Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “If it were not for Imam Malik and Sufyan, may Allah have mercy on them both, knowledge would have been taken away from Hijaz.”
Hadith Referenceمسند الإمام الشافعي / كتاب فضائل قريش وغيرهم وأبواب متفرقة / 1817