They are the Imams of the mainstream community, and all praise belongs to Allah.
Harmala ibn Yahya narrated [he said] (1): “I heard ʿAbd Allah ibn Wahb say: I heard Malik ibn Anas say: Whoever describes anything of Allah’s very being—for example, when one cites His words, “The hand of Allah is chained” (2) and then points (3) with his own hand (4) to his neck; or when one cites His words, “He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing” (5) and then points to his eye (6), his ear (7), or any other part of his body (8)—that limb is to be cut off, for he has likened Allah to himself.”
Malik then said: “Have you not heard the statement of al-Baraʾ when he related that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—[said] (9): ‘Four kinds of sacrificial animals are not to be offered’ (10), and al-Baraʾ gestured with his hand, as
(1) The text enclosed in brackets is an addition from al-Tamhid.
(2) Qur’an 5:64. In s: “waqalat al-yahoodu yadu Allahi maghloolat(an) ghullat aydiyuhum” (The Jews say, “The hand of Allah is fettered; their hands are fettered.”). In t: “waqalat al-yahoodu yadu Allahi maghloolat(an)” (The Jews say, “The hand of Allah is fettered.”).
(3) In al-Tamhid: “wa ashara” (and he gestured).
(4) “bi yadihi” (with his hand) is omitted in s.
(5) Qur’an 42:11.
(6) In al-Tamhid: “‘aynayhi” (his eyes).
(7) In s and t: “wa uzunihi” (and his ear).
(8) In all manuscripts: “yadayhi” (his hands); this is a copyist’s error. The reading confirmed by al-Tamhid.
(9) The text enclosed in brackets is an addition from al-Tamhid.
(10) Narrated by Malik in al-Muwatta’ (Book of Sacrifices, chapter “What is prohibited regarding sacrificial animals”), hadith no. 1035, p. 322, from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked which animals are to be avoided as sacrifices. He gestured with his hand and said, “Four.” Al-Bara’ then gestured and added: “My hand is shorter than that of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): al-‘arjā’ (the one with visible ribs), al-‘awrā’ (the one with an apparent defect), al-marīḍa (the sick one, whose ailment is evident), and al-‘ajfā’ (the lean one that cannot be fattened).” A similar version appears in Abu Dawud’s Sunan (3/235, Book of Sacrifices, chapter “What is disliked concerning sacrificial animals,” hadith 2802) and in al-Tirmidhi’s Sunan (4/85, Book of Sacrifices, chapter “What is impermissible among sacrificial animals,” hadith 1497), who comments: “This is a hasan sahih ḥadith; we know it only from the narration of ‘Ubayd ibn =.”