Muwatta Malik

Read the ahadith recorded in the Muwatta Malik, one of the earliest and most esteemed compilations of authentic Hadiths by Imam Malik ibn Anas. This page will help you navigate this hadith book by providing a basic understanding of the Hadith book and site navigation for ease of access to the desired hadiths. Immerse yourself in the divine wisdom and spiritual guidance imparted by the Last Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), carefully preserved by the companions and their successors. Improve your knowledge of fiqh with Muwatta Malik to refine your religious practice and guide your actions and intentions according to Islamic fiqh.

With our platform's user-friendly features, navigation tools, and a searchable database, explore this collection of Hadith with incredible ease! Whether you are a seasoned scholar or a budding learner, our remarkable features in the Muslim and Quran application allow you to adapt the contents according to your learning style. 

Muwatta Malik

موطأ مالك

Muwatta Malik, written in the 8th-century, is the earliest collection of hadith texts comprising the subjects of Islamic law, compiled by the Imam Malik ibn Anas. It was the first legal work to incorporate and combine hadith and fiqh.

Search Hadith

Current Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) narrates "The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Beware! I have been given the Qur'an and something like it" (Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 4604). As the Hadith indicates, the life and sayings of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) are immensely significant in the Islamic tradition and are second to the noble Quran in terms of guidance about the worship and practices in Islam.

To understand and see the Quran in practice, the life (Sunnah) and the sayings (Hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) are the enlightening sources meticulously observed and preserved by his Companions (رضی ٱللَّٰهُ عنھم). In the golden age of Islam, in the 6th Century BC, Muslim scholars developed rigorous methods to collect, verify, and record ahadith. Led by Imam Bukhari, these hadith compilations aimed to transmit the word and actions of the Prophets to Muslims beyond time and space.

Narrated Zayd ibn ThabitI heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: May Allah brighten a man who hears a tradition from us, gets it by heart, and passes it on to others. Many a bearer of knowledge conveys it to one who is more versed than he is, and many a bearer of knowledge is not versed in it. (Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani) Sunan Abi Dawud 3660). Taking guidance from this Hadith, many scholars in the 6th century took it upon themselves to collect, authenticate, and compile the precious words of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

What is the Muwatta Malik?

The Muwaṭṭaʾ (Arabic: الموطأ), meaning "well-trodden path," or Muwatta Imam Malik (Arabic: موطأ الإمام مالك), is one of the earliest collections of hadith texts comprising the subjects of Islamic law with authenticated Hadiths. Imam Malik compiled this hadith collection after working on it for more than 40 years in the 8th century BC. Muwatta Malik is the first Islamic written record of Islamic legal jurisprudence (fiqh) explained through Hadith.

Imam Malik composed this work of authentic hadiths paired with detailed Fiqh matters over forty years. According to Abu Hatim al-Razi, it was called 'Muwatta' from the Arabic ("Watta'a"), meaning easy for the people. Imam Malik said it himself, "I showed this book of mine to seventy of the fuqaha of Madinah, and all of them agreed with me ("Wata'a") about it, and so I called it the Muwatta." This hadith book contains what Imam al-Bukhari called the soundest of all chains of transmission: "Malik, from Nafi`, from Ibn `Umar"; the scholars of Hadith have called it the Golden Chain. There are eighty narrations of this chain in the Muwatta'.

About Imam Malik

Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik (711 – 795 CE / 93 -179 AH) was called the Shaykh of Islam, Proof of the Community, Imam of the Abode of Emigration, and considered to be the Knowledgeable Scholar of Madina who was predicted by the Prophet (ﷺ), by Ibn Taymiyyah and various other scholars.

Imam Malik is one of the most respected scholars of Islamic jurisprudence. His school of thought is followed around in much of North Africa, al-Andalus (until the expulsion of the Muslims), a vast portion of Egypt, some parts of Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Iraq, and Khorasan. Imam Malik mastered the science of Hadith at the young age of 17 and began to issue fatwa after 70 scholars confirmed his eligibility to do so. He collected over 100,000 Hadiths that he wrote himself by hand throughout his life. Imam Malik died at the age of 84 in Madina in 795 CE/179 AH, buried in the renowned Jannat ul-Baqi cemetery across the Masjid al Nabawi.

The Structure of Muwatta Malik

Imam Malik composed Muwatta starting with ten thousand narrations until he reduced them to their present number of approximately 1720 hadiths. He gave preference to Mutawatir and Tawatur (Direct Transmission) narrations.

He meticulously examined the Isnad (Chain of Transmission) of each Hadith, scrutinizing the reliability and integrity of each narrator in the chain to ensure that they were trustworthy, of sound character, and known for their accuracy in transmitting Hadith. (Mutawatir narrations in hadiths mean Hadith that are reported by such a large number of narrators that it is inconceivable for them to have colluded on a lie.)

Al-Muwatta consists of approximately 1,720 hadith divided among the following hadith categories

  • 600 Marfu` 
  • 613 Mawquf 
  • 285 Maqtu' 
  • 222 Mursal 

As you read through the collection of Hadith, you will come across these key terms that you must know to avoid any confusion:

  • Sharīʿah: Islamic sacred law providing core ethics and values through Quran and Sunnah (ﷺ)
  • Isnad: Chain of narration tracing the transmission of a hadith back to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
  • Matn: The essential text or content of a hadith
  • Marfūʿ (Arabic: مرفوع, Marfūʿ): A narration attributed specifically to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
  • Mawquf (Arabic: موقوف, Mawqūf): A narration attributed to a companion, whether a statement of that companion, an action, or otherwise.
  • Maqtu' (مقطوع, Maqṭūʿ): A narration attributed to a Tabi'i (a successor of one of Muhammad's (ﷺ) Companions), whether it is a statement of that successor, an action or otherwise
  • Mursal (مرسل meaning "sent or transmitted"): When the narrator between the Successor and Muhammad is omitted from a given isnad

Read Muwatta Malik with Muslim and Quran

Muslim and Quran application is designed with the most helpful navigation tools that will ease your learning of the essential Hadiths. You can easily search any particular hadith, with number as well as topically with our reliable search feature. Jot down your notes, share the individual hadiths, and save it for later referencing! All these features are available in our application, specially designed to cater to learners and scholars across the board at all levels. Download the mobile app now to access all your Islamic resources, such as Quran or Hadith, at the tip of your finger!

Muwatta Malik at Muslim and Quran is authentic and verified. However, to follow and understand the book along with its Fiqh, it is imperative to seek the help of a qualified scholar of Islamic studies to thoroughly interpret and apply these Hadiths. While there are no restrictions upon the actual hadith content, make sure to respect the copyright and usage rights of the website.