Imam Maalik

Early Life
ABU ABDULLAH, Malik bin Anas, was born in Madina in the year715 AD.
His ancestral home was inYemen, but his grandfather settled in Madina
after embracing Islam. He received his education in Madina, which was
the mostimportantseat of Islamic learning, and where the immediate
descendants of the Companions of theHoly Prophetlived.
Imam Malik was highly attracted to the study of law, and devoted his
entire interest to the study ofFiqh. It is said that he sought out
overthree hundred Sahaba(those who saw the Companions of the Holy
Prophet). From them he acquired the knowledge of the Holy Prophet's
sayings, Hadith and the Holy Prophet's Deeds, Sunnah.
His work
Imam Malik studied Fiqh under the guidance of nearlyone hundred
learned Shaikhswho were residing in the city of the Prophet at the
time. Among Imam Malik's writings is the great work
entitledKitab-al-Muwatta, which is the earliest surviving book of
Islamic law and Hadith. It quotes Sayings as well as the practices
according to the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet as observed by Muslims in
Madina.
Although Imam Malik wrote many treatises dealing withreligion and
ethics, Kitab-al-Muwattais acknowledged as the most important among
his writings. It is said that Imam Malik had originally recordedten
thousand Ahadithin this book, but in a revised edition the Imam
reduced the number to onlyone hundred and seventy-two.
Dealing with people
Imam Malik was famous for hispiety and integrityand courageously stood
up, and was prepared to suffer, for his convictions. For example, when
the governor of Madina demanded and forced people to take the oath of
allegiance to Khalifa al-Mansour, Imam Malik issued a Fatwa that such
an oath was not binding, because it was given under duress. This
resulted in many people finding courage to express their opposition,
but the Imam was arrested, found guilty of defiance and publicly
flogged.
When al-Mansour, learnt of this outrage, heapologizedto the Imam and
dismissed the governor. Sometime later the Khalifa sent him three
thousand Dinars for his travelling expenses and invited him to come
and reside inBaghdad. Imam Malik refused the offer and indicated that
he preferred to continue his residence inMadinawhere the Holy Prophet
was buried.
When theKhalifa Haroun-al-Rasheedvisited Madina, when he came to
perform Hajj, he summoned Imam Malik to visit him and deliver a
lecture. The Imam politely refused to go to the ruler but invited him
to attend the class of students to whom he delivered regular lectures.
The Khalifa, accompanied by his two sons, accepted the invitation and
sat among the students to hear the Imam's lecture.
Imam Malik died in the year795 ADat Madina and is buried in the
famousAl-Baqie cemeteryin the city of the Prophet. Imam Malik's
followers and disciples developed aFiqh schoolbased on his books which
came to be known as theMaliki Madhhab. Malikis are mostly found in
North and West Africa, - Tunis, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt.