MALIKI

A Sunni school of thought: The Maliki school of thought was headed by Imam Malik ibn Anas al-Asbahi who lived from 93 h . to 179 h . He was born in the holy city of Madinah, and his fame spread throughout the Hijaz on account of his quarrel with Imam Abu Hanifa, for Imam Malik was the leader of the school of tradition ( hadith ) while Imam Abu Hanifa was the leader of the school of opinion ( ra'i ); most Muslim governments were supportive of Imam Abu Hanifa. Imam Malik joined the 'Alawiyiin , the descendants of Imam 'Ali, and received his knowledge from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq ( pbuh ), but thereafter, inconsistencies marked his life. At one point he was oppressed: having earned the anger of the government, he was dragged through the streets by his clothes and lashed. In 148 h ., his fortunes reversed, and he regained his popularity and dominance, and the 'Abbasids tried to set him up as a popular reference for the nation in giving verdicts and injunctions. The 'Abbasid caliph al-Mansur asked him to write al-Muwatta' , his book of fiqh which contains the principles of the Maliki school of thought. Furthermore, during the hajj season, the official announcer of the government proclaimed that no one had the authority to give fatawa (religious decisions) except Imam Malik. The 'Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid sat on the floor to listen to him, and the caliphate in general exalted him to the point where they said that no book on earth - except the Holy Qur'an - was more authentic than Imam Malik's. Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi says that two schools of thought were spread due to the government and the sultan : the school of Imam Abu Hanifa, since Abu Yusuf al-Qadi only appointed Hanafi judges; and the school of Imam Malik ibn Anas, for a student of Imam Malik, Yahya ibn Yahya, was so respected in the caliph's palace that no judge was ever appointed in Andalus without his consultation and advice.