REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Mother's service is so great for the life of the great cleric Imam Malik bin Anas. There is a separate story about Imam Malik, especially in his childhood, and his mother, who has been credited with making him a great scholar.

In childhood, Imam Malik was interested in becoming a singer. Because by becoming a singer, he can make a lot of money making him rich. Imam Malik once said:

" نشأت وأنا غلام فأعجبني الأخذ من المغنين، فقالت أمي: يا بني إن المغنى إذا كان قبيح الوجه، لم يُلتفت إلى غنائه، فدع الغناء واطلب الفقه، فتركت المغنين وتبعت الفقهاء فبلغ الله بي ما ترى" 

“I grew up as a boy, and I like to be inspired by singers. Then my mother said, 'My son, a singer, if his face is ugly, his singing will not be noticed. So, leave that and go into the science of fiqh.” So I left the singers, and I followed the fiqh experts...” (Al-Talqiin fii Al-Fiqhi Al-Maliki by Abdul Wahab bin Ali al-Baghdadi).

Imam Malik's mother was named Aaliyah binti Shurayk Al Azdiyya. Imam Malik's mother continued to encourage her son to study diligently and attend many assemblies, especially the Imam Rabiah in Medina. Imam Rabah was the owner of the largest assembly of knowledge in Medina, and Imam Malik learned a lot and benefited from it.

Once, Ibn Abi Uwais heard Imam Malik telling him about his mother's kindness. Imam Malik said:

 كانت أمي تلبسني الثياب، وتعممني وأنا صبي، وتوجهني إلى ربيعة بن أبي عبدالرحمن، وتقول: يابني، ائت مجلس ربيعة، فتعلم من سمته وأدبه قبل أن تتعلم من حديثه وفقهه،

“My mother used to dress me and teach me when I was a kid. He directed me to study at the Assembly of Rabi'ah ibn Abi Abdurrahman and said, 'My son, come to the assembly of Rabi'ah, and learn the customs of it before you learn the hadith and the fiqh from it. '” (Min Rowaa'i Washooya Al Aabaa lil Abnaa by Wael Hafez Khalaf).

Imam Malik also said of his mother's great merit:

 "فألبستني ثيابا مشمرة، ووضعت الطويلة على رأسي – أي القلنسوة الطويلة – وعممتني فوقها، ثم قالت: اذهب فاكتب الآن"

'She (her mother) put me in collared clothes, and put a long hat on my head. Then he said, 'Go and write now. '” (Al-Diibaj Al-Madzhab fii Ma'rifah A'yaan Ulama al-Madzhab al-Maaliki, by Ibn Farhoun al-Maliki).

Imam Malik ibn Anas was a fiqh expert and hadith scholar who achieved fame and had a great reputation. He was noted for his abundant knowledge and strong memorization of his hadith. His name still shines among fiqih figures.

Imam Malik is the second of four imams, and belongs to the Maliki school of Islamic law. Imam Malik is also the author of a famous book entitled Al Muwatta. It is considered one of the most famous books in Islamic law and the most influential and useful.

Imam Shafi'i once said of the book of al-Muwatta, “There is no book after the Book of Allah that is truer than Muwatta' Malik.” Imam Shafi'i also once spoke of Imam Malik, saying, “If the cleric is mentioned, then Malik is the star.”