Biography of Anas ibn Malik

Ibn Abd al-Barr said: he was among those who corresponded with al-Husayn to pledge allegiance to him; when he was unable to aid him he repented and marched to fight.

I say: he was a devout believer, a worshipper; he went out with an army: they returned in repentance to Allah for their forsaking of al-Husayn, the martyr, and marched to seek his blood, and they were named the army of the repentant.

And he it was who, on the day of Siffin, faced Hawshab Dhu Zulaym and killed him.

Sulayman urged to jihad; he marched with thousands to war against Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, and said: "If I am killed, your commander is al-Musayyab ibn Najaba."

The two hosts met; Ubayd Allah was in a great army; the fighting raged three days, and a multitude of both sides was slain.

Slaughter befell the repentant, the partisans of al-Husayn, and their four commanders were killed: Sulayman, al-Musayyab, Abd Allah ibn Sa'd and Abd Allah ibn Wali; and that at Ayn al-Warda, called Ra's al-Ayn, in year sixty-five; and Rifa'a ibn Shaddad, with those of them who remained, withdrew to Kufa.

No. 62: Anas ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr ibn Damdam al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, ibn Zayd ibn Haram ibn Jundub ibn Amir ibn Ghanm ibn Adi ibn al-Najjar.

The imam, the mufti, the reciter, the narrator, the reporter of Islam, Abu Hamza al-Ansari, al-Khazraji, al-Najjari, Medinan, servant of the Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, and his kin through the women, his pupil, his follower, and the last of his companions to die.

He narrated from the Prophet, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, abundant knowledge, and from Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Mu'adh, Usayd ibn Hudayr, Abu Talha, his mother Umm Sulaym bint Milhan, his maternal aunt Umm Haram, her husband Ubada ibn al-Samit, Abu Dhar, Malik ibn Sa'sa'a, Abu Hurayra, Fatima al-Nabawiyya, and many.

And from him a great multitude, among them: al-Hasan, Ibn Sirin, al-Sha'bi, Abu Qilaba, Mak houl, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, Thabit al-Bunani, Bakr ibn Abd Allah al-Muzani, al-Zuhri, Qatada, Ibn al-Munkadir, Ishaq ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Talha, Abd al-Aziz ibn Suhayb, Shu'ayb ibn al-Habhab, Amr ibn Amir al-Kufi, Sulayman al-Timi, Humayd al-Tawil, Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari, Kathir ibn Sulaym, Isa ibn Tahman and Umar ibn Shakir.

His reliable companions lived beyond year one hundred fifty; the weak ones of his companions lived beyond year one hundred ninety; and after them lived people who are not trusted: their hadith was discarded altogether; such as Ibrahim ibn Hudba, Dinar Abu Mikyas, Kharasha ibn Abd Allah and Musa al-Tawil, who lived a little beyond year two hundred: no account is taken of them.

What was after year two hundred was only remnants of those who had heard from the reliable ones of his companions, such as Yazid ibn Harun, Abd Allah ibn Bakr al-Sahmi, Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Ansari, Abu Asim al-Nabil and Abu Nu'aym.

The author of the Tahdhib enumerated some two hundred persons among the narrators from Anas.

And Anas used to say:

Anas ibn Malik at the service of the Prophet

"The Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, came to Medina when I was ten, and he died when I was twenty; and my mothers would push me into the service of the Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him."

Anas therefore accompanied his prophet, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, with perfect companionship, and kept to him with the fullest keeping from his emigration until his death; he campaigned with him more than once, and swore allegiance beneath the tree.

Muhammad ibn Sa'd narrated in his Tabaqat:

Al-Ansari narrated to us, from his father, from the freedman of Anas: that he said to Anas: "Were you at Badr?"

He said: "No, may your mother be bereft of you! And how should I be absent from Badr?"

Then al-Ansari said: he went out with the Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, to Badr, being a boy who served him.

And Umar ibn Shabba narrated it, from al-Ansari, from his father, from Thumama, who said:

Anas was told [...] and he mentioned its like.

I say: the authors of the maghazi did not count him among the Badris, because he attended it as a child and did not fight; rather he remained in the baggage train of the army: that is the reconciliation.

And from Anas, who said:

"The Prophet, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, named me Abu Hamza on account of a bouquet I had picked."

And Ali ibn Zayd narrated, and in him there is softness, from Ibn al-Musayyib, from Anas, who said:

"The Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, came to Medina when I was eight; my mother took my hand and brought me to him, and said:

Messenger of Allah! No man or woman of the Ansar remains but has offered you a gift; and I have nothing to offer you but this son of mine: take him, that he may serve you as you see fit."

He said: "I served him ten years: he never struck me, nor reviled me, nor frowned in my face."

Al-Tirmidhi narrated it.

Ikrima ibn Ammar: Ishaq ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Talha narrated to us; Anas narrated to us, who said:

"Umm Sulaym brought me to the Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him; she had dressed me in half of her veil and wrapped me with another part of it, and said:

Messenger of Allah! This is Unays, my son; I have brought him to serve you: pray Allah for him."

He said: "O Allah, multiply his wealth and his children."

He said: "By Allah, my wealth is plentiful, and my children and the children of my children are counted at about one hundred today."

Its like was narrated by Ja'far ibn Sulayman, from Thabit.

And Shu'ba narrated, from Qatada, from Anas:

That Umm Sulaym said: "Messenger of Allah! Your servant is Anas: pray Allah for him."

He said: "O Allah, multiply his wealth and his children."

He said: "One of my family told me that more than one hundred were buried from my loins."

Husayn ibn Waqid: from Thabit, from Anas, who said:

"The Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, prayed for me and said: O Allah, multiply his wealth and his children, and lengthen his life."

Allah multiplied my wealth, so that I have a vineyard whose fruit is carried twice a year; and there were born of my loins one hundred six.

Isma'il ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Mu'addal informed us in year two hundred ninety-two; Muhammad ibn Khalaf informed us; Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Hafiz informed us; Ahmad and Muhammad informed us; Abd Allah ibn Ahmad informed us; Ali ibn Muhammad al-Quradhi informed us; Abu Amr ibn Hakim informed us; Abu Hatim al-Razi informed us; al-Ansari narrated to us; Humayd narrated to me, from Anas:

That the Prophet, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, entered upon Umm Sulaym; she brought him dates and clarified butter; he said: "Return your dates to your jars and your butter to your skins: I am fasting."

Then he stood in a corner of the house, prayed with us a supererogatory prayer, prayed for Umm Sulaym and her household; she said: "Messenger of Allah! I have a small request."

He said: "And what is it?"

She said: "Your servant Anas."

He left nothing of the good of the hereafter nor of the world but he prayed for me with it, then said: "O Allah, grant him wealth and children, and bless him in them."

He said: "I am among the wealthiest of the Ansar; and my daughter Umayna told me that, until al-Hajjaj came to Basra, one hundred twenty-nine were buried of my loins."

Al-Tayalisi: from Abu Khalda:

I said to Abu al-Ala: "Did Anas hear from the Prophet, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him?"

He said: "He served him ten years, he prayed for him, and he had an orchard that bore fruit twice a year, and in its blossoms there was a fragrance that came like musk."

Abu Khalda is reliable.

From Musa ibn Anas: that Anas campaigned in eight campaigns.

Thabit al-Bunani said: Abu Hurayra said:

"I saw none resembling the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, more than the son of Umm Sulaym," meaning Anas.

Anas ibn Sirin said: Anas ibn Malik was the best of the people in prayer, at home and on journey.

And al-Ansari narrated, from his father, from Thumama, who said:

Anas would pray until his two feet broke open with sores, from the length of his standing, may Allah be pleased with him.

Thabit al-Bunani said: the steward of Anas's land came and said: "Your land is thirsty."

Anas donned his garment, went out to the open land, prayed and supplicated; a cloud arose, covered his land, and it rained until it filled his channels, and that in summer; he sent one of his household saying: "See how far it reached."

And it had not gone beyond his land by much.

Its like was narrated by al-Ansari, from his father, from Thumama.

I say: this is a manifest grace established by two isnads.

Hammad ibn Yahya said: the one who accompanied Anas ibn Malik narrated to me:

When Anas entered the state of ihram, I could not speak to him for the severity of his holding to his ihram.

Ibn Awn: from Musa ibn Anas:

The governorship of the two rivers

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq sent to Anas to send him swiftly to the two rivers.

Umar entered upon him and said: "I intended to send this one to the two rivers, and he is a young lad."

He said: "Send him: he is lucid and a writer."

He sent him; when Abu Bakr died, Anas came to Umar, who said: "Bring what you brought."

He said: "O commander of the believers, the pledge of allegiance first."

He stretched out his hand.

Hammad ibn Salama: Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Bakr informed us, from Anas, who said:

"Abu Bakr appointed me over the alms; I returned, and he had died.

Umar said: O Anas! Have you come back with your back laden?

I said: yes.

He said: we sent you, and the wealth is yours.

I said: it exceeds that.

He said: be it as it may, it is yours."

And it was four thousand.

Thabit narrated, from Anas, who said:

"I accompanied Jarir ibn Abd Allah: he would serve me; and he said: I saw the Ansar do a thing with the Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him: I see none of them but I serve him."

And it is narrated from the Prophet, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, that he said to Anas: "O you of the two ears."

And the Prophet, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, would single him out with some knowledge.

Anas transmitted from the Prophet, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, that he made the rounds of nine women in one forenoon with a single bath.

Khalifa ibn Khayyat said: after the death of Yazid, Ibn al-Zubayr wrote to Anas ibn Malik; and he led the people in prayer at Basra forty days.

And Anas witnessed the conquest of Tustar; he came to Umar with its governor Hormuzan, who embraced Islam, and his Islam was fair, may Allah have mercy on him.

Anas ibn Malik and al-Hajjaj

Al-A'mach said: Anas wrote to Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, when al-Hajjaj wronged him:

"I served the Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, nine years; by Allah, were the Christians to have a man who served their prophet, they would honor him."

Ja'far ibn Sulayman said: Ali ibn Zayd narrated to us, who said:

I was at al-Qasr, and al-Hajjaj was passing the people in review during the nights of Ibn al-Ash'ath; Anas came, and al-Hajjaj said: "O rascal, vagrant of the strifes: once with Ali, once with Ibn al-Zubayr, once with Ibn al-Ash'ath! By Him in whose hand is my soul, I shall uproot you as gum is uprooted, and strip you as the lizard is stripped."

Anas said: "Whom does the emir mean?"

He said: "I mean you: may Allah make your hearing deaf!"

Anas uttered the invocation of return, and al-Hajjaj was diverted.

Anas went out; we followed him to the Rahba, and he said: "Had I not remembered my son and feared for them after me, I would have said to him a word after which I would never be ashamed."

Salama ibn Wardan said: I saw on Anas a black turban let hang behind him.

Abu Talut Abd al-Salam said: I saw on Anas a turban.

Hammad ibn Salama: from Humayd, from Anas:

"Umar forbade us to write Arabic on seals."

And on the seal of Anas there was a wolf or a fox.

Ibn Sirin said: the engraving of Anas's seal was a crouching lion.

Thumama ibn Abd Allah said: Anas's vineyard bore twice a year.

Sulayman al-Timi said: I heard Anas say: "None remains who prayed toward the two qiblas but I."

Al-Muthanna ibn Sa'id said: I heard Anas say: "There is no night but I see my beloved in it." Then he wept.

Hammad ibn Salama: from Thabit, from Anas: he was told: "Will you not narrate to us?" He said:

"O my son: whoever multiplies departs."

Hammad: from Ibn Jurayj, from al-Zuhri, from Anas:

That he engraved on his seal: Muhammad, messenger of Allah; and when he entered the privy he removed it.

Ibn Awn said: I saw on Anas a leather cloak, a leather turban and a leather robe.

Abd Allah ibn Salim al-Ash'ari narrated, from Azhar ibn Abd Allah, who said:

I was among the horsemen who had lain in wait overnight for Anas ibn Malik; he was among those who stirred up against al-Hajjaj, and he was with Ibn al-Ash'ath; they brought him to al-Hajjaj, who branded his hand: freedman of al-Hajjaj.

Al-A'mach said: Anas wrote to Abd al-Malik:

"I served the Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, nine years; and al-Hajjaj displays me in the midst of Basra"; he said:

"O lad, write to al-Hajjaj: Woe to you! I feared that no one would be safe at my hands: when my letter comes to you, go to Anas until you apologize to him."

When the letter reached him, he said to the messenger: "Has the commander of the believers written what is here?"

He said: "Yes, by Allah; and nothing was harder upon his face than this."

He said: "In hearing and obedience," and he intended to rise to him.

I said: "If you wish, I will inform him."

I came to Anas ibn Malik and said: "Do you not see he has feared you and wishes to come to you: go to him."

Anas came walking until he drew near him, and he said: "O Abu Hamza, have you been angry?"

He said: "Yes: you display me in the midst of Basra?"

He said: "My case and yours are like the saying of him who said: I mean you, so hear me, O neighbor woman: I wished that none should have any retort against me."

And Amr ibn Dinar narrated, from Abu Ja'far, who said:

Anas ibn Malik was leprous, with intense whiteness; I saw him eat: he took large mouthfuls.

Humayd said, from Anas: they say: the love of Ali and Uthman does not gather in one heart; yet Allah gathered the love of them both in our hearts.

Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari said, from his mother:

That she saw Anas dressed in a cloak, and he had leprosy; she heard me saying to his family:

"This one is older than Sahl ibn Sa'd, and he is more aged than Sahl."

He said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace and the salutation of Allah be upon him, prayed for me."

Abu al-Yaqzan said: in the plague of al-Jarif eighty sons died to Anas.

It is said: seventy.

And Mu'adh ibn Mu'adh narrated: Imran narrated to us, from Ayyub, who said:

Anas grew weak for fasting: he had a dish of tharid prepared, called thirty poor men and fed them.

I say: the birth of Anas is established ten years before the year of the Hijra.