Who Was Imām Mālik?
Islamic jurisprudence is deeply rooted in the scholarly efforts of great Imāms of Ahl al-Sunnah, whose methodologies shaped the way Muslims practice their faith today. Among them, Imām Mālik ibn Anas (رحمه الله) was one of the most significant figures, laying the foundation for the Mālikī school of thought, one of the four major Sunni madhāhib. Who Was Imām Mālik? His full name was: Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik ibn Abī ‘Āmir al-Aṣbaḥī al-Himyarī al-Madanī He was Abū ‘Abdullāh, and he was a pure Arab from the well-known Himyar tribe. Unlike some scholars of his time, he was not a Mawlā (freed slave), nor had he or his family ever been enslaved. His teacher, Imām al-Zuhrī, would sometimes refer to him as a Mawlā, which annoyed Imām Mālik. When Was Imām Mālik Born? There are three opinions regarding his birth year: 93 AH 94 AH 97 AH One of the strange things narrated about his early life is that his mother carried him in her womb for four years. Historian Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (رحمه الله) me...