Muwatta Imam Malik — Judgements

Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said from Said ibn al-Musayyab that a Syrian man called Ibn Khaybari found a man with his wife and killed him, or killed them both. Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan found it difficult to make a decision and he wrote to Abu Musa al-Ashari to ask Ali ibn Abi Talib for him about that. So Abu Musa asked Ali ibn Abi Talib and AIi said to him, "Is this thing in my land? I adjure you, you must tell me." Abu Musa explained to him how Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan had written him to ask Ali about it. Ali said, "I am Abu Hasan. If he does not bring four witnesses, then let him be completely handed over," (to the relatives of the murdered man)

وحدثني مالك، عن يحيى بن سعيد، عن سعيد بن المسيب، ان رجلا، من اهل الشام - يقال له ابن خيبري - وجد مع امراته رجلا فقتله او قتلهما معا فاشكل على معاوية بن ابي سفيان القضاء فيه فكتب الى ابي موسى الاشعري يسال له علي بن ابي طالب عن ذلك فسال ابو موسى عن ذلك علي بن ابي طالب فقال له علي ان هذا الشىء ما هو بارضي عزمت عليك لتخبرني . فقال له ابو موسى كتب الى معاوية بن ابي سفيان ان اسالك عن ذلك . فقال علي انا ابو حسن ان لم يات باربعة شهداء فليعط برمته

Yahya said that Malik related from Ibn Shihab that Sunayn Abi Jamila, a man from the Banu Sulaym, found an abandoned child in the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab. Sunayn took him to Umar ibn al-Khattab. He asked, "What has induced you to take this person?" He answered, "I found him lost, so I took him.'' Umar's advisor said to him,' 'Amir al-Muminin! He is a man who does good." Umar inquired of him, "Is it so?" He replied, "Yes." Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "Go, he is free, and you have his wala' inheritance, and we will provide for him." Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "What is done in our community about an abandoned child is that he is free, and his wala' inheritance belongs to the muslims, and they inherit from him and pay his blood money

قال يحيى قال مالك عن ابن شهاب، عن سنين ابي جميلة، رجل من بني سليم انه وجد منبوذا في زمان عمر بن الخطاب قال فجيت به الى عمر بن الخطاب فقال ما حملك على اخذ هذه النسمة فقال وجدتها ضايعة فاخذتها . فقال له عريفه يا امير المومنين انه رجل صالح . فقال له عمر اكذلك قال نعم . فقال عمر بن الخطاب اذهب فهو حر ولك ولاوه وعلينا نفقته

Yahya said from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ''Utba ibn Abi Waqqas disclosed to his brother, Sad ibn Abi Waqqas, that he was the father of the son of the slave-girl of Zama, and made him promise to look after him (after his death). In the year of the conquest, Sad took him and said, 'He is the son of my brother. He covenanted with me about him.' Abd ibn Zama stood up and said, 'He is my brother and the son of my father's slave-girl. He was born on his bed.' They went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Sad said, 'Messenger of Allah! He is the son of my brother, he made a covenant with me about him.' Abd ibn Zama said, 'He is my brother and the son of my father's slave-girl and was born on my father's bed.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'He is yours, Abd ibn Zama.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'A child belongs to the household (where he was born) and the adulterer is stoned.' Then he told Sawda bint Zama, 'Veil yourself from him,' since he saw in him a resemblance to Utba ibn Abi Waqqas." A'isha added, "He did not see her until he met Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic

قال يحيى عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن عروة بن الزبير، عن عايشة، زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم انها قالت كان عتبة بن ابي وقاص عهد الى اخيه سعد بن ابي وقاص ان ابن وليدة زمعة مني فاقبضه اليك . قالت فلما كان عام الفتح اخذه سعد وقال ابن اخي قد كان عهد الى فيه . فقام اليه عبد بن زمعة فقال اخي وابن وليدة ابي ولد على فراشه . فتساوقا الى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال سعد يا رسول الله ابن اخي قد كان عهد الى فيه . وقال عبد بن زمعة اخي وابن وليدة ابي ولد على فراشه . فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " هو لك يا عبد بن زمعة " . ثم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " الولد للفراش وللعاهر الحجر " . ثم قال لسودة بنت زمعة " احتجبي منه " . لما راى من شبهه بعتبة بن ابي وقاص قالت فما راها حتى لقي الله عز وجل

Malik related to me from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn al-Hadi from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith at-Taymi from Sulayman ibn Yasar from Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya that a woman's husband died, and she did the idda of four months and ten days. Then she married when she was free to marry. She stayed with her husband for four and a half months, then gave birth to a fully developed child. Her husband went to Umar ibn al-Khattab and mentioned that to him, so Umar called some of the old women of the Jahiliyya and asked them about that. One of the women said, "I will tell you what happened with this woman. When her husband died, she was pregnant by him, but then the blood flowed from her because of his death and the child became dry in her womb. When her new husband had intercourse with her and the water reached the child, the child moved in the womb and grew." Umar ibn al-Khattab believed her and separated them (until she had completed her idda). Umar said, "Only good has reached me about you two," and he connected the child to the first husband

وحدثني مالك، عن يزيد بن عبد الله بن الهادي، عن محمد بن ابراهيم بن الحارث التيمي، عن سليمان بن يسار، عن عبد الله بن ابي امية، ان امراة، هلك عنها زوجها فاعتدت اربعة اشهر وعشرا ثم تزوجت حين حلت فمكثت عند زوجها اربعة اشهر ونصف شهر ثم ولدت ولدا تاما فجاء زوجها الى عمر بن الخطاب فذكر ذلك له فدعا عمر نسوة من نساء الجاهلية قدماء فسالهن عن ذلك فقالت امراة منهن انا اخبرك عن هذه المراة هلك عنها زوجها حين حملت منه فاهريقت عليه الدماء فحش ولدها في بطنها فلما اصابها زوجها الذي نكحها واصاب الولد الماء تحرك الولد في بطنها وكبر . فصدقها عمر بن الخطاب وفرق بينهما وقال عمر اما انه لم يبلغني عنكما الا خير والحق الولد بالاول

Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said from Sulayman ibn Yasar that Umar ibn al-Khattab used to attach the children of the Jahiliyya to whoever claimed them in Islam. Two men came and each of them claimed a woman's child. Umar ibn al-Khattab summoned a person who scrutinized features and he looked at them. The scrutinizer said, "They both share in him." Umar ibn al-Khattab hit him with a whip. Then he summoned the woman, and said, "Tell me your tale." She said, "It was this one (indicating one of the two men) who used to come to me while I was with my people's camels. He did not leave me until he thought and I thought that I was pregnant. Then he left me, and blood flowed from me, and this other one took his place. I do not know from which of them the child is." The scrutinizer said, "Allah is greater." Umar said to the child, "Go to whichever of them you wish

وحدثني مالك، عن يحيى بن سعيد، عن سليمان بن يسار، ان عمر بن الخطاب، كان يليط اولاد الجاهلية بمن ادعاهم في الاسلام فاتى رجلان كلاهما يدعي ولد امراة فدعا عمر بن الخطاب قايفا فنظر اليهما فقال القايف لقد اشتركا فيه فضربه عمر بن الخطاب بالدرة ثم دعا المراة فقال اخبريني خبرك فقالت كان هذا - لاحد الرجلين - ياتيني . وهي في ابل لاهلها فلا يفارقها حتى يظن وتظن انه قد استمر بها حبل ثم انصرف عنها فاهريقت عليه دماء ثم خلف عليها هذا - تعني الاخر - فلا ادري من ايهما هو قال فكبر القايف فقال عمر للغلام وال ايهما شيت

Malik related to me that he had heard that Umar ibn al-Khattab or Uthman ibn Affan gave a judgement about a slave woman who misled a man about herself and said that she was free. He married her and she bore children. It was decided that he should ransom his children with their like of slaves. Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "To ransom them with their price is more equitable in this case, Allah willing

وحدثني مالك، انه بلغه ان عمر بن الخطاب، او عثمان بن عفان قضى احدهما في امراة غرت رجلا بنفسها وذكرت انها حرة فتزوجها فولدت له اولادا فقضى ان يفدي ولده بمثلهم . قال يحيى سمعت مالكا يقول والقيمة اعدل في هذا ان شاء الله

Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "The way of doing things generally agreed upon in our community in the case of a man who dies and has sons and one of them claims, 'My father confirmed that so-and- so was his son,' is that the relationship is not established by the testimony of one man, and the confirmation of the one who confirmed it is only permitted as regards his own share in the division of his father's property. The one testified for is only given his due from the share of the testifier." Malik said, "An example of this is that a man dies leaving two sons, and 600 dinars. Each of them takes 300 dinars. Then one of them testifies that his deceased father confirmed that so-and-so was his son. The one who testifies is obliged to give 100 dinars to the one thus connected. This is half of the inheritance of the one thought to be related, had he been related. If the other confirms him, he takes the other 100 and so he completes his right and his relationship is established. His position is similar to that of a woman who confirms a debt against her father or her husband and the other heirs deny it. She must pay to the person whose debt she confirms, the amount according to her share of the full debt, had it been confirmed against all the heirs. If the woman inherits an eighth, she pays the creditor an eighth of his debt. If a daughter inherits a half, she pays the creditor half of his debt. Whichever women confirm him, pay him according to this. Malik said, "If a man's testimony is in agreement with what the woman testified to, that so- and-so had a debt against his father, the creditor is made to take an oath with one witness and he is given all his due. This is not the position with women because a man's testimony is allowed and the creditor must take an oath with the testimony of his witness, and take all his due. If he does not take an oath, he only takes from the inheritance of the one who confirmed him according to his share of the debt, because he confirmed his right and the other heirs denied it. It is permitted for him to confirm it." Yahya said that Malik related from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn Abdullah ibn Umar from his father that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "What's the matter with men who have intercourse with their slave- girls and then dismiss them? No slave-girl comes to me whose master confesses that he has had intercourse with her but that I connect her child to him, whether or not he has practised coitus interruptus or stopped having intercourse with her

Malik related to me from Nafi that Safiyya bint Abi Ubayd informed him that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "What is the matter with men who have intercourse with their slave-girls and then leave them to go? No slave-girl comes to me whose master confesses that he has had intercourse with her but that I connect her child to him, whether or not he has practised coitus interruptus or left off from intercourse with her." Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "What is done in our community about an umm walad who commits a crime is that her master is liable for what she has done up to her value. He does not have to surrender her, and he cannot be made to bear more than her value for her crime

وحدثني مالك، عن نافع، عن صفية بنت ابي عبيد، انها اخبرته ان عمر بن الخطاب قال ما بال رجال يطيون ولايدهم ثم يدعوهن يخرجن لا تاتيني وليدة يعترف سيدها ان قد الم بها الا قد الحقت به ولدها فارسلوهن بعد او امسكوهن . قال يحيى سمعت مالكا يقول الامر عندنا في ام الولد اذا جنت جناية ضمن سيدها ما بينها وبين قيمتها وليس له ان يسلمها وليس عليه ان يحمل من جنايتها اكثر من قيمتها

Yahya related from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If anyone revives dead land, it belongs to him, and the unjust root has no right." Malik explained, "The unjust root is whatever is taken, or planted without right

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن هشام بن عروة، عن ابيه، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " من احيا ارضا ميتة فهي له وليس لعرق ظالم حق

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn Abdullah from his father that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "Whoever revives dead land, it belongs to him." Malik said, "That is what is done in our community

وحدثني مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن سالم بن عبد الله، عن ابيه، ان عمر بن الخطاب، قال من احيا ارضا ميتة فهي له . قال مالك وعلى ذلك الامر عندنا

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm that he heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said about the flood-channels of Mahzur and Mudhaynib (in Madina), "Dam them systematically, so that the water is diverted into each property in turn up to ankle level, starting upstream

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن عبد الله بن ابي بكر بن محمد بن عمرو بن حزم، انه بلغه ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال في سيل مهزور ومذينب " يمسك حتى الكعبين ثم يرسل الاعلى على الاسفل

Malik related to me from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Excess water is not withheld in order to prevent herbage from growing

وحدثني مالك، عن ابي الزناد، عن الاعرج، عن ابي هريرة، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " لا يمنع فضل الماء ليمنع به الكلا

Malik related to me from Abu'r-Rijal Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman from his mother Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman that she informed him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not withhold the surplus water of a well from people

وحدثني مالك، عن ابي الرجال، محمد بن عبد الرحمن عن امه، عمرة بنت عبد الرحمن انها اخبرته ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " لا يمنع نقع بير

Yahya related to me from Malik from Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There is no injury nor return of injury

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن عمرو بن يحيى المازني، عن ابيه، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " لا ضرر ولا ضرار

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "No one should prevent his neighbour from fixing a wooden peg in his wall." Then Abu Hurayra said, "Why do I see you turning away from it? By Allah! I shall keep on at you about it

وحدثني مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن الاعرج، عن ابي هريرة، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " لا يمنع احدكم جاره خشبة يغرزها فى جداره " . ثم يقول ابو هريرة ما لي اراكم عنها معرضين والله لارمين بها بين اكتافكم

Malik related to me from Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini from his father that ad-Dahhak ibn Khalifa watered his irrigation ditch from a large source of water. He wanted to have it pass through the land of Muhammad ibn Maslama, and Muhammad refused. Ad-Dahhak said to him, "Why do you prevent me? It will benefit you. You can drink from it first and last and it will not harm you." Muhammed refused so ad- Dahhak spoke about it to Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Umar ibn al-Khattab summoned Muhammad ibn Maslama and ordered him to clear the way. Muhammad said, "No." Umar said, "Why do you prevent your brother from what will benefit him and is also useful for you? You will take water from it first and last and it will not harm you." Muhammad said, "No, by Allah!" Umar said, "By Allah, he will pass it through, even if it is over your belly!" Umar ordered him to allow its passage and ad-Dahhak did so

وحدثني مالك، عن عمرو بن يحيى المازني، عن ابيه، ان الضحاك بن خليفة، ساق خليجا له من العريض فاراد ان يمر به في ارض محمد بن مسلمة فابى محمد . فقال له الضحاك لم تمنعني وهو لك منفعة تشرب به اولا واخرا ولا يضرك . فابى محمد فكلم فيه الضحاك عمر بن الخطاب فدعا عمر بن الخطاب محمد بن مسلمة فامره ان يخلي سبيله فقال محمد لا . فقال عمر لم تمنع اخاك ما ينفعه وهو لك نافع تسقي به اولا واخرا وهو لا يضرك . فقال محمد لا والله . فقال عمر والله ليمرن به ولو على بطنك . فامره عمر ان يمر به ففعل الضحاك

Malik related to me from Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini that his father said, "There was a stream in my grand-father's garden belonging to Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf wanted to transfer it to a corner of the garden nearer to his land, and the owner of the garden prevented him. Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf spoke to Umar ibn al-Khattab about it, and he gave a judgement to Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf that he should transfer it

وحدثني مالك، عن عمرو بن يحيى المازني، عن ابيه، انه قال كان في حايط جده ربيع لعبد الرحمن بن عوف فاراد عبد الرحمن بن عوف ان يحوله الى ناحية من الحايط هي اقرب الى ارضه فمنعه صاحب الحايط فكلم عبد الرحمن بن عوف عمر بن الخطاب في ذلك فقضى لعبد الرحمن بن عوف بتحويله

Yahya related to me from Malik that Thawr ibn Zayd ad-Dili said, "I heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'A house or land that has been divided in the Jahiliyya, it is according to the division of the Jahiliyya. A house or land which has not been divided before the coming of Islam is divided according to Islam

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ثور بن زيد الديلي، انه قال بلغني ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " ايما دار او ارض قسمت في الجاهلية فهي على قسم الجاهلية وايما دار او ارض ادركها الاسلام ولم تقسم فهي على قسم الاسلام " . قال يحيى سمعت مالكا يقول فيمن هلك وترك اموالا بالعالية والسافلة ان البعل لا يقسم مع النضح الا ان يرضى اهله بذلك وان البعل يقسم مع العين اذا كان يشبهها وان الاموال اذا كانت بارض واحدة الذي بينهما متقارب انه يقام كل مال منها ثم يقسم بينهم والمساكن والدور بهذه المنزلة

Yahya said that he heard Malik speak about a man who died and left properties in Aliya and Safila (outlying districts of Madina). He said, "Unirrigated naturally watered land is not in the same category as irrigated land unless the family are satisfied with that. Unirrigated land is only in the same category as land with a spring when it resembles it. When the properties are in one land, and are close together, each individual property is evaluated and then divided between the heirs. Dwellings and houses are in the same position." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Haram ibn Sad ibn Muhayyisa that a female camel of al-Bara ibn Azib entered the garden of a man and it did some damage to it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave a judgement that the people of the garden were responsible for guarding it in the day, and the owner of the animals was liable for what the animals destroyed at night

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن حرام بن سعد بن محيصة، ان ناقة، للبراء بن عازب دخلت حايط رجل فافسدت فيه فقضى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ان على اهل الحوايط حفظها بالنهار وان ما افسدت المواشي بالليل ضامن على اهلها

Malik related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from Yahya ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Hatib that some slaves of Hatib stole a she-camel belonging to a man from the Muzayna tribe and they slaughtered it. The case was brought before Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Umar ordered Kathir ibn as-Salt to cut off their hands. Then Umar said to Habib, "I think you must be starving them," and he added, "By Allah! I will make you pay such a fine that it will be heavy for you." He enquired of the man from the Muzayna tribe, "What was the price of your camel?" The Muzayni said, "By Allah, I refused to sell her for 400 dirhams.'' Umar said, ''Give him 800 dirhams." Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "Doubling the price is not the behaviour of our community. What people have settled on among us is that the man is obliged to pay the value of the camel or animal on the day he took it

وحدثني مالك، عن هشام بن عروة، عن ابيه، عن يحيى بن عبد الرحمن بن حاطب، ان رقيقا، لحاطب سرقوا ناقة لرجل من مزينة فانتحروها فرفع ذلك الى عمر بن الخطاب فامر عمر كثير بن الصلت ان يقطع ايديهم ثم قال عمر اراك تجيعهم . ثم قال عمر والله لاغرمنك غرما يشق عليك ثم قال للمزني كم ثمن ناقتك فقال المزني قد كنت والله امنعها من اربعماية درهم . فقال عمر اعطه ثمانماية درهم . قال يحيى سمعت مالكا يقول وليس على هذا العمل عندنا في تضعيف القيمة ولكن مضى امر الناس عندنا على انه انما يغرم الرجل قيمة البعير او الدابة يوم ياخذها