Subscribe now
Publications
Banking Details
Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) (33)
The Authenticity of the Muwatta and the Glad Tidings of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)
Written by user2The Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) is among the reliable and authentic compilations of Hadith. It was compiled before Saheeh Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim. It is for this reason that Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) once said, “There is no kitaab on the surface of the earth, after the kitaab of Allah Ta‘ala (the Qur’aan Majeed), which is more authentic and correct than the Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah).
The Ulamaa explain that after the Saheeh Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim were compiled and received universal acceptance, they rank higher than the Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah). Nevertheless, the statement of Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) bears testimony to the esteemed and high rank of the Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah).
In regard to the authenticity of the Muwatta, Imaam Abu Zur‘ah (rahimahullah) once said, “If a person has to take an oath that his wife will be divorced if the Ahaadith in the Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) are not authentic, then his wife will not be divorced (as all the Ahaadith contained in the Muwatta are authentic). However, if a person has to take such an oath in regard to the Ahaadith of any other kitaab, then we will say to him that he should wait until we can investigate the authenticity of each Hadith.” (This statement was made before the compilation of Saheeh Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim)
‘Amr bin Abi Salamah (rahimahullah) mentions, “After I read Kitaab-ul-Jaami (a certain section) in the Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), I had a dream in which I was told, ‘This is certainly the blessed speech of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).’” (Tazyeen-ul-Mamaalik pg. 90-93)
The Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) – Part Four
Written by user2When Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) completed writing his Muwatta, he was greatly concerned as to whether he had written the kitaab with ikhlaas (complete sincerity).
In order to gauge whether the kitaab was written with ikhlaas, he asked Allah Ta‘ala to show him a sign. The sign that he wished to see is that if he places the kitaab in water, and if the ink of the pages does not wash off, then this will prove as a sign that he wrote the kitaab with ikhlaas.
The Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) – Part Three
Written by user2Abu ‘Abdillah, Muhammed bin Ebrahim Al-Kinaani mentions:
I once asked Abu Haatim Raazi (rahimahullah), “Why is the Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) named ‘Muwatta’?” He replied, “It is a kitaab which Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) prepared for people to follow (one meaning of the word Muwatta is ‘a path that is made for people to tread on’), until it became known as the Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), just as the kitaab of Imaam Sufyaan (rahimahullah) was known as ‘Jaami’ (which means comprehensive).”
‘Ali bin Ahmed Al-Khaleeji (rahimahullah) reports that he heard one of the Mashaayikh say that Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) mentioned the following, “I presented this kitaab of mine (the Muwatta) to seventy Fuqahaa from the Fuqahaa of Madinah Munawwarah, and all of them concurred with me and agreed on the knowledge that I had presented in the kitaab. Hence, I named it the Muwatta (the word Muwatta comes from the word “Waata’a” which means ‘to concur and agree’).”
(Tazyeen-un-Mamaalik pg. 89)
The Muwatta of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) – Part Two
Written by user2Muhammed bin Rumh (rahimahullah) reports the following:
I performed haj with my father when I was still a child and had not yet reached the age of maturity. On one occasion, when we were in Madinah Munawwarah, I fell asleep in the musjid of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in the area of the raudhah, between the blessed qabr of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the mimbar.
Respect for the Ahaadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) – Part Two
Written by user2Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Mubaarak (rahimahullah) mentioned:
I was once present in the gathering of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah). While he was narrating Hadith to us, a scorpion stung him sixteen times. The facial complexion of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) began to change, however he continued teaching the Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).
After the lesson was over and the students had departed, I asked him the reason for the change in his complexion during the lesson. He informed me regarding the scorpion stinging him and said, “I did not move from my place out of respect for the Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).”
(Ad-Deebaaj-ul-Muzahhab 1/104)
Husain bin ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) reports:
On one occasion, when Haaroon Rasheed was proceeding for haj, he came to the blessed city of Madinah Munawwarah and sent a purse containing five hundred dinars (gold coins) to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) as a gift.
Thereafter, when Haaroon Rasheed had completed his haj, he returned to Madinah Munawwarah. He then sent a message to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) saying, “Ameer-ul-Mu’mineen would like Imaam Maalik to accompany him to Madinatus Salaam (Damascus).”
Ebrahim Al-Muzani mentions, “Once, I performed haj and came to the mubaarak city of Madinah Munawwarah. While I was there, Ismaa‘eel bin Ja’far Al-Khayyaat narrated the following incident to me. He said:
I was once in a situation and I needed to know the Islamic ruling in regard to that situation. I thus went to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) and asked him the ruling. Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) responded, “Give me some time to think over the matter.” I thus departed from Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) in the condition that I felt that Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) did not have sufficient knowledge in regard to the mas’alah I had asked. I thought to myself, “This is the man to whom people travel from far and wide to seek shar’ee rulings, yet he is unable to give me an immediate answer to my mas’alah!”
When Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) began to prepare the Muwatta, there were many other ‘Ulamaa in Madinah Munawwarah who were also preparing kitaabs of Hadith. Hence, a certain person came to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) and remarked, “Why have you dedicated your time and effort to preparing this kitaab when many other ‘Ulamaa have prepared similar kitaabs?”
Allah Ta‘ala had blessed Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) to compile a kitaab of Hadith known as the Muwatta. This kitaab gained great acceptance and has been held in high esteem by the ‘Ulamaa throughout the centuries. In fact, the greatness of this kitaab can be gauged by the statement of Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) who said, “After the Qur’aan Majeed, there is no kitaab on the surface of the earth that is more saheeh than the kitaab of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah).” (Tazyeen-ul-Mamaalik pg. 90)
Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) had mentioned this before the compilation of Saheeh Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim. However, after the compilation of these two kitaabs, the ‘Ulamaa are unanimous that these two kitaabs are the most saheeh after the Qur’aan Majeed.
The Glad Tidings of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) for Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah)
Written by user2Mus‘ab bin ‘Abdillah Zubairi narrates that his father, ‘Abdullah Zubairi, mentioned the following:
On one occasion, I was seated with Imaam Maaik (rahimahullah) in the blessed musjid of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) when a man arrived and asked, “Which one of you is Abu ‘Abdillah, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah)?” The people gestured towards Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) and replied, “He is Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah).”
The man then addressed Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) and said:
By Allah! I had a dream last night in which I saw Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) seated in this very place in the musjid. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Bring Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) to me.” The people thus brought you before Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), and your entire body was trembling out of the awe of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).
More...
Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) once mentioned, “The knowledge of deen is a divine light which Allah Ta‘ala places in the hearts of His selected servants (through which they are able to understand deen correctly). Knowledge of deen is not acquired by merely narrating Ahaadith (without understanding the correct meaning of the Ahaadith).
(Tazyeen-ul-Mamaalik pg. 38)
Respect for the Ahaadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) – Part Three
Written by user2On one occasion, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) passed by the gathering of Abu Haazim (rahimahullah) who was engaged in narrating the Ahaadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) passed by and did not participate in the gathering.
When someone asked Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) the reason for this, he replied, “I did not find any place to sit in the gathering, and I disliked (and did not regard it in keeping to the high levels of respect) to listen to the blessed Ahaadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) while standing.”
(Tazyeen-ul-Mamaalik pg. 37)
‘Amr bin Yazeed was a friend of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) who lived in Egypt. He narrates the following:
I once said to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), “O Abu ‘Abdillah! People travel to you from different lands. They wear out their animals and spend their money in coming to you so that they can ask you their masaa’il and benefit from the knowledge of Deen which Allah Ta‘ala has blessed you with. Thereafter, when they ask you their question, you often tell them, ‘I do not know the answer.’”
Blessed with the Vision of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)
Written by user2Muthanna bin Sa’d Al-Qaseer narrates that he heard Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) mention, “Whenever I go to sleep at night, I am blessed with the mubaarak vision of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in my dream.”
(Tazyeen-ul-Mamaalik pg. 33)