Malik, the Muwatta, Ali & Ahl Bayt
Q: Is it true Imam Malik shied away from narrating hadith about Ali (رضي الله عنه) in the Muwatta because Malik feared the Umayyads?
A: That is incorrect for three reasons:
- Historically inaccurate: Imam Malik started writing the Muwatta around 147 AH, finishing it around 158 AH. That was well after the Umayyads were gone. They fell around 132 AH. Sheikh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghudda – may Allah have mercy on him – writes: “Malik’s compilation of Al-Muwatta’ took place after the year 146 or 147 AH, and its completion was after the year 158 AH with certainty.”
- Imam Malik was a student of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, who encouraged people to take Malik as an Imam. Imam al-Zawawi mentioned in his book “The Merits of Imam Malik – may Allah have mercy on him” that “some people from the people of Kufa entered upon Ja’far al-Sadiq during his illness, in which he passed away – may Allah have mercy on him – and they asked him to appoint a man for them after him whom they could return to regarding their religious matters. He said: ‘Adhere to the sayings of the people of Medina, for it purifies it as alkali purifies iron; adhere to the traditions of those who have passed; for I assure you that I am a follower, not an innovator. Adhere to the understanding of the people of Hijaz; adhere to the blessed Mu’min in Islam, who followed the traditions of the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – as I have examined him and found him to be a knowledgeable and virtuous scholar, following him willingly, not inclining to desires nor belittling by necessity, and he narrates only from the virtuous companions of the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – for if you follow him, you will grasp your share of Islam, and if you oppose him, you will be misguided and doomed. Do you not say that I am filled with knowledge, not in need of anyone from the creatures, as I have taken from me everything they need, so that desires do not lead you to destruction, I warn you of Allah’s punishment on the Day of Resurrection, a day when neither wealth nor sons will be of any avail, except for those who come to Allah with a sound heart… They asked: Who is he? He said: Malik ibn Anas.”
- Imam Malik narrated numerous hadiths from Ahl al-Bayt – may Allah honor them. For example, he often narrated hadiths from Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari through Ja’far ibn Muhammad from his father. He also narrated hadiths to Sayyidina Ali, Allah be pleased with him.
Here are several narrations from the Muwatta of Yahya from Ali, Allah be pleased with him:
1. He narrated – with an explicit statement – that he did not perform ablution from what touched fire. Malik reported to me that it reached him that Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abdullah ibn Abbas did not perform ablution from what touched fire. (Al-Muwatta 1/26 Hadith number: 52).
2. He narrated – as a Musnad hadith – the ruling of ablution from pre-seminal fluid. Yahya reported to me from Malik from Abu al-Nadr, the freed slave of Umar ibn Ubaydullah, from Sulayman ibn Yasar, from Muqdad ibn al-Aswad, that Ali ibn Abi Talib ordered him to ask the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, about a man who approached his family and then experienced pre-seminal fluid. Ali said: “I have a daughter of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and I am ashamed to ask him.” Muqdad said: “So, I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, about it, and he said: ‘If one of you experiences that, let him wash his private parts with water and perform ablution for prayer.'” (Al-Muwatta 1/4, Hadith number 84).
3. He narrated in the chapter of Recitation in Prayer: Yahya reported to me from Malik from Nafi from Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Hunayn from his father from Ali ibn Abi Talib that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbade wearing rough garments during prayer, wearing gold rings, and reciting the Quran while bowing. (Al-Muwatta 1/8, Hadith number 176).
4. He narrated – with an explicit statement – in the chapter of the Middle Prayer: Malik reported to me that it reached him that Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abdullah ibn Abbas used to say that the Middle Prayer is the Fajr prayer. Malik said: “The statement of Ali and Ibn Abbas is what I prefer in this matter.” (Al-Muwatta 1/139, Hadith number 316).
5. Mentioned in the Hadith of Umm Hani’ in (The Duha Prayer): Narrated to me by Malik from Abu al-Nadr, the freed slave of Umar ibn Ubayd Allah, that Abu Murrah, the freed slave of Aqil ibn Abi Talib, informed him that he heard Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib saying: “I went to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in the year of the conquest, and found him performing ghusl while Fatimah, his daughter, was covering him with a garment.” She said: “So I greeted him, and he said: ‘Who is this?’ I said: ‘Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib.’ So he said: ‘Welcome, Umm Hani’.’ When he finished his ghusl, he stood and prayed eight rak’ahs, wrapped in one garment. Then he left. So I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, my maternal uncle Ali claims that he fought a man whom so-and-so hired.’ So the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: ‘We will pay him from what he was paid, O Umm Hani’.’ Umm Hani’ said: “That was the Duha prayer.” (Al-Muwatta 1/152 Hadith number 356).
6. Mentioned in (The Permissibility of Passing in Front of the Worshipper): Narrated to me by Malik that it reached him that Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “Nothing should cut off the prayer from what passes in front of the worshipper.” (Al-Muwatta 1/156 Hadith number 368).
7. Mentioned in (The Eid Prayer): Abu Ubaid said: “Then I witnessed the Eid prayer with Ali ibn Abi Talib and Uthman, who was restricted, and he came, prayed, then departed, and he delivered a sermon.” (Al-Muwatta 1/179).
8. Mentioned in (Standing at Funerals): Yahya narrated to me from Malik, from Yahya ibn Said, from Waqid ibn Amr ibn Sad ibn Muadh, from Nafi ibn Jubayr ibn Mut’im, from Mas’ud ibn al-Hakam, from Ali ibn Abi Talib, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to stand at funerals, then he would sit afterward. (Al-Muwatta 1/232 Hadith number 551).
9. Mentioned in (The Chapter of Visiting Graves): Narrated to me by Malik, that it reached him that Ali ibn Abi Talib used to rest on graves and recline on them. Malik said: “We disapprove of sitting on graves, as we view it according to the schools of thought.” (Al-Muwatta 1/233 Hadith number 552).
10. Mentioned in (The Chapter of Reciting Quran During Hajj): Yahya narrated to me from Malik, from Ja’far ibn Muhammad, from his father, that al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad entered upon Ali ibn Abi Talib with water for him to perform ablution, and he had dough and dates ready for him. He said: “This is Uthman ibn Affan prohibiting connecting Hajj and Umrah together.” So Ali ibn Abi Talib went out, and traces of dough and dates were on his hands. He never forgot the traces of dough and dates on his arms until he met Uthman ibn Affan. Then he said: “Are you prohibiting connecting Hajj and Umrah?” Uthman said: “That is my opinion.” So Ali left angrily, saying: “Here I am, O Allah, here I am, with Hajj and Umrah combined.” (Al-Muwatta 1/336 Hadith number 742).
11. Mentioned in (The Chapter of Tawaf): Narrated to me by Malik, from Ja’far ibn Muhammad, from his father, that Ali ibn Abi Talib used to perform Tawaf with Hajj until the sun declined on the Day of Arafat, then he would perform the Tawaf. (Al-Muwatta 1/338 Hadith number 746).
12. Mentioned in (The Chapter of Sacrifice of the Haram Animals): Yahya narrated to me from Malik, from Ja’far ibn Muhammad, from his father, that Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, sacrificed some of his sacrificial animals and others were sacrificed by others.” (Al-Muwatta 1/394 Hadith number 883).
13. Also mentioned in the Chapter of the Inheritance of Non-Muslims: Yahya narrated to me from Malik, from Ibn Shihab, from Ali ibn Husayn ibn Ali, from Umar ibn Uthman ibn Affan, from Usamah ibn Zayd, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever.” Malik narrated to me from Ibn Shihab, from Ali ibn Abi Talib, that he informed him: “Aqil and Talib inherited from Abu Talib, but Ali did not inherit from him.” He said: “So we left our share of the property.” (Al-Muwatta 2/519 Hadith numbers 1.82 and 1.83).
14. Mentioned in the Book of Marriage (Chapter on What is Disliked Regarding Marrying Two Sisters through the Right of Possession): Yahya narrated to me from Malik, from Ibn Shihab, from Qubaysah ibn Dhu’ayb, that a man asked Uthman ibn Affan about marrying two sisters through the right of possession, if it is permissible. Uthman said: “Allah made one lawful and the other unlawful. As for me, I do not like to do that.” He said: “So the man left him and met a man from the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and asked him about that, and he said: ‘If I had any authority in the matter and found anyone doing that, I would punish him.’” Ibn Shihab said: “I think it was Ali ibn Abi Talib.” (Al-Muwatta 2/538 Hadith number 1122).
15. Mentioned in (The Chapter of Temporary Marriage): Yahya narrated to me from Malik, from Ibn Shihab, from Abdullah and al-Hasan, the sons of Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, from their father, from Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbade temporary marriage on the day of Khaybar, and eating the meat of domesticated camels. (Al-Muwatta 2/548 Hadith number 1129).
Q: Why is the Muwatta not filled with narrations about Sayydina Ali, Allah bless him?
A: This is more geographical than political, and your question is framed wrong for a number of reasons. In short: Malik narrated what he had access to; all of the narrators in the Muwatta were from Medina except six or seven. For that reason, his narrations of the companions who lived outside of Medina were limited. Ali, Allah bless him, being one of them. Another example is. Abdullah bin Masud; Malik did not narrate a lot on his behalf. Harun Rashid asked Malik a similar question. The Imam responded that his geographical location limited him to the scholars he had access to.
Allah knows best,
Suhaib Webb