Hadith No: 1
Al-Dhahabi - Siyar A'lam al-Nubalā' - Volume 6 - al-Awza'i
Part: (7) - Page Number: (113)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Ibrahim al-Harbi said: I asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal: What do you say about Malik? He replied: A sound hadith and a weak opinion. I said: And about al-Awza'i? He said: A weak hadith and a weak opinion. I said: And al-Shafi'i? He said: A sound hadith and a sound opinion. I said: And so-and-so? He said: Neither an opinion nor a hadith. I understood that he meant al-Awza'i's hadith is weak because he would accept narrations from incomplete chains and the unsent messengers of the people of Al-Sham, and there is weakness in that, but not that the Imam himself is weak.

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Reference: Seyar A'laam al-Nobalaa Book 7

Hadith No: 2
Al-Dhahabi - Siyar A'lam al-Nublaa' - Volume 6 - Ibn Abi Zaeeb
Part: (7) - Page Number: (142)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: Ibn Abi Zaeeb learned that Malik did not accept the hadith: "The two sellers have the choice" and he said: "He should be admonished (yustab) and if he repents, fine, otherwise his neck should be struck." Then Ahmad said: "He is more God-fearing (awra') and speaks the truth (bi'l-haqq) better than Malik." I said: If he were truly God-fearing as he ought to be, he would not have said this ugly remark regarding a great Imam.

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Reference: Seyar A'laam al-Nobalaa Book 7

Hadith No: 3
Al-Dhahabi - Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' - Volume 7 - Malik al-Imam - Chapter
Volume: (8) - Page Number: (66)
[The text is long, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Isma'il al-Qadi said: I heard Abu Mus'ab say: "Malik did not attend the congregational prayers for twenty-five years." So he was asked, "What prevents you?" He replied, "Fear that I might see something reprehensible and feel the need to change it."

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Reference: Seyar A'laam al-Nobalaa Book 8

Hadith No: 4
Al-Dhahabi - Siyar A'lam al-Nubala - Volume 7 - Malik al-Imam - Description of Imam Malik
Part: (8) - Page Number: (77)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Al-Haytham ibn Jamil said: I heard Malik being asked about forty-eight issues, and he answered with (I do not know) in thirty-two of them.
- .... And from Khalid ibn Khudhash who said: I came to Malik with forty questions, and he only answered me in five of them.

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Reference: Seyar A'laam al-Nobalaa Book 8

Hadith No: 5
Al-Dhahabi - Tadhkirat al-Huffaz - Fifth Layer from the Book
199 - 46 / 5 - Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik ibn Abi Amir ...
Volume: (1) - Page Number: (156)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Ibn Sa'd said: Muhammad ibn Umar narrated to me who said: Malik would come to the mosque to observe the prayers and funerals, visit the sick, settle debts, and sit in the mosque. Eventually, he stopped sitting there, and he would pray and leave, and he stopped attending funerals. Instead, he would visit his companions to offer them condolences. Then he left all of this, along with praying in the mosque and attending Friday prayers. The people accepted all of this, becoming more eager and more reverent toward it than ever before. He would sometimes be asked about it and would say: Not everyone can speak of his excuse.
- .... Isma'il al-Qadi said: I heard Abu Mus'ab say that Malik did not attend congregation prayers for twenty-five years. When asked what prevented him, he replied: Fear of seeing something reprehensible and needing to change it.

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Reference: Tazkeratul Huffaz Book 1

Hadith No: 6
Al-Dhahabi - Tarikh al-Islam wa Wafat al-Mashahhir wa al-A'lam - Volume 16
Biographies of the People of This Class in Alphabetical Order - Letter M -
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Harith ibn Abi Dhii'b
Part: (9) - Page Number: (602)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: "It reached Ibn Abi Dhii'b that Malik did not accept the hadith of the two sellers being in the choice, and he said: 'Malik should be given a chance to repent. If he repents, well and good; if not, I will strike his neck.'" Then Ahmad added: "He is more pious and speaks the truth more than Malik."

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Reference: Taarikh al islaam wa wafyaat al mushaheer wal a'alaam Book 9

Hadith No: 7
Al-Dhahabi - Tarikh al-Islam wa Wafat al-Mashahir wal-A'lam - Volume 18
Biographies of this volume in the dictionary - Letter M - 247: Malik ibn Anas
Volume: (11) - Page number: (326)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Ibn Muṣ'ab said: Malik did not attend the congregation for twenty-five years. When asked what prevented him, he replied: "Fear that I might see something inappropriate and feel the need to change it." This was narrated by Isma'il al-Qadi from him.
- .... Al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan ibn Muhajir al-Hafiz said: "I heard Ibn Muṣ'ab say: After Malik's withdrawal from the mosque, he would pray in his home with a congregation that prayed with him, and he would perform the Friday prayer in his home alone."
- .... Ahmad ibn Sa'id al-Ribatī said: "I heard Abd al-Razzaq say: A man from Sind asked Malik a question, and Malik answered him. Then he said: 'You are one of those people who sometimes make mistakes and sometimes do not get it right.' Malik replied, 'You are correct.'"
- .... Yahya ibn Bukayr said: "I said to Malik: I heard Al-Layth say, 'I saw a man of knowledge walking on water, so do not place too much trust in him.' Malik replied, 'Even if you see him walking on air, do not feel safe in his presence or place too much trust in him.'"

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Reference: Taarikh al islaam wa wafyaat al mushaheer wal a'alaam Book 11

Hadith No: 8
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani - Tahdhib al-Tahdhib - Chapter on the Letter S (س) with Unused Points
Those Named Sa'd - 866: Sa'd ibn Ibrahim ibn Abdul Rahman...
Volume: (3) - Page Number: (464/465)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- Al-Saji said: "A trustworthy individual, all the scholars unanimously agreed on his truthfulness and narrating from him, except for Malik." ... "It is said that Sa'd admonished Malik, and Malik felt aggrieved by it, so he did not narrate from him."
- Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrated to me: I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal say: "Sa'd is trustworthy." It was said to him, "Indeed, Malik does not narrate from him." He replied, "Who pays attention to this? Sa'd is a trustworthy man, a righteous person."
- Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrated to me: I heard al-Mu'iti saying to Ibn Ma'in, "Malik used to speak ill of Sa'd, a leader among the leaders of Quraysh, and he would narrate from Thawr and Dawud ibn al-Husayn, two evil Khawarij." Al-Saji said, "Malik only ceased to narrate from him, but it is possible he spoke ill of him; I do not remember this."
- Ahmad ibn al-Barqi said: "I asked Yahya about what some people said regarding Sa'd: that he held views on predestination (qadar) and that Malik abandoned narrating from him." He replied, "He did not hold views on predestination, rather Malik left off narrating from him because he spoke about Malik's lineage, and Malik would not narrate from him," and he is reliable, without a doubt.

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Reference: Tazheeb al Tahzeeb Book 3

Hadith No: 9
Ibn Hazm - Al-Ihkām fi Usul al-Ahkām
Chapter Thirty-Five: On Istihsan (Preferential Jurisprudence) and Istinbāt (Deductive Reasoning) in Opinion, and the Invalidity of All That
Volume: (6) - Page Number: (57)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Abu Khalid Malik ibn Ali al-Qurashi al-Qatni al-Zahid informed me, and he was a virtuous, good, and diligent man in worship, who said: Al-Qa'nabi informed me, saying: I entered upon Malik ibn Anas during the illness in which he died. I greeted him, then sat down, and I saw him crying. I said: O Abu Abdullah, what is it that makes you cry? He said to me: O Ibn Qa'nab, why should I not cry, and who has more reason to cry than me? By Allah, I wish I had been struck with a whip for every issue I ruled on with my opinion. I had some leeway in matters I had previously decided, and I wish I had not issued fatwas based on opinion, or something to that effect.

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Reference: Al'iihkam Fi 'Usul Al'ahkam Book 6

Hadith No: 10
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi - Tarikh Baghdad (History of Baghdad) - Completion of the Chapter on Muhammad
Letter 'Ayn Regarding the Fathers of the Muhammadans - Mention of Those Named Muhammad, with Fathers Named Abd al-Rahman
1103 - Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Harith ibn Abi Dhii'b, Abu al-Harith al-Qurashi al-Madini
Volume: (3) - Page Number: (103)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Abdullah al-Qattan narrated to us, saying: Abdullah ibn Ja'far narrated to us, saying: Ya'qub ibn Sufyan narrated to us, saying: al-Fadl ibn Ziad narrated to me, from Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who said: "It reached Ibn Abi Dhii'b that Malik did not accept the hadith of 'the two buyers are in a better position to choose.' He said, 'He should be called to repent, or else I will strike his neck.'"
- A Shami then said: "Who is more knowledgeable, Malik or Ibn Abi Dhii'b?" He replied, "In this, Ibn Abi Dhii'b is greater than Malik, and Ibn Abi Dhii'b is better in his religion, more pious, and more steadfast in the truth than Malik in the presence of the rulers."

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Reference: Taareekh Baghdad Book 3

Hadith No: 11
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi - Tarikh Baghdad - Chapter on the letter N
Mention of those named al-Nu'man - 7297: Al-Nu'man ibn Thabit, Abu Hanifa al-Taimi
Mention of what the scholars said in condemnation of his opinion and warning against it, along with related accounts of him
Volume: (13) - Page Number: (418)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
122 - Al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Mundhir, the judge, and al-Hasan ibn Abi Bakr al-Bazzaz said: Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Shafi'i narrated to us, saying: I heard Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Harbi say: I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal - when asked about Malik - say: "A sound hadith and a weak opinion."

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Reference: Taareekh Baghdad Book 13

Hadith No: 12
Ibn Asakir - Tarikh Damishq - Letter 'Ayn
3907 - Abd al-Rahman ibn Amr ibn Yahmad Abi Umr Abi Umr al-Awza'i
Volume: (35) - Page Number: (183/184)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... And Layth ibn Sa'd said: He only took his book, meaning from al-Zuhri. Abu Nasr ibn al-Qushayri wrote to me from Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi, saying: Abu Abd Allah al-Hafiz narrated to me that he heard Abu Ali al-Shafi'i, meaning al-Husayn ibn Yahya ibn Zakariya, say: "I heard Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Shafi'i say: I heard Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Harbi say: I asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 'What do you say about Malik ibn Anas?' He replied: 'His Hadith is authentic, and his opinion is weak.'"
- H and Abu al-Ma'ali Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Muhammad al-Farisi narrated to us, saying: Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, as did Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Saqa al-Isfara'ini, from Abu Bakr al-Shafi'i, meaning al-Baghdadi, who said: I heard Ibrahim al-Harbi say: "Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked about Malik ibn Anas and said: 'His Hadith is authentic, and his opinion is weak.'"

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Reference: Tarikh e Damishq Book 35

Hadith No: 13
Al-Nawawi - al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhthab - Sharh al-Nawawi
Introduction - Chapter on the Etiquette of Fatwa, the Mufti, and the Questioner
Volume: (1) - Page Number: (40/41)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... And from al-Haytham ibn Jamil: "I witnessed Malik being asked about forty-eight questions, and he said in thirty-two of them: 'I do not know.'"
- .... And it is also narrated from Malik: that he was sometimes asked about fifty questions and would not respond to any of them.

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Reference: Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Mohaddhab Book 1

Hadith No: 14
Al-Shanqeeti - Adhwaa al-Bayan fi Ittihhaze al-Quran bil-Quran - Muhammad: 24
Volume: (7) - Page Number: (361)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Yahya ibn Salam mentioned and said: I heard Abdullah ibn Ghanim in a gathering of Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab narrating from al-Layth ibn Sa'd that he said: "I counted seventy issues on Malik ibn Anas, all of which were contrary to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), in which Malik expressed his opinion." He said, and I indeed wrote to him about that.

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Reference: Adwa albayan fi'iidah alquran bilquran Book 7

Hadith No: 15
Ibn Abd al-Barr - Jamia Bayaan al-Ilm wa Fadlihi - Chapter on What Was Narrated About Condemning Speaking About Allah Almighty's Religion Based on Opinion, Assumption, and Analogy Without a Foundation, and Criticizing the Excessive Engagement in Issues Without Consideration
Volume: (2) - Page Number: (1080)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
2105 - .... Yahya ibn Salam mentioned and said: I heard Abdullah ibn Ghanim in a gathering of Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab narrating from al-Layth ibn Saad that he said: "I counted seventy issues on Malik ibn Anas, all of which were contrary to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), in which Malik expressed his opinion." He said, "And I indeed wrote to him about that."

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Reference: Jamea' Bayaan al-Ilm wa Fadleh Book 2

Hadith No: 16
Ibn Abd al-Bar - Jami' Bayaan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih - Chapter on the Rulings of Scholars' Opinions about One Another
Volume: (2) - Page Number: (1107)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
2170 - Abu Ya'qub Yusuf ibn Ahmad al-Makki mentioned that Ja'far ibn Idris al-Maqri narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Abi Yahya narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Sahl narrated to us, saying: I heard Layth ibn Talhah say: I heard Salamah ibn Sulayman say: "I said to Ibn al-Mubarak, 'You accepted the opinion of Abu Hanifah, but did not accept the opinion of Malik.' He replied, 'I did not see it as knowledge.'"

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Reference: Jamea' Bayaan al-Ilm wa Fadleh Book 2

Hadith No: 17
Ibn Abd al-Barr - Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih - Chapter on the Ruling of Scholars' Comments on Each Other
Volume: (2) - Page Number: (1113)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
2184 - And Ibn Abi Ziyab spoke about Malik ibn Anas with words that contained a certain harshness and roughness that I disliked to mention, and it is well-known that he said this in denial of Malik's statement regarding the Hadith of the two sellers being in choice.

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Reference: Jamea' Bayaan al-Ilm wa Fadleh Book 2

Hadith No: 18
Al-Mizzi - Tahdhib al-Kamal fi Asma' al-Rijal - Chapter on the Letter Meem
Those Whose Name is Muhammad - Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Harith ibn Abi Dhiyab
Volume: (25) - Page Number: (637/638)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Ya'qub ibn Sufyan al-Farisi said: Al-Fadl ibn Ziyad narrated to me from Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who said: It reached Ibn Abi Dhiyab that Malik did not accept theHadith of the two buyers being in choice, so he said, "He should be called to repent, otherwise I will strike his neck." Malik, however, did not reject the hadith, but interpreted it differently. Then a man from Sham said, "Who knows more, Malik or Ibn Abi Dhiyab?" He replied, "In this, Ibn Abi Dhiyab is greater than Malik, and Ibn Abi Dhiyab is better in his physical health, more scrupulous, and more steadfast in the truth than Malik in the presence of the rulers."
- .... Hammad ibn Khalid said: He was likened to Ibn Abi Dhiyab with Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib in his time, and neither Ibn Abi Dhiyab nor Malik was in a position with a ruler except that Ibn Abi Dhiyab spoke the truth in matters of command and prohibition, while Malik remained silent.

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Reference: Tahzeeb al-Kamaal fi Asmaa al-Rejaal Book 25

Hadith No: 19
Al-Safadi - al-Wafi bil-Wafayat - Ibn Abd al-Rahman
Volume: (3) - Page Number: (186)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: "Ibn Abi Tammam learned that Malik did not accept the hadith of the two sellers having the choice, so he said: 'Malik should be subjected to admonition (istitabah). If he repents, fine; otherwise, I will strike off his neck.' Then Ahmad said, 'He is more God-fearing (awra') and more open to the truth than Malik.'"

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Reference: Al-waafi Bil Wafayaat Book 3