Course Type: Fiqh (Jurisprudence)
al-Muwatta (Imam Malik ibn Anas)
The Well-trodden-approved path
The earliest extant composition of Islamic Law, the Muwatta holds a distinctive place in early Islamic literary works, as it is not only a compilation of authentic Hadith, but also a compendium of Islamic jurisprudence that continues to serve as the basic primer in the Maliki School of Thought.
The Muwatta, is a collection of over 1900 Prophetic sayings (ahadith) as well as the legal standpoints of his companions (Sahabah), their students (Tabi'een) and practices of the Madinan People. It was compiled and revised by Imam Malik for over 40 years and has received wide acclaim from most of the greatest scholars of Islam. The great Faqih Imam Shafi' held it to be 'The most authentic book on the face of the earth after the Quran' and the great Muhaddith Imam Bukhari stated that “The most authentic chain in Hadith Sciences is Malik, from Nafi' from Abdullah Ibn Umar. Known to all scholars of Hadith as the Golden Chain.
It continues to be taught fervidly throughout the Muslim world, and Cordoba Academy is honoured to bring its wisdom to students worldwide through our weekly Ijazah program.
By the end of the course, students will have benefited by the following:
- Identify Imam Malik's criteria and principles when deriving rulings.
- Learn the most important and authentic Hadith related to a Muslim’s life.
- Study terminology used by the Fuqaha (Muslim Jurists) in deriving rulings
- Learn how Imam Malik analyse, recognize and extract vital rulings from Hadith
- Become familiar with the lives of Imam Malik's and his contemporaries.
- Expand your receptive vocabulary by learning commonly used Arabic words
Students must be able to:
- read Arabic with vowels
- dedicate 3-4 hours per week
- use PDF and Word files
- attend weekly class for 1:15
- Arabic text of Muwatta with full tashkeel (Arabic Vowels) in PDF & WORD
- Complete English translation of Arabic text.
- Audio recording in Arabic of the full text
- Detailed biography of Imam Malik
- Supplementary materials related to the Science
- Bi-weekly progress-check worksheets
- Full written commentary
As this course is being taught part-time, it will require a minimum 5 modules to cover the contents of the text based on 2 classes a week. For student flexibility, the modules have been divided in to 5 twelve-week terms that are taught at different times throughout the year. If you are interested in studying this course and would like to know course dates, please register your interest by filling out the form at admissions.
This is an Ijazah course and students who attend and understand the principles covered in the text will be honored with a written Ijazah going back to Imam Malik ibn Anas. For more detailed information please see FAQs
Hadith Studies Muwatta of Imam Malik
Brief Biography
Al-Imam Darul Hijrah Abu Abdullah Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik ibn Amr al-Humyari al-Asbahi al-Madani of Yemeni descent, but born in Madinah in 93 AH was one of the greatest Imams that has ever graced the surface of this earth. According to some of the great scholars of the past, he was widely regarded as the scholar of Madina as prophesied by our beloved Prophet (SAW) when he said:
"يوشك أن يضرب الناس أكباد الإبل يطلبون العلم فلا يجدون أحدا أعلم من عالم المدينة"
"Soon people will beat the flanks of camels seeking knowledge, and they shall not find a single person more knowledgeable than the erudite scholar of Madina. (Jami al-Tirmidhi)
And contrary to the so-called scholars of today, Imam Malik was extremely cautious in regard to issuing fatwas or answering rulings. One of the most established examples of this can be found in the following anecdote where Imam Malik's teacher Shaykh Rabi'a al-Ra'i reports:
We were with Imam Malik when a man entered upon us and asked Imam Malik: “Abu Abdullah! Tell me about the verse "The Most Merciful who is above the Throne established" (20:5): How is He established?’ Imam Malik was immediately overwhelmed and lowering his head he started poking the earth with a twig, and continued in this state until he was entirely soaked in perspiration. Then raising his head he said: ‘The 'how' is incomprehensible; the establishment is not unknown; belief in it is compulsory; asking about it is an innovation (bid'ah); and I do not think that you are anything but a person of innovation.’ Then he commanded that the man be shown out."
On another occasion, a delegation having heard about his vast knowledge, travelled from far to visit him . They then proceeded to ask him 48 questions, and he replied with the words 'I don't know' to 32 questions. In another instance, a man upon receiving the same answer said to him,”What shall I tell my people who have sent me from so far to you, the most knowledgeable person of Madinah?” Imam Malik said, 'Tell your people that Malik does not know.'
His reverence for the blessed Hadith of the beloved Messenger (SAW) was such that on one occasion while he was teaching his facial colour begin to change. His student the great Muhaddith Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak noticed this and after the lesson was completed went to enquire from Imam Malik as to the cause of this. Imam Malik replied, “A scorpion entered under my garment and kept stinging me and the only reason I restrained myself from removing my garment or stopping the lesson was due to the respect I have for the sayings of my beloved Prophet (SAW).
How he was held in the eyes of other great scholars.
Imam Abu Hanifah said, “My eyes have never fallen on anyone faster in understanding, correct in answering, and examining as Imam Malik.”
Imam Shaf’iee said, “ Knowledge is encompassed by three people: Malik bin Anas, Laith bin Sa’ad and Sufyan bin Uyainah and “When the scholars of knowledge are mentioned, Imam Malik is the guiding star.”
Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal said, “I have compared Imam Malik to Awza'i, Hammaad, al-Hakim, Thawri, Laith, in knowledge, but he is the leader in Hadith and Fiqh.
Imam Sufyan bin Uyainah said, “May Allah have mercy upon Imam Malik. He only narrated authentic Hadith, he would never report except from the reliable. In my opinion, Madinah without him, has only had a decrease in knowledge after his demise.
Some of the most famous teachers that he studied with were:
Shaykh Mohammed bin Shihaab al-Zuhree (d. 124H)
Shaykh Abu Hanifah -Nu'man Ibn Thabit (d. 148H)
Shaykh Abu Suhail al-Nafi' ibn Abī Na'īm (d. 169H)
Shaykh Ja'far ibn Mohammed al-Sadiq (d. 148H)
Shaykh Nafi' ibn Sarjis al-Daylami (d. 117H)
Shaykh Mohammed ibn Munkadir (d. 125H)
Shaykh Ayyoub al-Sakhtiyani (d. 131H)
Some of his most famous students were:
Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybanee (d. 189H)
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Idrees al-Shafi'ee (d. 204H)
Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn al-Qasim (d. 191H)
Shaykh Abdullah ibn al-Mubaarak (d. 171H)
Shaykh Yahya ibn Yahya al-Laythi (d. 234H)
Shaykh Sufyan ibn Uyainah (d. 197H)
Shaykh Wakee' ibn al-Jarrah (d. 197H)
Shaykh Abdullah ibn Wahb (d. 197H)
Arguably the most indispensable collection of Hadith related to the Prophet’s (salalahu alayhi wa salam) blessed biography. It was compiled by the eminent Muhaddith, Imam al-Tirmidhi less than 3 centuries after the passing away of the Prophet Mohammed (salalahu alayhi wa salam).
This is the fundamental primer in the Science of Mustalah al-Hadith (Hadith Classification) having been authored by arguably the foremost authority in Mustalah al-Hadith, the illustrious al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaani (RA)
The Muwatta of Imam Malik is a collection of over 1900 Prophetic sayings (ahadith) as well as the legal standpoints of his companions (Sahabah), their students (Tabi'een) and practices of the Madinan People.