Source: Fatawa Ilmiyyah (Tawdih al-Ahkam), Volume 2, Page 412
What is the scholarly status of Muwatta Imam Malik in Islamic literature? And why was it not included among the Sihah Sittah (The Six Canonical Hadith Collections)?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd!
✿ Muwatta Imam Malik is a premier and highly authentic book of Hadith.
✿ It holds a highly esteemed position among scholars and is regarded with great reverence in the field of Islamic knowledge.
✿ According to our scholarly understanding, the reason why Muwatta Imam Malik was not included in the Six Canonical Hadith Collections (Sihah Sittah) is due to the nature and structure of its contents:
➤ The Muwatta contains:
✿ On the other hand, the defining characteristic of the Sihah Sittah is:
➤ A primary focus on only the Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ,
➤ Excluding the sayings of Tabi‘in, Tabi‘ Tabi‘in, or the Imams.
✿ Due to this difference in the methodology of compilation, Muwatta Imam Malik was not counted among the Sihah Sittah,
✿ Despite its immense scholarly value, its authenticity and significance are in no way lesser than the other canonical books.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
❖ Question:
What is the scholarly status of Muwatta Imam Malik in Islamic literature? And why was it not included among the Sihah Sittah (The Six Canonical Hadith Collections)?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd!
❖ Status of
✿ Muwatta Imam Malik is a premier and highly authentic book of Hadith.
✿ It holds a highly esteemed position among scholars and is regarded with great reverence in the field of Islamic knowledge.
❖ Reason for Its Exclusion from the
✿ According to our scholarly understanding, the reason why Muwatta Imam Malik was not included in the Six Canonical Hadith Collections (Sihah Sittah) is due to the nature and structure of its contents:
➤ The Muwatta contains:
- Marfu‘ ahadith (narrations attributed directly to the Prophet ﷺ),
- Aathar of Sahabah (sayings and actions of the Companions),
- Aathar of Tabi‘in (sayings of the Followers), and
- The personal opinions and verdicts of Imam Malik himself.
✿ On the other hand, the defining characteristic of the Sihah Sittah is:
➤ A primary focus on only the Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ,
➤ Excluding the sayings of Tabi‘in, Tabi‘ Tabi‘in, or the Imams.
❖ Conclusion:
✿ Due to this difference in the methodology of compilation, Muwatta Imam Malik was not counted among the Sihah Sittah,
✿ Despite its immense scholarly value, its authenticity and significance are in no way lesser than the other canonical books.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
