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The Maliki school: Imam Malik and the tradition of Medina
One of the four schools of law in Sunni Islam
Discover the Maliki School
Founded by Imam Malik ibn Anas, a tradition of legal excellence since the 8th century
History and Founding
The Maliki school was founded by Imam Malik ibn Anas (711-795), one of the foremost scholars of Medina. This school grew up in the city of the Prophet and is considered the direct heir of the Medinan tradition.
Main Features
Method
Founded on the Quran, the Sunnah and the practice of the people of Medina
Jurisprudence
Weight given to Medinan practice and to the consensus of the scholars
Influence
The majority school in North and West Africa
Core Principles
The Maliki school stands out for:
- The weight given to the practice of the people of Medina
- The consideration of the public interest (masalih mursala)
- The use of the consensus of the scholars of Medina
- The taking into account of beneficial local custom
The Maliki school: a cornerstone of Islamic jurisprudence
The Maliki school is one of the four main schools of law of Sunni Islam, alongside the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools. Founded by Imam Malik ibn Anas in the 8th century in Medina, it draws on particular sources to establish its rulings.
Imam Malik was born around 711 in Medina and lived all his life in that holy city. He developed his legal method resting first on the Quran, then on the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. One important feature: he gave great weight to the practice of the people of Medina, whom he regarded as the direct heirs of the prophetic teachings.
This school uses several sources for its rulings. The Quran remains the first reference. The authentic hadiths are the second source. Imam Malik also drew on the consensus of the scholars and on reasoning by analogy where the texts were not explicit.
Geographically, the Maliki school prevails today in North and West Africa. It is found chiefly in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, as well as in many sub-Saharan countries such as Senegal, Mali and Mauritania. It also shapes some regions of the Middle East.
The rulings of this school touch every part of religious life: ablutions, prayer, fasting and commercial dealings. The Maliki school sometimes differs from the others on particular points, notably on questions of ritual purity and family law.
Its main reference work remains the "Muwatta", compiled by Imam Malik himself. That book gathers hadiths and practices of Medina which still serve as the basis for Maliki jurists today.
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ReadYou may be wondering…
Who founded the Maliki school?
The Maliki school takes its name from Imam Malik ibn Anas (711-795), one of the foremost scholars of Medina, where he lived all his life. Trained in the city of the Prophet ﷺ under the successors of the Companions, he developed a legal method founded on the Quran, the Sunnah and the practice of the people of Medina. Imam al-Shafi'i is among his best-known students.
What is Imam Malik's Muwatta?
The Muwatta is the reference work of the Maliki school, compiled by Imam Malik himself. It brings together hadiths, rulings of Companions and practices current in Medina, arranged by legal topic. Regarded as one of the earliest collections of hadith and fiqh, it still serves as the basis for teaching Maliki jurists today.
Why does the Maliki school give such weight to Medina?
For Imam Malik, the people of Medina were the direct heirs of the prophetic teaching: the Prophet ﷺ had lived there and the Companions had passed on his practice from one generation to the next. The practice of the people of Medina (amal ahl al-Madina) is therefore treated as a source of law, at times even preferred to a solitary hadith.
In which countries is the Maliki school followed?
The Maliki madhhab prevails in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya) and in West Africa (Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and many sub-Saharan countries). It is also present in parts of the Gulf and the Middle East. Historically it was the school of Muslim Andalusia, which explains how deeply rooted it is across the Muslim West.
What are the sources of Maliki law?
The Maliki school rests first on the Quran and the authentic hadiths, then on the consensus of the scholars and on reasoning by analogy. It stands out for the value it gives to the practice of the people of Medina, to the common good (masalih mursala) and to beneficial local custom. This range of sources lets it address ablutions, prayer and fasting as well as commercial dealings and family law.