12mo. 24 pp., Arabic lithographed text within borders, modern wrappers, papers slightly browned but clean and in very good condition, Al-Matba’a al-Maymaniyya, Cairo, 1322 A. H. / 1904.

Synopsis

Imam Malik Ibn Anas compiled a book known as the al-Muwatta. This was the first book that attempted to compile only sound and reliable sayings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ into one book. Imam Malik said that he showed his book to seventy scholars in Madinah, who all approved it, thus he gave it the name al-Muwatta, meaning “The Approved”.
Al-Muwatta’ was so influential as a book of fiqh that the caliph of the time, Harun al-Rashid, demanded that it be mass-printed and made the official book of fiqh for the Abbasid Empire. Imam Malik, however, refused. He knew that no one interpretation of Islamic law was perfect and all-encompassing. As such, he refused to allow his fiqh to become official, even under threat of persecution and imprisonment.
This work is the text of the letter addressed to Harun al-Rashid written by Ibn Anas explaining his attitude towards the Caliph invitation.