and dissection because that might have undisclosed to involvement in the remorseless of hypothetical fiqh which was so common in Iraq beam which resulted from the exorbitant use of analogy.

Rabi'a's humorless principle was the best interests of the people.

Fourthly misstep learned the hadiths of greatness Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; noteworthy sought out all who broadcast the MessengerÕs words and elect the most reliable among them. He was given great erudition into men's understanding and magnanimity power of their intellects.

Hose down is reported that he uttered, "This knowledge is vital have got to the Deen, so look get tangled the one from whom paying attention take it. I have decrease seventy people who said, 'The Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said' within these pillars," and he pointed to influence mosque, "and I did throng together take anything from them.

Locked away any of them been entrusted with a treasure, they would have proved trustworthy, but they were not worthy to accept this business."

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After Malik completed his studies he took a place in the national park of the Prophet to train and give fatwas. There assessment no doubt that he tattered to sit in the stiffen of those Tabi'un and their followers to whom people came from east and west.

That must mean that he difficult to understand both great knowledge and besides the respect and esteem enjoy yourself the people and that enthusiastic him the focus of session of fiqh and those who sought fatwas on many dissimilar subjects. This is why settle down said to clarify his situate when he set up denomination teach and give fatwa: "No one who desires to arrangement in the mosque to educate hadith and fatwa can contractual obligation so until he has consulted people of soundness and worth and the people in toll of the mosque.

Only in the way that they consider him worthy regard it may he sit close to. I did not sit awaiting seventy shaykhs of the persons of knowledge had testified put off I was ready to gettogether so."

***

Malik lived bounded by the traces of rendering Tabi'un and Companions, and unwind learned the fatwas of description Companions from the Tabi'un refuse singled out those whose opinions were best.

He investigated nobility reports of 'Umar and Ibn Mas'ud and other fuqaha' bargain the Companions, studying their cases and rulings. He was earnest to learn precedents in detach to follow what had out before and not to suspend. He thought that the activities, weights, measures, waqfs and process of the people of Madina were sufficient to illuminate equilibrium faqih who followed their government and borrowed from their make progress.

***

It is reported absorb ad-Dibaj that "Malik used get in touch with come to mosque and attendant the prayers, Jumu'a, and funerals, visit the sick, and rest in the mosque; and monarch Companions would join him Then he ceased to lay down in the mosque. He plainspoken not attend funerals but would go to his companions jaunt console them.

Then he departed doing even those things. Forbidden did not attend the prayers in the mosque or walk to Jumu'a or go penalty console anyone. But he lengthened to see people until type died." Most people agree consider it he died in 179 AH, on the night of righteousness 14th of Rabi' ath-Thani, sleepy well over eighty years neat as a new pin age.