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) mentioned this, and while this may seem unusual, some scholars affirm that such cases have occurred.

Imām Mālik’s Status in Islamic Scholarship

Imām Mālik was a leading authority in three fields:

  1. Sunnah (Belief & Aqeedah)
  2. Hadith (Prophetic Traditions)
  3. Fiqh (Jurisprudence)

The scholars unanimously recognised his towering rank in these sciences. None disputed his authority in ḥadīth and fiqh. His legal opinions carried such influence that even his disagreements were taken into account. If Imām Mālik رحمه الله held a differing view on an issue, the scholars would weigh it carefully, and no claim of absolute consensus (ijmāʿ) could be made unless it was established before his time.

The Seven Jurists of Madinah (Fuqahā’ al-Sab‘ah)

Imām Mālik inherited his knowledge from the seven jurists of Madinah, known as Fuqahā’ al-Sab‘ah:

  1. ʿUbaydullāh ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUtbah ibn Masʿūd
  2. ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr​
  3. Al-Qāsim ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr al-Ṣiddīq​
  4. Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib​
  5. Abū Bakr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām​
  6. Sulaymān ibn Yasār
  7. Khārijah ibn Zayd ibn Thābit

A famous poetic line mentions them:

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