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Anas b. Malik

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Anas b. Malik
The tomb of Anas b. Malik in Basra
The tomb of Anas b. Malik in Basra
Personal Information
Full NameAnas b. Malik b. Nadr b. Damdam
TeknonymAbu Hamza
EpithetKhadim al-Rasul (s)
LineageKhazraj
Birth10 years before the Hijra
Place of BirthMedina
Muhajir/AnsarAnsar
Place(s) of ResidenceMedina
Deathbetween 90/708 and 107/725
Cause of Deathillness
Burial PlaceBasra
Religious Information
Presence at ghazwasEight Ghazwas including Khaybar, Conquest of Mecca, and Hunayn.
Known forServing the Prophet (s)


Anas b. Mālik al-Anṣārī al-Khazrajī (Arabic: أنس بن مالك الأنصاري الخزرجي) was a servant of Prophet Muhammad (s) and a hadith transmitter who narrated many reports from the Prophet (s), as well as traditions concerning the Imamate of Imam Ali (a) and the merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (a). It is reported that he was afflicted with the disease of leprosy (leucoderma) due to the curse of Imam 'Ali (a) for concealing the Hadith of al-Ghadir.

In Sunni sources, 2286 hadiths on various subjects are narrated from Anas b. Malik. However, despite living through the eras of several Infallible Imams (a), he did not narrate a single tradition from them. In Shi'a biographical sources, he is not mentioned favorably. Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, citing narrations from Imam al-Sadiq (a) and Imam al-Baqir (a), accused Anas b. Malik of attributing lies to the Prophet (s).

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Anas was responsible for collecting alms in Bahrain, and after Abu Bakr's death, he pledged allegiance to 'Umar b. al-Khattab. He also supported 'Uthman b. 'Affan during the rebellion against him. Not much is known about Anas's positions during the reign of Imam Ali (a), but according to Ibn Abi l-Hadid, Anas was among those who refused to participate in the Battle of Jamal, believing that Imam Ali (a) was mistaken in fighting Talha b. 'Ubayd Allah and al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam.

He also collaborated with Ziyad b. Abih, the bloodthirsty governor of Basra, during the reign of Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan, and was in charge of spoils. During the reign of Yazid b. Mu'awiya, he protested against the disrespect shown to the head of Imam al-Husayn (a) in the court of 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad. It is said that Anas b. Malik lived a long life due to the Prophet's (s) prayer for him. He died in Basra between 90/708 and 107/725.

Biography

Anas b. Malik b. Nadr b. Damdam, an Ansari from the tribe of Khazraj, was known by the kunya Abu Hamza[1] and the title "Khadim al-Rasul" (Servant of the Messenger).[2] He was born in Medina ten years before the Hijra and converted to Islam as a child.[3] According to Ibn Sa'd, a third-century AH historian, when the Prophet (s) entered Medina, Anas's mother, Umm Sulaym (or in some accounts, her husband Abu Talha), introduced him to the Prophet (s) for service because of his intelligence and literacy.[4] Accordingly, Anas became the Prophet's servant at the age of eight or ten[5] and, according to Ibn Sa'd, served him for nine or ten years.[6] It is said that his close relationship with the Prophet (s) led the Prophet (s) to joke with him frequently[7] and address him as "Ya Bunayya" (O my son).[8] The Prophet (s) also chose the kunya Abu Hamza for him.[9]

According to some reports, Anas participated in eight Ghazwas,[10] including the Battle of Hunayn[11] and the Conquest of Mecca.[12] During the time of the second caliph and at the request of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, he went to Basra and settled there.[13] Ibn Sa'd mentions that Anas was among the most covetous of the Sahaba in accumulating wealth.[14]

It is reported that the Prophet (s), at the request of Anas's mother, prayed for him to have an abundance of wealth, many children, and a long life. Anas himself narrated that this prayer was granted; he lived a long life, had many children, his fruit trees bore fruit twice a year, and his extreme longevity eventually made him weary of life.[15]

Date of Death

According to Ibn Sa'd in al-Tabaqat al-kubra, Anas b. Malik was the last companion of the Prophet (s) to die in Basra, passing away at the age of 107 during the caliphate of al-Walid b. 'Abd al-Malik.[16] Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, a ninth-century AH Sunni historian, records his death between the years 90/708 and 107/725.[17]

The Curse of Imam Ali (a)

Ibn Abi l-Hadid, in his Sharh Nahj al-balagha, in a chapter dedicated to those who deviated from Imam Ali (a), mentions certain companions like Anas b. Malik who, due to attachment to the world, ignored the Merits of Imam Ali (a) and aided his enemies.[18] Various narrations explain why Imam Ali (a) cursed Anas b. Malik:

  • According to both Shi'a and Sunni reports, when Imam Ali (a) asked the companions present in Kufa to testify that they had heard the Hadith of al-Ghadir ("Whomsoever I am his leader, Ali is his leader") from the Prophet (s), Anas b. Malik refused to testify, claiming he had grown old and forgotten. Imam Ali (a) cursed him, praying that if he were lying, he would be afflicted with a white spot (leprosy) that his turban could not hide.[19] After this event, Anas swore never to conceal any hadith regarding Imam Ali (a) again.[20] According to al-Dhahabi, Anas suffered from leprosy, and severe spots were visible on his body.[21]
  • Some sources state that during the Battle of Jamal, Imam Ali (a) sent Anas b. Malik to Talha and al-Zubayr to remind them of the Prophet's (s) words: "You will fight Ali while you are being unjust to him." However, Anas returned and told the Imam, "I have forgotten that matter." Consequently, the Imam cursed him.[22]
  • Al-Shaykh al-Saduq in al-Amali attributes Anas's leprosy to his concealment of the Prophet's (s) invitation (to support Ali (a)).[23]

Hadith Position

In Shi'a sources, Anas narrated hadiths from Imam Ali (a), Fatima (a), and companions such as Salman al-Farsi, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, and 'Abd Allah b. al-'Abbas.[24]

According to Anas himself, not all the reports he attributed to the Prophet (s) were heard directly by him; rather, he attributed some to the Prophet (s) based on the reliability of other narrators without mentioning their names.[25] Numerous narrations regarding the merits of Imam Ali (a) are recorded from Anas in various sources.[26] According to 'Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli, a Shi'a jurist and exegete, despite living through the time of several Imams (a), Anas did not narrate a single hadith from them.[27]

The number of hadiths narrated from Anas in Sunni sources is significantly higher, reaching 2286.[28] According to Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri, Ahmad b. Hanbal alone recorded 2172 narrations from Anas on various jurisprudential, ethical, and theological topics in his Musnad.[29] He narrated from various individuals such as Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, Ibn Mas'ud, and 'Ubada b. al-Samit.[30] Al-Dhahabi reports that about 200 people, including Qatada, Ibn Sirin, and al-Sha'bi, narrated hadiths from him.[31]

Unreliability in Shi'a Rijal Sources

Sayyid Abu l-Qasim al-Khoei in Mu'jam rijal al-hadith mentions the reports of Anas concealing testimony and does not speak of him favorably.[32] Shi'a rijal scholars like al-Shaykh al-Tusi and Ibn Dawud al-Hilli merely listed him among the companions of the Messenger of God (s) without granting him reliability.[33]

Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, citing a report from Imam al-Sadiq (a), identified Anas b. Malik as one of those who attributed lies to the Prophet (s).[34] Furthermore, al-Saduq, citing Imam al-Baqir (a), notes that the prevalence of torturing suspects by rulers was due to a false report attributed by Anas to the Prophet (s), claiming that the Prophet (s) had nailed a man's hand to a wall.[35]

Political Stances

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Anas was the collector of alms in Bahrain. Upon returning to Medina and notifying of Abu Bakr's death, he pledged allegiance to 'Umar b. al-Khattab. He delivered four thousand dirhams of alms to 'Umar, who then gifted the amount back to him.[36] Little is known about his stance during the caliphate of Imam 'Ali (a).[37]

Based on a report by Ibn Abi l-Hadid, Anas was among those who refrained from participating in the Battle of Jamal, joining neither the army of Imam Ali (a) nor that of Talha and al-Zubayr.[38] He believed that Imam 'Ali (a) was wrong to fight them.[39]

During the caliphate of 'Uthman b. 'Affan, when the rebellion occurred, Anas was among those in Basra who supported 'Uthman.[40] Under Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan, he was one of the companions who collaborated with Ziyad b. Abih, the governor of Basra,[41] and was put in charge of the distribution of spoils.[42]

When Imam al-Husayn (a) protested to the Yazid army in Karbala, he referred them to living companions such as Anas b. Malik to testify to his status with the Prophet (s).[43] During the reign of Yazid b. Mu'awiya, when 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad insulted the head of Imam al-Husayn (a), Anas protested, reminding him of the Imam's resemblance to the Prophet (s)[44] and the Prophet's (s) love for him.[45] Anas later joined the Iraqis in the Uprising of al-Mukhtar,[46] and after al-Mukhtar's defeat, he briefly collaborated with the Zubayrid government.[47]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sipihr, Nāsikh al-tawārīkh, vol. 4, p. 1904.
  2. ↑ ʿAṭārudī, Masnad al-Imām al-Shahīd, vol. 3, p. 335.
  3. ↑ Mustawfī, Tarjuma-yi Al-Futūḥ, p. 970.
  4. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 7, pp. 12–14.
  5. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 7, pp. 12–15.
  6. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 7, pp. 12–14.
  7. ↑ Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Al-Iṣāba, vol. 1, p. 276.
  8. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 7, p. 14.
  9. ↑ Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Al-Iṣāba, vol. 1, p. 276.
  10. ↑ Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-islām, vol. 6, p. 292.
  11. ↑ Wāqidī, Al-Maghāzī, vol. 3, p. 897.
  12. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 1, p. 523.
  13. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr, Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh, vol. 2, p. 541.
  14. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 7, p. 13.
  15. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 7, p. 14.
  16. ↑ Ibn Saʿd, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 7, p. 18.
  17. ↑ Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Al-Iṣāba, vol. 1, pp. 276–277.
  18. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 4, p. 74.
  19. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 4, p. 74; Mufīd, Al-Irshād, vol. 1, p. 351.
  20. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 4, p. 74.
  21. ↑ Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-islām, vol. 6, p. 295.
  22. ↑ Sharīf al-Raḍī, Nahj al-balāgha, Wisdom 311, p. 530; Hāshimī Khūʾī, Minhāj al-barāʿa, vol. 21, pp. 399–400.
  23. ↑ Ṣadūq, Al-Amālī, p. 656.
  24. ↑ Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Ithbāt al-hudāt, vol. 3, p. 40, 64; Baḥrānī, Ḥilyat al-abrār, vol. 1, p. 257; Muḥammadī Rey-Shahrī, Shinākht-nāma-yi ḥadīth, vol. 3, p. 155.
  25. ↑ Ilāhīzāda, "Anas b. Mālik," p. 352.
  26. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Amālī, p. 183; Mufīd, Al-Irshād, vol. 1, p. 30; Ḥaskānī, Shawāhid al-tanzīl, vol. 2, p. 423.
  27. ↑ Jawādī Āmulī, Rijāl-i tafsīrī, vol. 4, pp. 341–364.
  28. ↑ Muḥammadī Rey-Shahrī, Shinākht-nāma-yi ḥadīth, vol. 3, p. 156.
  29. ↑ Muḥammadī Rey-Shahrī, Shinākht-nāma-yi ḥadīth, vol. 3, p. 156.
  30. ↑ Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-islām, vol. 6, p. 289.
  31. ↑ Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-islām, vol. 6, p. 290.
  32. ↑ Khūʾī, Muʿjam rijāl al-ḥadīth, vol. 3, p. 240.
  33. ↑ Ṭūsī, Rijāl al-Ṭūsī, p. 21; Ibn Dāwūd, Al-Rijāl, vol. 3, p. 240.
  34. ↑ Ṣadūq, Al-Khiṣāl, vol. 1, p. 190.
  35. ↑ Ṣadūq, ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, vol. 2, p. 541.
  36. ↑ Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-islām, vol. 6, p. 293.
  37. ↑ Ilāhīzāda, "Anas b. Mālik," p. 349.
  38. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 20, p. 20.
  39. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 20, p. 20.
  40. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr, Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh, vol. 3, p. 160.
  41. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, vol. 8, p. 29.
  42. ↑ Faqīh Baḥr al-ʿUlūm, Ziyāratgāh-hā-yi ʿIrāq, vol. 2, p. 184.
  43. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk, vol. 5, p. 425.
  44. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 3, p. 222.
  45. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, vol. 6, p. 232.
  46. ↑ Ilāhīzāda, "Anas b. Mālik," p. 350.
  47. ↑ Ilāhīzāda, "Anas b. Mālik," p. 350.

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