Al-Awzā‘ī and al-Layth derived most of their jurisprudence from the people of Medina and others like them, not from the Kufans.
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The Rāfidī said (1): “As for the Mālikīs, they acquired their knowledge from him and from his descendants” (2).
The response is that this is an obvious falsehood. Mālik’s al-Muwatta’ contains only a very small number of reports transmitted from him or from (any) (3) of his descendants; the great majority of its contents are transmitted from others. It contains nine hadiths from Ja‘far, and Mālik did not transmit from any of his descendants other than Ja‘far. Likewise, among the hadiths contained in the Sahīh, Sunan, and Musnad collections, only a few are transmitted from his descendants, while the great majority are transmitted from others.
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The Rāfidī said (4): “As for Abū Hanīfa, he studied under al-Sādiq (5).”
(1) In (K), p. 178 (M).
(2) K reads: “As for the Imāmiyya, this is evident, for they acquired their knowledge from him and from his descendants—peace be upon him. The same applies to the others.” The reading in (K) is correct, for the Rāfidī discusses the imams afterward; here, before turning to them, he is speaking about the Imāmiyya.
(3) The word “any” is an addition in (M).
(4) In (K), p. 179 (M).
(5) Ibn Taymiyya has considerably abridged the Rāfidī’s statement here. The full passage reads: “As for the disciples of Abū Hanīfa, such as Abū Yūsuf, Muhammad, and Zufar, they learned from Abū Hanīfa. Al-Shāfi‘ī studied under Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (this statement will appear again shortly, God willing) and under Mālik; thus his jurisprudence goes back to him. As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal, he studied under al-Shāfi‘ī, and so his jurisprudence goes back to him. Al-Shāfi‘ī’s jurisprudence goes back to Abū Hanīfa, while Abū Hanīfa studied under al-Sādiq—peace be upon him. Al-Sādiq—peace be upon him—studied under al-Bāqir—peace be upon him; al-Bāqir—peace be upon him—studied under Zayn al-Ābidīn—peace be upon him; Zayn al-Ābidīn—peace be upon him—studied under his father—peace be upon him; and his father—peace be upon him—studied under Alī—may blessings and peace be upon him and his family. And Mālik….”