Al-Muwatta

Author's name: Imam Malik ibn Anas

Narrated by Abdullah bin Maslama Al-Qa'nabi

Taken care of by: Omar bin Ahmed bin Sheikh Ali Al-Ahmed Al-Abbas

This version is the most complete edition of the book to date. This novel was previously printed with annotation by Abdul Hafeez Mansour in the Tunisian House in the year (1392 AH = 1972 AD), and it was printed with annotation by Abdul Majeed Turki in the House of the Islamic West in the year (1419 AH = 1999 AD). This novel was compared with the novel by Abu Musab al-Zuhri (d. 242 AH).

The edition features:

• It uniquely includes many narrations that were omitted from previous editions.

• Correcting errors in previous editions.

• Fully justify the text.

• This narration is opposed by the narration of Abu Musab al-Zuhri (d. 242 AH), and the Musnad of al-Muwatta’ by al-Jawhari.

* Graduation of the book’s hadiths based on “Tuhfat al-Ashraf” by al-Mizzi, and “Itihaf al-Mahra” by Ibn Hajar.

* The book ends with indexes of hadiths and athars, and another for topics.

The narrator Abdullah ibn Maslama ibn Qanab al-Harithi, one of the greatest narrators of hadith and jurists among the companions of Malik, lived in the city of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and was a close friend of Malik ibn Anas, taking many lessons from him until he became the greatest narrator of al-Muwatta’. His version was the most authentic narration of al-Muwatta’ from Malik. Al-Ajli said: “Malik read half of al-Muwatta’ to him, and he read the remaining half to Malik.” He was born after the year 130 AH and died around 221 AH in Mecca. Al-Dhahabi said about him: “He lived in Basra, then Mecca, where he died... and he is the most trustworthy of those who narrated al-Muwatta’.” He said about him: “The Sheikh of Islam, the hafiz.” Al-Safadi said: “He learned knowledge from Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), and he is one of his most prominent, distinguished, and best companions.”

Abu Omar bin Abdul Barr said: Abdul Warith bin Sufyan told us, Qasim bin Asbagh told us, Muhammad bin Ismail Al-Ruqi told us: I heard Al-Qa’nabi say: I stayed with Malik for twenty years until I read Al-Muwatta’ to him.

Ibn Ma'in believed that Al-Qa'nabi was "the most reliable of people regarding Malik, he and Ma'n," and even "the most reliable of them all" in the testimony of narration.

Abdullah had three brothers: Ismail, Yahya, and Abdul Malik, the sons of Maslama ibn Qanab. The four learned from Malik ibn Anas.

Among the sheikhs of Al-Qa’nabi from whom he acquired knowledge and narrated from, in addition to Malik, are:

Aflah ibn Hamid, Ibn Abi Dhi’b, Shu’bah ibn al-Hajjaj, Usamah ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, Dawud ibn Qays al-Farra’, Salamah ibn Wardan, Yazid ibn Ibrahim al-Tastari, Nafi’ ibn Umar al-Jumahi, al-Layth ibn Sa’d, al-Darawardi, Ibrahim ibn Sa’d, Ishaq ibn Abi Bakr al-Madani, al-Hakam ibn al-Salt, Hammad ibn Salamah, Sulayman ibn Bilal, Isa ibn Hafs ibn Asim ibn Umar, Sulayman ibn al-Mughira, Hisham ibn Sa’d and others.

The most famous of his students who narrated from him:

Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Al-Khuraibi who was one of his teachers, Muhammad ibn Sinjar Al-Hafiz, Muhammad ibn Yahya Al-Dhuhli, Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Hakam, Abu Hatim Al-Razi, Abd ibn Hamid, Amr ibn Mansur Al-Nasa’i, Abu Zur’ah Al-Razi, Muhammad ibn Ghaleb Tamtam, Ismail Al-Qadi, Muhammad ibn Ayyub ibn Al-Durais, Uthman ibn Saeed Al-Darimi, Muhammad ibn Muadh Daran, Ishaq ibn Al-Hasan Al-Harbi, Muadh ibn Al-Muthanna, Abu Muslim Al-Kaji, Abu Khalifa Al-Jumahi, and others.

One of the best people who introduced him was Judge Iyad in “Tarteebat Al-Madarik”, who wrote a brief and comprehensive biography of him.

As for the handwritten copies that the researcher relied on in extracting Al-Qa’nabi’s narration of Al-Muwatta’, they are:

- Jar Allah’s copy is numbered (428) and the researcher has the symbol (J).

- A copy from the library of the Tunisian scholar Hassan Hosni Abdel Wahab (d. 1968 AD), which was attached to the National Library of Tunisia. It is designated by the symbol (S).

- A copy of the Al-Azhar Library in Cairo, under number (3857 - Hadith), and symbolized by the symbol (Z).

- Princeton University piece, in three leaves in the golden handwriting of Al-Hafiz, and symbolized by the symbol (N).

The researcher has provided the book with a fair amount of scholarly service, which is evident in the introduction to the book, which introduces Al-Muwatta’ and its two authors, and explains the method of investigation. He also provided the book with a number of necessary indexes that he attached to the conclusion of the text of Al-Muwatta’.