The Muwatta’: The Smoothed Path
Al-Muwatta’ (المُوَطَّأ — the smoothed/trodden path) was compiled by Malik over a period of approximately forty years — repeatedly revised, removing hadiths he became uncertain about and adding new ones he became confident of. The result is the oldest surviving comprehensive work combining hadith and fiqh.
Unlike later hadith collections that aimed for inclusivity, the Muwatta’ was selective: Malik removed traditions he considered weak. This made it smaller but denser in reliability. The Caliph Harun al-Rashid wanted to impose it as the universal law of the caliphate; Malik reportedly declined, saying the scholars of different regions had different valid traditions.
Flogged for a Fatwa
In 762 CE, during the Abbasid revolution, Malik issued a fatwa: a forced oath of divorce (talaq) is not binding, because the person under compulsion lacked free will. The Abbasid governor of Medina interpreted this as undermining the oaths of loyalty that were being extorted from citizens. He had Malik flogged — some sources say 70 lashes — dislocating his arm.
The incident made Malik a figure of scholarly independence. When the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur came to Medina, he apologized personally to Malik.
Teaching on the Floor of the Mosque
Malik taught in the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina for decades. He refused to teach while standing or walking — in reverence for the space where the Prophet had walked. He issued thousands of fatwas from this position.
See also: Seerah Al Shafii, Seerah Abu Hanifa, Sunna Al Nabawi, Fiqh Al Nikah, Fiqh Al Mawarith, Quran Sciences