Mālik b. Anas
THE 4 IMAMS
Imam Malik ibn Anas (711-795 AD) was born in Medina and was a prominent Islamic scholar and the founder of the Maliki school of jurisprudence, one of the four major Sunni schools of law.
Imām Mālik b. Anas and Reverence for the Prophet
Facing the Prophet in al-Masjid al-Nabawī Imām Mālik ibn Anas (d. 179 AH), the Imām of the Salaf, was asked: "Should one face the Qiblah or the Messenger while in al-Masjid al-Nabawī?" He replied: "Face the Messenger and seek intercession through him." Source: Narrated by al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ in al-Shifā with a good chain.
Intercession Through the Prophet Abu Ja'far once asked: "O Abu ʿAbdullāh (Imām Mālik), should I face the Qiblah and pray, or should I face the Messenger of Allah?" Imām Mālik responded: "Why would you turn your face away from him, when he is your means and the means of your father Adam to Allah on the Day of Resurrection? Rather, face him and seek intercession through him, and Allah will intercede for you."
Reverence and Emotional Responses to the Prophet
Imām Mālik’s Reverence
Musʿab ibn ʿAbdullāh reported: “Whenever Imām Mālik mentioned the Messenger of Allah, his complexion would change, and he would bow his head so much that it was difficult for his companions to bear.”