Malik ibn Anas

Malik ibn Anas (711-795 CE) was a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Medina. He is best known for founding the Maliki school of thought, one of the four major Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence. His influential work, the "Muwatta," is a compilation of hadiths (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) and legal opinions, emphasizing the practices of the people of Medina as a guiding principle for Islamic law. Malik's approach balanced religious texts with community consensus, making his interpretations significant in shaping Islamic law and practice, particularly in North and West Africa.