Who are the four imams of Sunni Islam?
Abū Ḥanīfah in Kufa, Mālik in Madinah, al-Shāfiʿī who travelled across both, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in Baghdad. The four mujtahids whose methodologies became the four Sunni schools of fiqh.
10 passages from 9 books in the library
The four imams of Sunni Islam are Abū Ḥanīfah of Kufa, Mālik of Madinah, al-Shāfiʿī who travelled between the centres of learning, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal of Baghdad — the mujtahids whose methodologies became the four schools of fiqh. Al-Ghazali, in the Book of Knowledge, portrays Mālik ibn Anas placing the seeking of knowledge above other acts, and the passages preserve the bond between the imams: Mālik prepared the place of ablution for al-Shāfiʿī. The transmission of their schools is noted as carrying down through Shāfiʿī, Mālik, and Abū Ḥanīfah.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 9 books by Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn Battuta, and Ibn Kathir — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Malik ibn Anas, expressing concern over Malik's lifestyle. He noted that Malik wore fine clothes,"
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"Ibn Abd al-Hakam recounted an incident with Malik where Malik emphasized the importance of seeking knowledge over other acts"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Al-Daraqutni in the oddities of Malik and Al-Khatib in the names of those who narrated from Malik report from Abu Hurairah"
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"Beyluta was a fiefdom belonging to Malik al-Huqama, the wise king, and Malik al-Huqama was married"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Regarding the transmission of schools of thought, it is narrated that Shafi'i, Malik, Abu Hanifa,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"the place for ablution, as Malik did for al-Shafi'i, may Allah be pleased with them. Malik would"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"say, Call upon Malik. They will call upon him, saying, O Malik, let your Lord finish us off. He"
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"Ahi Faraj al-Zanjani, and Ahi Faraj from Sheikh Ahmad al-Din Awari, and Ahmad from Imam Mamshad"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Mayeen stated that he lies, and Ahmad added that he fabricates"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"It is reported by Ahmad, Abu Yala, and Al-Bazar with similar content, although Ahmad did not"
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