Al-Kutub al-Sittah

Authenticity
Imam Malik composed the 'Muwatta' over a period of forty years to represent the "well-trodden path" of the people
of Medina. Its name also means that it is the book that is "many times agreed upon"- about whose contents the
people of Medina were unanimously agreed. Its high standing is such that people of every school of fiqh and all of
the imams of hadith scholarship agree upon its authenticity.
The Muslim Jurist, Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i famously said, "There is not on the face of the earth a book –
after the Book of Allah – which is more authentic than the book of Malik."
[5]
Over one thousand disciples of the Imām have transmitted this work from him. This has resulted in differences in the
text in various instances. There are thirty known versions of the work of which the most famous is the one
transmitted by Yahyā b. Yahyā Laythī Andalusī.
Composition of al-Muwatta
Al-Muwatta consists of approximately 1,720 hadith divided amongst the following hadith terminology as follows:
[2]
• 600 marfu` hadith
• 613 mawquf hadith
• 285 maqtu' hadith
• 222 mursal hadiths
Distinguishing characteristics
Amin Ahsan Islahi has listed several distinguishing characteristics of the Muwatta
[6]
:
1.
1. Its briefness (in size) yet comprehensiveness (in coverage)
2. Imam Malik does not accept any marfū‘ hadīth (ascribed to the Prophet) if it is not verbatim transmission of the
words of the Prophet (he even gave consideration to letters, prepositions and particles like wāw, tā, bā etc. in
them)
3.
3. No acceptance of Hadith from any innovator - this is a stricter standard than many other muhaddithun
4.
4. Highly literary form of the classical Arabic. This helps readers develop the ability to understand the language of
the prophetic traditions.
Commentaries on Al-Muwatta
Due to the importance of the Al-Muwatta to Muslims it has often been accompanied by commentaries, mostly but
not exclusively by followers of the Maliki school.
• Al Tamhid by Yusuf ibn abd al-Barr is organized according to the narrators which Malik narrates from, and
includes extensive biographical information about each narrator in the chain.
• al-Istidhkar, also by Ibn Abd al-Barr is more of a legal exegesis on the hadith contained in the book than a critical
hadith study, as was the case with the former. It is said that the Istidhkar was written after the Tamhid, as Ibn Abd
al Barr himself alludes to in the introduction. However, through close examination it is apparent that the author
made revisions to both after their completion due to the cross referencing found in both.
• The explanation of Al-Suyuti, who although a follower of the Shafi`i school, wrote a small commentary to the
Al-Muwatta.
• Al-Musaffa Sharh al-Muwatta, Shah Wali Allah Dahlawi (al-Musaffa Sharh al-Muwatta in Persian). Shah
Waliullah attached great importance to the Muwatta and penned another commentary in Urdu too.
• Al-Muntaqâ sharh al-Muwatta of Abu al-Walid al-Baji, the Andalusian Mâlikî Qâdî, (Abû al-Walîd Sulaymân ibn 
Khalaf al-Bâjî, al-Muntaqâ sharh Muwatta’ Mâlik, edited by Muhammad ‘Abd al-Qâdir Ahmad ‘Atâ, Beirut: Dâr 
al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1420/1999) Sharh al-Muwatta' has two versions: al-Istifa' and its abridgment

Muwatta Imam Malik
27
al-Muntaqa.
[7]
• Awjāz-ul-Masālik ilá Muwattā' Imām Mālik is a Deobandi commentary written by Muhammad Zakariya
al-Kandahlawi. He began the work in 1927 in Medina while only 29 years old.
• Sharh Muwatta al-Malik by Muhammad al-Zurqani. It is considered to be based on three other commentaries of
the Muwatta; the Tamhid and the Istidhkar of Yusuf ibn Abd al Barr, as well as the Al-Muntaqa of Abu al-Walid
al-Baji.
• Al-Imla' fi Sharh al-Muwatta in 1,000 folios, by Ibn Hazm.
[8]
• Sharh Minhaaj by Subki.
[9]
• Sharh Muwatta by Ali al-Qari
References
[1] al-Kattani, Muhammad ibn Ja`far (2007). Muhammad al-Muntasir al-Kattani. ed (in Arabic). al-Risalah al-Mustatrafah (seventh ed.). Beirut:
Dar al-Bashair al-Islamiyyah. pp. 9, 41.
[2]
[2] "The Hadith for Beginners", Dr. Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi, 1961 (2006 reprint), Goodword Books
[3] Mabadi Tadabbur-i-Hadith, Amin Ahsan Islahi
[4] Ibrāhīm b. ‘Alī b. Muhammad b. Farhūn al-Ya‘murī al-Mālikī, al-Dībāj al-Madhhab fī Ma‘rifah A‘yān ‘Ulamā’ al-Madhhab, 1st ed., vol. 1
(Beirut: Dār al-Nashr, Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1996), 25.
[5] Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, al-Tamhīd limā fī al-muwattā min al-ma‘ānī wa al-asānīd, vol. 1 (Morocco: Dār al-Nashr, 1387 AH), 76.
[6] Mabadi Tadabbur-i-Hadith, Amin Ahsan Islahi
[7] "Abu al-Walid al-Baji" (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
sunnah.
 
org/
 
history/
 
Scholars/
 
al-baji.
 
htm). Sunnah.org. . Retrieved 2010-05-11.
[8] "Ibn Hazm" (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
sunnah.
 
org/
 
history/
 
Innovators/
 
ibn_hazm.
 
htm). Sunnah.org. . Retrieved 2010-05-11.
[9] "Al-Albani Unveiled" (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
masud.
 
co.
 
uk/
 
ISLAM/
 
misc/
 
8or20.
 
htm). Masud.co.uk. . Retrieved 2010-05-11.
External links
• Al-Muwatta (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
usc.
 
edu/
 
dept/
 
MSA/
 
fundamentals/
 
hadithsunnah/
 
muwatta/
 
) online from the
Compendium of Muslim Texts
• Introduction to the Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik (http:/
 
/
 
islamqa.
 
com/
 
index.
 
php?ref=81160&
 
ln=eng)

Malik ibn Anas
28
Malik ibn Anas
Islamic scholar
Mālik ibn Anas
Title
Imam of the Abode of Emigration
Born
711 CE/93 AH
Medina
Died
795 CE/179 AH (aged 83-84)
Medina
Ethnicity
Arab
Region
Saudi Arabia
Maddhab
Sunnah
Main interests Hadith, Fiqh
Notable ideas
Maliki madhhab
Works
Al-Muwatta, Mudawana
Influences
•
Imam Jaʿfar al-Sādiq
••
Abu Hanifa
••
Abu Suhail an-Nafi
••
Hisham ibn Urwah
••
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri
Influenced
Al-Shafi`i
Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik ibn Abī 'Āmir al-Asbahī (Arabic ﺲﻧﺃ ﻦﺑ ﻚﻟﺎﻣ) (c. 711 – 795) (93 AH – 179 AH ) is
known as "Imam Malik," the "Sheikh of Islam", the "Proof of the Community," and "Imam of the Abode of
Emigration." 
[1] 
He was one of the most highly respected scholars of fiqh in Sunni Islam. Imam Shafi`i, who was one
of Malik's students for nine years and a scholarly giant in his own right, stated, "when scholars are mentioned, Malik
is the star."
[2] 
The Maliki Madhab, named after Malik, is one of the four schools of jurisprudence that are followed
by Sunni Muslims to this day.
Biography
His full name was Abu Abdullah Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik Ibn Abī 'Āmir Ibn 'Amr Ibnul-Hārith Ibn Ghaimān Ibn
Khuthail Ibn 'Amr Ibnul-Haarith.
Malik was born the son of Anas ibn Malik (not the Sahabi) and Aaliyah bint Shurayk al-Azdiyya in Medina circa
711. His family was originally from the al-Asbahi tribe of Yemen, but his great grandfather Abu 'Amir relocated the
family to Medina after converting to Islam in the second year after hijra (623). According to Al-Muwatta, he was
tall, heavyset, imposing of stature, very fair, with white hair and beard but bald, with a huge beard and blue eyes.
[1]
Teachers
Living in Medina gave Malik access to some of the most learned minds of early Islam. He memorized the Quran in
his youth, learning recitation from Imam Abu Suhail Nafi' ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman, from whom he also received his
Sanad, or certification and permission to teach others. He studied under various famed scholars including Hisham
ibn Urwah, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, and—along with Imam Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi Sunni Madh'hab--
and under the household of the prophets lineage, Imam Jafar al Sadiq
[3] 
This fact may explain the mutual respect and
relative peace that has often existed between the Hanafi and Maliki Sunnis, on one hand, and the Shias on the other.

Malik ibn Anas
29
Golden Chain of Narration
Imam Malik's chain of narrators was considered the most authentic and called Silsilat ul-Zhahab or "The Golden
Chain of Narrators" by notable hadith scholars including Imam Bukhari.
[4] 
The 'Golden Chain' of narration (i.e., that
considered by the scholars of Hadith to be the most authentic) consists of Malik, who narrated from Nafi', who
narrated from ibn Umar, who narrated from Muhammad.
Views
Reluctance in rendering religious verdicts
Malik took advantage of the fact that he was contemporary to many of the Tabi‘in to formulate his school of thought,
which gave precedence to the acts of the people of Medina over the Hadith if they were in conflict. This was done
due to the sizeable amount of scholars, and companions of Muhammad residing in the city where Malik's reputation
grew immensely. Malik nevertheless showed hesitancy in issuing religious verdicts explaining in one of his more
famous statements that:
The shield of the scholar is, 'I do not know,' so if he neglects it, his statement is attacked.
[5]
Textualist interpretation of hadith on God's attributes
Malik adhered to a textual interpretation of hadith in relation to God's attributes. Al-Daraqutni relates that Malik was
asked about the attributes of Allah, to which Malik answered, "Pass them on as they come."
[6] 
Furthermore, Qadi
Iyad relates that Malik was asked whether people would be looking toward Allah given the narration, "And some
faces shall be shining and radiant upon that day, looking at their Lord." Malik ensuingly answered, "Yes, with these
two eyes of his," though his student replied, "there are a people who say he will not be looking at Allah, that 'looking'
means a reward" to which Malik answered, "They lied, rather they will look at Allah."
Opposition to bid'ah or innovation in beliefs
Malik was vehemently opposed to bid'ah and even directed others not to extend the Islamic greeting of Salam to the
people of bidah, stating, "how evil are the People of Innuendo, we do not give them felicitations."
[7] 
Malik explained
that "he who establishes an innovation in Islam regarding it as something good, has claimed that Muhammad has
betrayed his trust to deliver the message as God says, 'this day have I perfected for you your religion'. And
whatsoever was not part of the religion then, is not part of the religion today."
[8]
Prohibiting Kalam
Malik sternly prohibited theological rhetoric and philosophical speech, frequently referred to as kalam.
[9] 
Malik
believed that Kalam was rooted in heretical doctrines taken up and followed by controversial theologians such as
Jahm bin Safwan.
[10] 
When asked about an individual who delved into Kalam, Malik answered, "He establishes his
innuendo with kalaam, and if kalaam had been knowledge, the Companions and the tabi'in would have spoken about
it, just as they spoke about the rules and regulations.
[11]

Malik ibn Anas
30
Death
Imam Malik died at the age of 86 in Medina in 795 and is buried in the famous Jannat ul-Baqi cemetery across from
the Masjid al Nabawi. Malik's last words were related by one Isma'il Ibn Abi Uways who said, "Malik became sick,
so I asked some of our people about what he said at the time of his death. They said, `He recited the shahadah
(testification of faith), then he recited:
Their affair is for Allah, before and after.
[12]
Works
Imam Malik wrote Al-Muwatta, "The Approved," which was said to have been regarded by Imam Shafi'i to be the
soundest book on Earth after the Qur'an.
•• Al-Muwatta
• Al-Mudawwana al-Kubra
Quotes
"The reform of the later generations of this Ummah will take place in the same way as reformed its earlier
generations." taken from Islahi Khutbat (Discourse on Islamic Way of Life)
References
[1] "Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik ibn `Amr, al-Imam, Abu `Abd Allah al-Humyari al-Asbahi al-Madani" (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
sunnah.
 
org/
 
publication/
khulafa_rashideen/
 
malik.
 
htm). Sunnah.org. . Retrieved 2010-04-10.
[2] "The Life and Times of Malik ibn Anas" (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
islaam.
 
com/
 
Article.
 
aspx?id=530). Islaam.Com. . Retrieved 2010-04-10.
[3] "– Topics" (http:/
 
/
 
muslimheritage.
 
com/
 
topics/
 
default.
 
cfm?ArticleID=471). Muslimheritage.com. 2005-01-04. . Retrieved 2010-04-10.
[4] ""Imaam Maalik ibn Anas" by Hassan Ahmad, ''‘Al Jumuah’ Magazine'' Volume 11 – Issue 9" (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
sunnahonline.
 
com/
 
ilm/
 
seerah/
0041.
 
htm). Sunnahonline.com. . Retrieved 2010-04-10.
[5]
[5] Al-Intiqaa, pg. 38
[6]
[6] as-Siffat, pg.75
[7]
[7] al-Ibaanah of ibn Battah, no.441
[8]
[8] al-I'tisaam
[9]
[9] Dhammul-Kalaam (qaaf/173/alif)
[10]
[10] Jaami' Bayaanul-Ilm wa Fadlihi (p. 415)
[11]
[11] Dhammul-Kalaam (qaaf/173/baa)
[12]
[12] Quran 30:4
External links
• Life of Imam Malik (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
haqislam.
 
org/
 
imam-malik/
 
)
• Biography of Imam Malik (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
momin.
 
ca/
 
biographies/
 
Imaam Malik.
 
htm)
• A comprehensive Biography of Imam Malik (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
sunnah.
 
org/
 
publication/
 
khulafa_rashideen/
 
malik.
htm)
• Al-Muwatta' of Imam Malik (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
sunnipath.
 
com/
 
library/
 
Hadith/
 
H0001P0000.
 
aspx)
• Muslims of Norwich (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
muslimsofnorwich.
 
org.
 
uk) A Maliki community
•
(French) 
The lifestyle of Imâm Mâlik Ibn Anas (at-tawhid.net) (http:/
 
/
 
www.
 
at-tawhid.
 
net/
article-le-mode-de-vie-de-l-imam-malik-ibn-anas-abu-zahra-104634686.
 
html)

Sunan al-Darimi
31
Sunan al-Darimi
Sunan al-Darimi (Arabic: ﻲﻣﺭﺍﺪﻟﺍ ﻦﺳ) or Musnad al-Darimi by `Abd Allah ibn `Abd al-Rahman al-Darimi
(181H–255H) is a hadith collection considered by Sunnis to be among the prominent nine collections: the Al-Kutub
al-Sittah, Al-Muwatta and the Musnad of Imam Ahmad.
Despite its title as a Musnad, it is not arranged by narrator in the manner of other Musnads, such as that of Tayalisi
or Ibn Hanbal. It is arranged by subject matter in the manner of a book of Sunan, like the Sunan Ibn Majah.
Conveyance
Darimi transmitted these hadiths to `Isa ibn `Umar al-Samarqandi; date of death unknown, but presumably after 293
AH. Thereafter it passed to:
• `Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hamawiya al-Sarkhasi (293–381 AH)
• `Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Muzaffar al-Dawudi "Jamal al-Islam" (374–467 AH)
• Abu'l-Waqt `Abd al-Awwal ibn `Isa ibn Shu`ayb al-Sijizzi (458–553 AH)
Published editions
•• Edited by Husayn Salim Asad, Dar al-Maghni, 1420 AH / 2000 CE, p. 151-3
Al-Darimi
Name & Lineage
Abu Muhammad Abdullah Bin Abdur Rahman Bin Fadhl Bin Bahraan Bin Abdus Samad At Tamimi Ad Darimi As
Samarqandi, commonly known as Imam Darimi, came from the family tribe of Banu Darim Bin Maalik Bin
Hanzalah Bin Zaid Bin Manah Bin Tamim.
[1] 
He is also known as Imam Tamimi, in relation to Tamim Bin Murrah,
who was amongst the ancestor of Banu Darim.
[2]
Still again, he is called Imam Samarqandi, the name deriving from the city of Samarqand, which produced many
Islamic scholars, like himself.
Birth
Imam Darimi was born on 181 A.H., as is admitted by him ‘I was born on the same year in which Imam Abdullah
Bin Mubarak had died. And Abdullah Bin Mubarak died in 181 A.H.’.
[3]
His Knowledge & Travels
The biographers of Imam Darimi have not written much in details of his acquiring knowledge in the early stages of
his life, and the same is for the details of his extensive travels for knowledge. Though it is mentioned that he was
amongst the ones who frequently traveled to many places for knowledge and collecting of Aahadith (Plural of
Hadith)! He was a great memorizer, trusted, truthful, pious, righteous, orderly and perfecting person.

Al-Darimi
32
His Teachers
Imam Darimi was a student of many an expert scholar of his time, in Hadith and Fiqh. He had a great number of
teachers.
His Students
Amongst his students were Imam Muslim Bin Al Hajjaj, Imam Abu Dawud Sulaiman, Imam Muhammad Bin Eesa
Tirmizi, Imam Abdullah Bin Ahmad Bin Hanbal, and many others.
His Works
As Sunan ud Darimi - Some from among his collections of the Prophet Muhammad's Aahadith.
At Tafsir ud Darimi - Imam Zahbi mentioned the work in Seer Aalaam un Nubalaa
[4] 
though its lost now, unless
discovered!
Al Jaamie - Khateeb Al Baghdadi has mentioned this in his Tarikh ul Baghdad.
[5]
Death
The Imam died in 255 A.H. 8th in the month of Zul Hijjah, the day of Tarweeyah, after the Asr Prayer. He was
buried on the Friday of the Day of Arafah.
References
[1] (Lubbul Lubaab – Volume 1 – Page 308)
[2] (Al Ansaab – Volume 1 – Page 478)
[3] (Tahzibul Kamaal – Volume 15 – Page 216)
[4]
[4] (Seer Aalaam un Nubalaa - Volume 12 - Page 228)
[5]
[5] (Tarikh ul Baghdad - Volume 10 - Page 29)

Sahih al-Bukhari
33
Sahih al-Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Arabic: ﻱﺭﺎﺨﺒﻟﺍ ﺢﻴﺤﺻ), is one of the Al-Kutub Al-Sittah (six major hadiths) of sunni Islam. These
prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after
being transmitted orally for generations. Sunni Muslims view this as one of the three most trusted collections of
hadith along with Sahih Muslim and al-Muwatta 
[1]
. In some circles, it is considered the most authentic book after
the Qur'an.
[2][3] 
The Arabic word sahih translates as authentic or correct.
[4]
Actual title
The actual title of the book commonly referred to as Sahih al-Bukhari, according to Ibn al-Salah, is: al-Jaami’
al-Sahih al-Musnad al-Mukhtasar min Umur Rasool Allah wa sunanihi wa Ayyamihi. A word for word translation is:
The Abridged Collection of Authentic Hadith with Connected Chains regarding Matters Pertaining to the Prophet,
His practices and His Times.
[3]
 Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani mentioned the same title replacing the word umur, matters,
with hadith.
[5]
Overview
Al-Bukhari traveled widely throughout the Abbasid empire from the age of 16, collecting those traditions he thought
trustworthy. It is said that al-Bukhari collected over 300,000 hadith and included only 2,602 traditions in his Sahih.
[6]
At the time when Bukhari saw [the earlier] works and conveyed them, he found them, in their presentation,
combining between what would be considered sahih and hasan and that many of them included da’if hadith. This
aroused his interest in compiling hadith whose authenticity was beyond doubt. What further strengthened his resolve
was something his teacher, Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Hanthalee – better known as Ibn Rahoyah – had said. Muhammad
ibn Ismaa’eel al-Bukhari said, “We were with Ishaq ibn Rahoyah who said, ‘If only you would compile a book of
only authentic narrations of the Prophet.’ This suggestion remained in my heart so I began compiling the Sahih.”
Bukhari also said, “I saw the Prophet in a dream and it was as if I was standing in front of him. In my hand was a fan
with which I was protecting him. I asked some dream interpreters, who said to me, ‘You will protect him from lies.’
This is what compelled me to produce the Sahih.”
[7]
The book covers almost all aspects of life in providing proper guidance of Islam such as the method of performing
prayers and other actions of worship directly from the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Bukhari finished his work
around 846, and spent the last twenty-four years of his life visiting other cities and scholars, teaching the hadith he
had collected. In every city that he visited, thousands of people would gather in the main mosque to listen to him
recite traditions. In reply to Western academic doubts as to the actual date and authorship of the book that bears his
name, scholars point out that notable hadith scholars of that time, such as Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (855 CE/241 AH), Ibn
Maīn (847 CE/233 AH), and Ibn Madīni (848 CE/234 AH), accepted the authenticity of his book
[8] 
and that the
collection's immediate fame makes it unlikely that it could have been revised after the author's death without
historical record.
During this period of twenty-four years, Bukhari made minor revisions to his book, notably the chapter headings.
Each version is named by its narrator. According to Ibn Hajar Asqalani in his book Nukat, the number of hadiths in
all versions is the same. The most famous one today is the version narrated by al-Firabri (d. 932 CE/320 AH), a
trusted student of Bukhari. Khatib al-Baghdadi in his book History of Baghdad quoted Firabri as saying: "About
seventy thousand people heard Sahih Bukhari with me".
Firabri is not the only transmitter of Sahih Bukhari. There were many others that narrated that book to later
generations, such as Ibrahim ibn Ma'qal (d. 907 CE/295 AH), Hammad ibn Shaker (d. 923 CE/311 AH), Mansur
Burduzi (d. 931 CE/319 AH) and Husain Mahamili (d. 941 CE/330 AH). There are many books that noted
differences between these versions, the best known being Fath al-Bari.

Sahih al-Bukhari
34