Maliki school

The Maliki school (Arabic: المالكية) is one of the four major schools of jurisprudence (madhab) in Sunni Islam. It traces its authority to Malik ibn Anas, a prominent jurist of early Islamic Medina. The school provides guidance on religious law across matters including worship, marriage, commerce, inheritance, and public affairs.

The Maliki school is known for its substantial reliance on the customs and practices of Medina, understood as embodying authentic precedent passed down from the earliest Islamic community. It also employs principles of public interest (maslaha) and analogical reasoning between different legal cases.

Origins and foundations

Malik ibn Anas lived in Medina and composed al-Muwatta', one of the earliest compilations of both hadith (transmitted reports) and juridical rulings. His students and later followers systematized his teachings and legal opinions into a coherent framework. The al-Mudawwana, attributed to Sahnun and Ibn al-Qasim, is considered one of the foundational texts of the school.

Sources of law

The school draws rulings from the Qur'an and the Sunnah (practice of the Prophet), followed by ijma' (scholarly consensus) and qiyas (analogical reasoning). It is distinctive in considering the practice of the people of Medina (amal ahl al-Madinaḥ) in some cases as superior to a single report. It also employs principles such as maslaha al-mursala (consideration of public interest not explicitly mentioned in the sources), istihsan (juristic discretion), and established community custom.

Geographic distribution

The Maliki school spread across North Africa, West Africa, parts of Sudan and East Africa, and historically in Andalusia (Islamic Spain). Today it is the predominant school in countries including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, and Nigeria. It also maintains significant presence in Kuwait and parts of the Persian Gulf.