The Lineage of Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Malik ibn Anas (r.a.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ الحِجر

إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ ۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ (٩) 

We have, without doubt, Sent Down the Message; and We will, Assuredly, Guard it (from corruption). (Surah al-Hijr:9) 

سُوۡرَةُ النّجْم

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ (٣) إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡىٌ۬ يُوحَىٰ (٤) 

Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire.  It is no less than Inspiration Sent Down to him: (Surah an-Najm:2-4) 

The great scholars believed that Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Malik ibn Anas (r.a.) was the one referred to in the verses above, and following ahadits. 

Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sakhr ad-Dawsi az-Zahrani al-Azdi  (r.a.) narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “Very soon will people beat the flanks of camels in search of knowledge, and they shall find no one more knowledgeable than the knowledgeable scholar of Madina.”  This is found in Sunan Imam at-Tirmidzi. 

Sayyidina Abu Musa ‘Abdullah ibn Qays al-Ash’ari (r.a.) narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “People will go out from East and West in search of knowledge, and they shall find no one more knowledgeable than the knowledgeable scholar of Madina.”  This was narrated by Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Hakim an-Nishaburi (r.a.). 

Imam Malik’s (r.a.) great-grandfather, Imam Malik ibn Abu ‘Amar al-Aswbahi (r.a.), was a scholar in his own right.  He made the hijrah from the land of Yemen to the city of Madina, basing this move on the fact that Madina was well known to the people as being the place of the greatest scholars on Earth.  He made this move during the reign of Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq (r.a.).  He left behind his land and his tribe, Banu Aswbahi, a branch of Banu Humayr, of the Banu Taym ibn Murrah al-Qurayshi. 

Imam Abu al-Fadhl ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuthi (q.s.) recorded this in Tanwir al-Hawalik ‘ala Sharh Muwaththa Malik, where he wrote, “Imam Malik’s lineage goes back to Ya’rab ibn Yashjab ibn Qahtan.  His family was originally from the al-Aswbahi tribe of Yemen, however his great-grandfather, ibn Abu ‘Amir, migrated with his family to the city of Madina al-Munawwarah, after converting to Islam in 2 AH.” 

In regard to the scholarship of Imam ibn Abu ‘Amir (r.a.), he was known to have loved the science of ahadits.  He is a narrator of ahadits on the authority of some of the greatest from among the swahabah, including Sayyidina ‘Umar (r.a.), Sayyidatina ‘Aishah bint Abu Bakr (r.a.), Sayyidina Abu Hurayrah (r.a.), Sayyidina Abu Thalhah Zayd ibn Sahl al-Khazraji (r.a.), and Sayyidina Hasan ibn Tsabit (r.a.).  He is said to have passed away when Imam Malik (r.a.) was around 7 years of age. 

Imam Malik’s (r.a.) grandfather, Imam Malik ibn ‘Amir (r.a.) was also said to be a scholar who was revered and respected.  It is said that he was a close companion of Sayyidina Abu ‘Amr ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan (r.a.), and one of the entrusted scribes who wrote out copies of the Qur’an for the khalifah to be distributed throughout the lands.  He was also a student of ahadits, following in his father’s footsteps.  He risked his life to rescue the body of Sayyidina ‘Utsman (r.a.) from his home after his tragic murder.  This is how close it is said they were.  Malik ibn Amir was also one of four men to carry the body of Sayyidina ‘Utsman (r.a.) to his grave in Jannat al-Baqi’ for burial. 

Imam Malik’s (r.a.) father was Imam Anas ibn Malik (r.a.).  He is not to be confused with the swahabi by the same name.  He heard ahadits from Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (r.a.) and others.  Imam Malik (r.a.) was known to have said, “I heard from my father Anas; who heard from his father, Malik; who heard from his father, ‘Amir; who heard from Caliph ‘Utsman …”, or some of the other luminaries of Madina.  Imam Malik (r.a.) was born 79 years after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), so he is considered a taba’ tabi’un.