Anas ibn Malik
Encyclopedia
Anas bin Malik ibn Nadar al-Khazraji Al-Ansari was a well-known sahabi
(companion) of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
.
He was an Ansar
of the Banu Khazraj
. He is not to be confused with Malik ibn Anas
. Anas ibn Malik, the last of the Companions of the Prophet died at al-Basrah in 93 AH aged 103.
(of the Banu Najjar
) and Malik ibn Nadr. After the father of Anas died a non-Muslim
, his mother remaried a new convert (Abu Talha ibn Thabit), and he gained a half-brother, Abdullah ibn Abu Talha.
He had been presented to Muhammad by his mother at an early age.
, and went to Damascus
and later settled in Basra
.
He was one of the longest living companions of Muhammad .
Certain sects, like the R!enaang sect of Indonesia
n Islam
, hold that Anas bin Malik was the true originator of Islam. However, this interpretation is disputed by most Muslims and is widely considered an abomination and a heresy
.
narrated on his authority are to be found in the collections of Sahih al-Bukhari
and Sahih Muslim
.
Anas bin Malik narrated the famous two hadiths from Prophet Muhammad: "Seek knowledge even in China
, for the pursuit of knowledge is the duty of every individual Muslim" and "Whoever sets forth in pursuit of knowledge, his undertaking remains for the sake of God until he returns home".
Sufi Master Bawa Muhaiyadeen explained: "Prophet Muhammad, the Rasulullah (Sal.), placed the Qur'an in the hands of his followers and said, "In order to understand this, go even unto China to learn divine knowledge ('ilm)." Within one word in the Qur'an, there are thousands of meanings. Don't hold onto to just one meaning. Look within and there will be another meaning. Within that is another meaning, and within that is still another. As you uncover meaning after meaning, you will see Allah at the very end. When you go beyond all the messengers (rasuls) and look within, you will find Allah. The angels are also there. Go beyond them and look, go beyond everything and look, and then you will see heaven. Go beyond heaven, and Allah is there. Do not pray for heaven. Go beyond and look. Allah will be there".
"The author also cites testimonies by leaders of theological schools. For instance, he reports from Maalik Ibn Anas that Said Ibn Al-Musayyab admitted that he used to walk days and nights in quest of one single Prophetic tradition. Al-Sha’bi is reported to have said that “If a man travelled from the extreme north of Syria
to the extreme south of Yemen
in order to hear a word of wisdom, I would not consider his journey to have been in vain”. Also, Bishr Ibn Ubeidallah Al-Hadramii is reported to have said that he used to ride from one country to another in order to hear one single hadith. In the same connection, the author relates the story of Abu Ayyuub, who journeyed from the Medina
to Egypt
in order to meet Oqba Ibn Aamir and hear from him a Prophetic tradition relative to covering up for a Muslim."
.
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
(companion) of the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
He was an Ansar
Ansar (Islam)
Ansar is an Islamic term that literally means "helpers" and denotes the Medinan citizens that helped Muhammad and the Muhajirun on the arrival to the city after the migration to Medina...
of the Banu Khazraj
Banu Khazraj
-Early history:Abu Muhammad Al-hasan Ibn Ahmad Al-hamdani mentioned that The Banu Khazraj along with Banu Aws settled the area of Yathrib around the 2nd century ad as part of the PreIslamic Exodus of Yemen due to the Great Dam damage....
. He is not to be confused with Malik ibn Anas
Malik ibn Anas
Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik ibn Abī 'Āmir al-Asbahī is known as "Imam Malik," the "Sheikh of Islam", the "Proof of the Community," and "Imam of the Abode of Emigration." He was one of the most highly respected scholars of fiqh in Sunni Islam...
. Anas ibn Malik, the last of the Companions of the Prophet died at al-Basrah in 93 AH aged 103.
Muhammad's era
He was born to Umm SulayemRumaysa bint Milhan
Rumaysa bint Milhan, popularly known as Umm Sulaym, was one of the earliest women converts to Islam in Yathrib. Umm Sulaym was first married to Malik ibn an-Nadr and her son by this marriage was Anas ibn Malik, a notable companion of Muhammad....
(of the Banu Najjar
Banu Najjar
The Banu Najjar was one of the Jewish tribes of Arabia during Muhammad's era.They were included in point 31 of the Constitution of Medina as allies to the Muslims, being as "one nation", but retaining their Jewish religion .-People:*Rumaysa bint Milhan...
) and Malik ibn Nadr. After the father of Anas died a non-Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, his mother remaried a new convert (Abu Talha ibn Thabit), and he gained a half-brother, Abdullah ibn Abu Talha.
He had been presented to Muhammad by his mother at an early age.
After Muhammad
After Muhammad's death in 632, he participated in the wars of conquestMuslim conquests
Muslim conquests also referred to as the Islamic conquests or Arab conquests, began with the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He established a new unified polity in the Arabian Peninsula which under the subsequent Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates saw a century of rapid expansion of Muslim power.They...
, and went to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and later settled in Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
.
He was one of the longest living companions of Muhammad .
Legacy
On February 25, 2006, his tomb west of Basrah was attacked and vandalized.Certain sects, like the R!enaang sect of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, hold that Anas bin Malik was the true originator of Islam. However, this interpretation is disputed by most Muslims and is widely considered an abomination and a heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
.
Hadith
One hundred and sixty eight hadithHadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
narrated on his authority are to be found in the collections of Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
and Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim is one of the Six major collections of the hadith in Sunni Islam, oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It is the second most authentic hadith collection after Sahih Al-Bukhari, and is highly acclaimed by Sunni Muslims...
.
Anas bin Malik narrated the famous two hadiths from Prophet Muhammad: "Seek knowledge even in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, for the pursuit of knowledge is the duty of every individual Muslim" and "Whoever sets forth in pursuit of knowledge, his undertaking remains for the sake of God until he returns home".
Sufi Master Bawa Muhaiyadeen explained: "Prophet Muhammad, the Rasulullah (Sal.), placed the Qur'an in the hands of his followers and said, "In order to understand this, go even unto China to learn divine knowledge ('ilm)." Within one word in the Qur'an, there are thousands of meanings. Don't hold onto to just one meaning. Look within and there will be another meaning. Within that is another meaning, and within that is still another. As you uncover meaning after meaning, you will see Allah at the very end. When you go beyond all the messengers (rasuls) and look within, you will find Allah. The angels are also there. Go beyond them and look, go beyond everything and look, and then you will see heaven. Go beyond heaven, and Allah is there. Do not pray for heaven. Go beyond and look. Allah will be there".
"The author also cites testimonies by leaders of theological schools. For instance, he reports from Maalik Ibn Anas that Said Ibn Al-Musayyab admitted that he used to walk days and nights in quest of one single Prophetic tradition. Al-Sha’bi is reported to have said that “If a man travelled from the extreme north of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
to the extreme south of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
in order to hear a word of wisdom, I would not consider his journey to have been in vain”. Also, Bishr Ibn Ubeidallah Al-Hadramii is reported to have said that he used to ride from one country to another in order to hear one single hadith. In the same connection, the author relates the story of Abu Ayyuub, who journeyed from the Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in order to meet Oqba Ibn Aamir and hear from him a Prophetic tradition relative to covering up for a Muslim."
Sunni view
He is one of the major narrators of hadith, and like all of the Sahaba, is considered trustworthy by Sunni MuslimsSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
.