A brief History of Imam MALEK.

IMAM MALIK:
Imam Malik’s full name is Malik bin Anas bin Malik bin Abi Amir. His grandfather, Malik, was a great scholar and Tabi’ee. He was one of those 4 people
who had carried out the funeral of Uthman after he had been martyred. Imam Malik was born in the year 93 hijri and lived for approximately 90 years.
He began to seek knowledge at a very young age and acquired it from great scholars such as Nafe, Muhammad bin Shihab az-Zuhri, Yahya bin Saeed, Hisham bin Urwa, Zaib bin Aslam, Saeed al-Maqburi, Rabeeah bin Abi Abder Rahman, Abdur Rahman bin Qasim etc. At the age of 17 he began classes on hadith and fiqh in Masjid un-Nabawi and within a short span of time he earned great fame. His classes on hadith and fiqh would be in separate lessons. When his students would approach him he would send a little girl who would ask them, “Your Sheikh is asking whether you would like to learn hadith or injunctions?” If they would reply injunctions, he would simply exit his home, sit with them and begin to teach them different verdicts. On the other hand if they were to reply hadith, he would send a message to them to remain seated and would take a bath, apply some perfume, wear new clothes, put on a long topee and tie a turban on top of it. He would then go to the gathering, sit with the utmost respect and then he would begin narrating. When someone inquired about the reason behind this conduct he replied, “I like to honor the hadith of Allah’s Messenger.
Abdullah bin Mubarak has related, “Once I was reading a hadith by Imam Malik, while he was narrating, a scorpion stung him 16 times, due to which his face changed colours yet he continued to teach. When it was asked why he did not stop the lessons he answered, “I didn’t pay any attention to it out of respect for that hadith”
Imam Malik had great love for the Prophet and his city. While in Madina he never wore shoes or rode an animal out of respect. He used to witness the Messenger of Allah in his dreams every night. Regarding his authority in knowledge Imam Malik has stated, “I did not begin to give fatwa until 70 Imams gave testimony that I am eligible for it.”
Just like Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, and many students. Some of his prominent students were Imam Muhammad, Imam Shafi’ee, Imam Ahmad bin Humble and other scholars who later went on to become the teachers of Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam Abu Dawood and Imam Tirmidhi.
Unfortunately the king at that time Ja’fer Mansoor became jealous of Imam Malik and gave him many hardships. He would be whipped often and eventually his hands were amputated in order to prevent him from writing and compiling, yet the Imam never gave up narrating hadith.
Allama Suyooti has stated, “One Sunday Imam Malik fell ill and remained in the state of illness for 22 days. Then on the 10th or the 14th of Rabiul Awwal, 179 hijri, he passed away.”