And Mālik ibn Anas, the Imam; and al-Hiql ibn Ziyād, the companion of al-Awzāʿī; and Abū al-Aḥwaṣ. All of them have already been discussed in “al-Takmīl” with material sufficient and satisfactory, making a further mention here unnecessary.
However, Imam Mālik (1) is the most famous among them. He is one of the Four Imams whose legal schools are followed. His full lineage is: Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik ibn Abī ʿĀmir ibn ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Ghaymān ibn Khuthayl (2) ibn ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith. He belonged to Dhū Aṣbaḥ of the Ḥimyar tribe, was known as Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Madanī, and in his day was the Imam of the City of Emigration (Madinah).
Mālik narrated from a number of the Tābiʿīn (Successors), and a great host of leading scholars transmitted from him: the two Sufyāns, Shuʿbah, Ibn al-Mubārak, al-Awzāʿī, Ibn Mahdī, Ibn Jurayj, al-Layth, al-Shāfiʿī, his own teacher al-Zuhrī, and his teacher Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd al-Anṣārī, as well as Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd al-Qaṭṭān, Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā al-Andalusī, and Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā al-Naysābūrī.
Al-Bukhārī said: “The soundest chain of transmission is Mālik from Nāfiʿ from Ibn ʿUmar.” (3)
Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah said: “How rigorous he was in scrutinising narrators!” (4)
Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn said: “Everyone from whom Mālik related is reliable, except Abū Umayyah.” (5)
More than one scholar said: “He is the most firmly grounded of those who transmitted from Nāfiʿ and al-Zuhrī.” (6)
(1) His biography is recorded in the following sources: Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat al-Kubra (al-Qism al-Mutammim), p. 433; Tarikh Khalifa, p. 451; Tabaqat Khalifa, p. 275; Tarikh al-Kabir, vol. 7, p. 310; Tarikh al-Saghir, vol. 2, pp. 199–201; Ma‘arif by Ibn Qutayba, p. 498; al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dil, vol. 8, p. 204; al-Thiqat by Ibn Hibban, vol. 7, p. 459; Mashahir ‘Ulama al-Amsar, p. 1110; Hilyat al-Awliya’, vol. 6, p. 316; Tabaqat al-Shirazi, p. 67; Tarteeb al-Madarik, vol. 1, p. 102; Tabaqat Ibn ‘Abd al-Hadi, p. 183; Sifat al-Safwa, vol. 2, p. 177; al-Mukhtar min Manaqib al-Akhyar by Ibn al-Athir, vol. 4, p. 263; Jami‘ al-Usul, vol. 15, p. 225; Tahdhib al-Asma’ wa al-Lughat, vol. 2, p. 75; Wafayat al-A‘yan, vol. 4, p. 135; Tahdhib al-Kamal, vol. 27, p. 91; Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’, vol. 8, p. 43; Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, vol. 1, p. 207; al-‘Ibar, vol. 1, p. 272; Mir’at al-Jinan, vol. 1, p. 373; Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 10, p. 5; Ghayat al-Nihaya, vol. 2, p. 35; al-Nujum al-Zahira, vol. 2, p. 96; Tabaqat al-Sharani, p. 52; al-Kawakib al-Durriya, p. 420; Shudhur al-Dhahab, vol. 2, p. 12.
(2) In the Q manuscript there is an addition and some names are miswritten or corrupted; the reading is confirmed by the B and H manuscripts and by the vocalisation references.
(3) He is cited by al-Nawawi in Tahdhib al-Asma’ (vol. 2, p. 424) and by al-Dhahabi in Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’ (vol. 5, p. 97).
(4) He is also mentioned by al-Dhahabi in Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’ (vol. 8, p. 73).
(5) Ibn Hajar records him under the name “‘Abd al-Karim” in Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (vol. 10, p. 6); he is Abu Umayya ‘Abd al-Karim ibn Abi al-Makhariq, the Basran teacher, as noted in Al-Kuna wa al-Asma’ (vol. 1, p. 82) of Muslim and in Tarikh al-Kabir (vol. 6, p. 89) of al-Bukhari.
(6) Al-Dhahabi cites him in Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’ (vol. 5, p. 99) on the authority of al-Nasa’i, and similarly in Tarikh Baghdad (vol. 10, p. 405).