Muwattā

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The Muwattā is the first effort to compile ahādīth. This work earned fame and eternal acknowledgment. The book is attributed to the leading Madinan jurist and muhaddith, Imām Abū ‘Abd Allāh Mālik b. Anas b. ‘Ᾱmir (93-179 AH). He compiled this book after carefully selecting one thousand traditions from almost one hundred thousand narratives before him ^[1]. He took forty years in accomplishing this work. After its completion, he presented it to seventy scholars of repute from Madīnah. Imām Shāfi‘ī is reported to have said that no book is sounder than Muwattā of Imām Mālik except the Qur’ān. Even today, some scholars regard it at the same level or better in authenticity than the two Sahihs of Bukhari and Muslim.

Over one thousand disciples of the said 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 Undulusī.

The principles of accepting ahādīth which the Imām has followed in this book are very reliable. This makes his work very distinct. The care he has shown in this process of hadīth selection becomes obvious to any reader. The book is also a repudiation to anyone who claims that the Māliki school of jurisprudence is not based on sound ahādīth.

Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Spurious Narrations not by Imām Mālik 3 Historical Context 4 References

Characteristics

• Comprehensiveness and briefness- In spite of the fact that this is a short work in relation to other works of the kind, it has proved comprehensive and covers all the necessary issues.

• Consists of only verbatim narratives - Imām Mālik adopted a very well-balanced approach regarding accepting the narratives which preserve only meaning. He does not, at least, accept a narrative containing the Prophetic statement if it is not reported verbatim. He insists that the words of the Prophet (sws) must be reported verbatim. This means that he does not accept a marfū‘ hadīth (ascribed to the Prophet (sws) himself) if it is not verbatim transmission of the words of the Prophet (sws).

He was so conscious regarding the marfū‘ hadīth reports that he even gave consideration to letters, prepositions and particles like wāw, tā, bā etc. in them.

• Care in accepting narratives from the innovators - Imām Mālik is stricter in this regard than the generality of muhaddithūn. He does not consider it allowable to accept a narrative transmitted by innovators even if they do not confess and invite others to their innovations. He generally declares such to be unworthy and unreliable narrators.

• Literariness of the book - it contains highly literary form of the classical Arabic. This helps readers develop the ability to understand the language of the Prophetic traditions.

Spurious Narrations not by Imām Mālik

Although, there still are a few weak and unreliable narratives in the book, but these narratives have not been included by the author himself. They, on the contrary, have been added to the original. Thus, they are mere exceptions to the sound original content of the book. The book has been transmitted from the Imām by many people and has reached us through many chains of narrators. This made it possible for those on the lookout to incorporate spurious things in the genuine content. Still, however, a scholar with a sound knowledge can easily discern fabrications and weak narratives and distinguish them from sound ones.

Historical Context

It is also important to note that some of the ‘Abbāsī caliphs were involved in persuading Imām Mālik to compile this extraordinary work. Their blessed intentions thus have a part in this great accomplishment. They intended to make Imām Mālik write a book which could help in curbing the ever-increasing current of juristic differences in the ummah.

During the second century Hijrah, the juristic differences among the ummah increased. Apprehending the evil consequences of such tendencies, the caliph Abū Ja‘far Mansūr, during his visit to Hijāz in the year 148 AH, brought it to the notice of Imām Mālik that juristic differences were increasing among the ummah. He apprehended an immanent disorder arising out of this situation. He requested Imām Mālik that he should be permitted to issue a caliphal decree binding all the people to follow his opinions on juristical matters. Imām Mālik, however, did not approve it. He said that every group follows different imāms. Their views are based on the understanding and views of the pious elders. He requested the Caliph to leave those people on what they were inclined to follow in these matters. At this response from the Imām, Abū Ja‘far Mansūr kept silent.

The Caliph, however, did not let go of the thought that the Imām should compile a book which could work as a basis for the legal code of the country and work as a unifying force for all believers. In 163 AH, he went to offer pilgrimage again. He met Imām Mālik and presented his wish before him. This time, he was persuasive. He presented his view forcefully and in detail. He said: “O Abū ‘Abd Allāh, take up the reign of the discipline of Fiqh in your hands. Compile your understanding of every issue in different chapters for a systematic book free from the extremism of ‘Abd Allāh b. ‘Umar, concessions and accommodations of ‘Abd Allāh b. ‘Abbās and unique views of ‘Abd Allāh b. Mas‘ūd. Your work should exemplify the following principle statement of the Prophet (sws): “The best issues are those which are balanced.” It should be a compendium of the agreed upon views of the Companions and the elder imāms on the religious and legal issues. Once you have compiled such a work then we would be able to unite the Muslims in following the single fiqh worked by you. We would then promulgate it in the entire Muslim state. We would order that nobody acts contrary to it.”^[2]

It is said that Imām Mālik fulfilled this wish of the Caliph and compiled the Muwattā. He, however, did not agree to the Caliphal view that the book should be promulgated as the national law. Historical reports attest that another ‘Abbāsī caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd too expressed similar wishes before Imām Mālik who remained unmoved.

Apparently, Imām Mālik thwarted the Caliphal wish. He, however, compiled Muwattā, a great favour to the Muslims. He kept before himself the target of removing the juristic differences between the scholars of the ummah. He targeted a book that comprehensively treats all pertinent issues. Shāh Walī Allāh (1703-1763), the Indian scholar, attached great importance to Muwattā during his efforts to serve the Prophetic traditions. It is, perhaps, considering the importance of this work in the hadīth literature, that he penned two commentaries on it written in two major languages of the Muslims in that time, Urdu and Persian.

References

See Mabādī Tadabbur-e Hadīth by Amīn Ahsan Islāhī

1. ↑ This ratio of one percent reflects the extreme care undertaken by Imām Mālik in sifting through the narrations.
2. ↑ This apparent contradiction of the time-period during which the Muwattā was written, is best explained by the fact that Imām Mālik was collating and verifying ahādīth from before, but formally undertook the task of compiling them in 163 AH. Although he died in 179 AH, it is rightly stated that his entire effort in compiling the Muwattā spanned approximately forty years.