In response to a statement regarding the Muwatta of Imam Malik posited on an earlier post

suggesting the overarching validity of Muhammad ibn alHassan asShaibanis narration in

reference to the ubiquitous transmission of Yahya ibn Yahya alLaythi.
Notwithstanding several preoccupying elements, I find myself compelled to share the
following unscrupulous words since this is not the first I have heard of this contention, one
which at best is ill informed or alternatively reflects a greater deficit and ineptitude within the
scholastic scope than previously imagined. It is incidents like this in nature which remind us
of the words of the beloved Messenger (s.a.w.)
"
"
Allah s.w.t will not (suddenly) snatch away knowledge, rather He will remove knowledge by
taking away the Ulama (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi)
The Muwatta of Imam Malik which is the earliest source of valid Hadith compilation we have
today, it has been transmitted through many students of Imam Malik in countless numbers,
however selected transmissions became popular within the circles of knowledge and were
incessantly pursued by the Ulama. Qadi Iyaad names 39 (renowned) transmitters of the
Muwatta whereas some scholars have mentioned 50 and others have suggested 60.
regarding the most sound narrations:
:

Yahya ibn Maeen states the most authentic narration is that of Abdullah bn Maslamah
alQanabi and then Abdullah bn Yusuf alTaneesi
:

Ibn Adi states that Bukhari relied upon Abdullah bn Yusuf alTaneesi for his narrations from
Malik
:
alDarqutni: precedence regarding the (transmission of) the Muwatta is given to Man bn Esa,
Ibn Wahb and Qanabi, Abu Musab is also a reliable source for the Muwatta


Yahya bn Yahya alTameemis narration is what Imam Muslim relied upon, Ahmad bn Hanbal
also spoke very highly of him.
A comparison between the narration of Muhammad alShaibani and Yahya alLaythi;
It has been claimed that the narration of alShaibani or the Muwatta Muhammad as it has
come to be known should be given the utmost precedence for the following reasons:

1. alShaibani heard the entire Muwatta from Malik whereas alLaythi apparently narrates
some portions through Shabtoon (one of his Andalusi teachers).
2. alShaibanis narration also contains transmission from other imams e.g. Abu Hanifa
etc

with regards to Yahyas narration and its authenticity then I believe the following grounds
speak for themselves;

1. Yahya did hear the entire Muwatta from Malik in the final year of Maliks life 179h,
however he had previously studied it in Andalusia before leaving for Madinah under
the instructions of Shabtoon (the first of Maliks students to bring the Muwatta to
Andalusia). Upon Yahyas return he felt some doubt regarding a few brief sections of
Iitikaf (Chapter from the Muwatta) whether he read that to Malik, therefore due to his
scrupulosity he felt it more deserving that he mentions those brief sections through
Shabtoon.

1. Yahya brings atleast 800 narrations more than alShaibani, and whether Shaibani
decides to include narrations from other imams is quite immaterial since the Muwatta
is concerned with the transmission of Malik.
:

Muhammad Abid alSindi: the transmission of alShaibani contains extra narrations (from
other imams) above the
popular transmission of the Muwatta, yet it omits many established sound hadith found in
all other variants of the
Muwatta.

1. Yahyas credibility is acknowledged

Ibn Hajar amongst many authenticates his credibility.

It should be noted that the strength of transmission relies upon the narrators in its chain and
every chain is only as strong as its weakest link. On the contrary upon scrutiny of
alShaibanis credibility in hadith:
" :
Ibn Adi (by Maqrizi): Ahmad bin Hanbal said (alShaibani) is not reliable and his hadith should
not be written

Ibn Maeen has criticised alShaibani at various times with different comments:

is not reliable

weak

falsifies the truth

Ahmad bin Hanbal: I do not narrate anything from him

alZhahabi: Nassai and others considered him weak regarding his memory.
With the above said, I dont believe there remains any further scope for debate, I hope this
unscrupulous text which was written in much haste has proven beneficial to atleast some in
pursuit of knowledge at the very least I hope it has shed some clarity on the blurred vision
projected by an unfortunate few. With nothing further to say at this stage the Hadith of the
beloved Messenger (s.a.w.) comes to mind

"
the pens have been raised and the pages have dried.
Mufti Abu Layth alMaliki

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You, Abdullah Bin Hamid Ali, Abd Al-Baasit Khan and 13 others like this.

3 shares


Ozzy Nujjoo JazakAllah Khayr. I just have one question which isn't really related to the main subject matter
but I wanted to ask. It concerns the statement: "The Muwatta of Imam Malik which is the earliest source of
valid Hadith compilation we have today"
I was u...See More
October 10, 2011 at 10:38pm Like

Abdassamad Clarke As-salamu alaikum, Mufti Naim.

This was Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi al-Maliki's response to the contention made by Shaykh Abdalhayy
al-Laknawi that the riwayah of Muhammad ibn al-Hasan was superior to that of Yahya ibn Yahya:
http://www.bogvaerker.dk/wordpress/?p=564

The Response of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki to Shaykh

Abdalhayy al-Laknawi concerning the.
In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful and may Allah bless His slave and messenger
Muhammad and his family and companions and grant perfect peace.
BOGVAERKER.DK

October 10, 2011 at 10:56pm Unlike 3

Ali Hseyin JazakAllah Shaykh ... amazing explanation ... i just had a question ... u wrote about ibn ma'eens
criticism .. is it the same Ibn Ma'een who said that Imam Malik RA was not a man of hadith but a man of
opinion ??
October 11, 2011 at 12:14am Like

Ali Hseyin And if i culd hav a scholarly opinion on a small article as well :
Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani (132 - 189), who was one of the foremost students of Imam Abu
Hanifah, and an undisputed authority in fiqh (jurispudence) and lughah (language), ...See More
October 11, 2011 at 12:15am Like 1

Momodou Taal Definitely a "chain reaction"

October 11, 2011 at 12:39am Like

Moosa Anjum I have heard some ulama say in regards to Jarh that ones criticism of a contemporary is not
accepted. That is, if it is without evidence, because being a contemporary often leads to personal animosity.
For example Imam Malik (Rahimullah) calling Muhammad ibn Ishaq (Rahimullah) a "Dajjal amongst dajjals".
October 11, 2011 at 12:40am Like

Abdassamad Clarke Samir Muric, since I am also the translator of the second half of Imam Muhammad's
narration of the Muwatta along with being the translator of Abdalhayy al-Laknawi's introduction to his
commentary on the same book, and since I alerted the publishers at ...See More
October 11, 2011 at 12:51am Unlike 4

Abdassamad Clarke Even the great Hanafi ulama do not consider the narration of Muhammad to be on a
par with that of Yahya. Shah Wali Allah chose the version of Yahya as did Mawlana Zakariyya for his
elaborate and very full commentary Awjaz al-Masalik. The ulama of Deoba...See More
October 11, 2011 at 12:56am Unlike 4

Abdassamad Clarke Samir Muric, are you a hadith scholar, knowledgeable in the sciences of hadith and its
usul, knowledgeable in the biographies of the narrators? Mufti Abu Layth is.
Have you studied this with legitimate scholars? Mufti Abu Layth did. ...See More
October 11, 2011 at 1:18am Unlike 3

Abdassamad Clarke Samir Muric, if you are a talib of 'ilm, leave the ulama to their business and get on with
your studies, and indeed leave them to their controversies. You are intruding in matters that do not concern
you. "The best of a man's Islam is his leaving what does not concern him."
October 11, 2011 at 1:29am Like 3

Mufti Abu Layth Jzk to all for your contribution

October 11, 2011 at 3:46am Like 1

Mufti Abu Layth Br Samir i have written a response, if u'l care to read it plz, i do feel you've misunderstood
me
October 11, 2011 at 3:47am Like

Ali Hseyin SubhanAllah ! Well Handled .. Shaykh ... if we could hav a show on adaab al ikhtilaaf .... i think
this is very much needed by our young generation ...
October 11, 2011 at 6:58am Like 1

Mufti Abu Layth Shukran

October 15, 2011 at 4:45am Like 1

Zahid Al-Hanaf Good scholarly post from both Mufti Abu Layth and Sidi Abdassamad Clarke - May Allah
bless you all.
November 17 at 11:25pm Like 1

Muhammad Ameen Franklin Case closed!

November 18 at 12:18am Like

http://islamqa.info/ar/81160
http://kawamohammed.blogspot.com/p/179-1994-1-2-179-1-httpshamela.html
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=88457
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=319274
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=302984
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=189767
http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=35152
http://www.habous.gov.ma/daouat-alhaq/item/6167