School of jurisprudence
Origins in Madinah
The Maliki school is associated with Malik ibn Anas, the Medinan scholar who died in 795 CE. The inherited practice of Madinah is an important feature of its legal history.
Books and transmission
Malik’s al-Muwatta combines transmitted reports and legal material. Later works, including Sahnun’s al-Mudawwanah, show the development of an extensive school tradition. Study of the school therefore includes both early Medinan learning and later jurists’ organization of it.
Reading rulings
A legal school contains methods, authoritative texts and discussions of competing positions. A brief overview cannot replace a properly taught manual of worship. When comparing prayer or fasting rules, identify the actual Maliki source and its conditions instead of treating a local custom as the entire school.
Sources and further reading
Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East — Maliki school
This source-attributed introduction is educational. A historical survey, a community’s statement of belief and a jurist’s ruling are different kinds of source. Their inclusion does not turn every interpretation into a consensus.