He was asked:

About someone who copies the Sahīh collections of al-Bukhārī and Muslim and the Quran by hand, intending to transcribe hadith and other material: is he rewarded if he makes copies for himself or for sale? And so on.

He replied:

As for the well-known hadith collections, such as those of al-Bukhārī and Muslim, there are no books under heaven, after the Quran, more authentic than these two and compilations combining them, such as al-Jam‘ bayna al-Sahīhayn by al-Humaydī and the corresponding work by ‘Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbīlī. Next come the Sunan collections, such as the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasā’ī, and the Jāmi‘ of al-Tirmidhī; and the Musnad collections, such as the Musnad of al-Shāfi‘ī and the Musnad of Imam Ahmad.

Mālik’s Muwatta’ contains hadiths, reports from the early generations, and other material. It is among the most distinguished books, to the extent that al-Shāfi‘ī said:

“Under heaven, after the Book of Allah, there is no book more authentic than Mālik’s Muwatta’.”

He meant works compiled according to its method. Earlier scholars used to bring together, within each chapter, reports transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the Companions, and the Successors. Works based on juristic opinion, known as “books of