Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik ibn Anas - The First Formulation of Islamic Law

Revised in whole
Translated by Aisha Abdurrahman Bewley

This is the first translation in the English language of the Muwatta of Imam Malik ibn Anas, the great jurist of Madina al-Munawwarah and founder of the Maliki School of Islamic Law. Considered by many to be, after the Qur’an, the most important book in Islam, Al-Muwatta is a complete record of the legal and social parameters of the original Muslim community in Madina. It contains the purest formulations of all the legal and social norms derived from the text of the Qur’an, exemplified in the sunnah of the Prophet (Salla Allahu alaihi wasallam) and his companions. It is thus both the first book of Islamic law and the first recorded collection of Hadith.

Al-Muwatta is an extremely important book for everyone interested in legal matters and the historical antecedents of present-day legal practice and it is indispensable reading for all students of Islam and its history.