Imam Malik's full name is Abu Abdullah Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik and he
is also known as the Shaikh of Islam. He was born 93 AH (711 CE) in
Madina. His family was originally from the
Al-Asbahi tribe in Yemen and moved to Madina after converting to Islam in
the year 2 AH (623 CE).
Imam Malik devoted himself to acquire knowledge at an early age. He memorised
the Quran at a young age and then started to memorise hadith. He limited himself
to two areas of knowledge: hadith and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).
He advised people to rely on hadith over scholarly opinions he was against
all forms of bidah (innovation in Islam). He said, "he who innovates an
innovation in Islam, regarding it as something good, has claimed that
Muhammad 
has betrayed his trust to deliver the message".
Imam Malik's chain of narrators was considered the most authentic and was called
"The Golden Chain of Narrators" by many scholars of hadith. Imam Bukhari said
that the soundest of the chains of transmission was Malik who narrated from
Nafi, who narrated from ibn Umar 
, who narrated from the Prophet
Hazrat Muhammad .
Imam Shafi was one of his students, who himself is a highly regarded scholar,
said that "when scholars are mentioned, Malik is like a star among them".
Imam Malik wrote Al-Muwatta (The Approved), this book was regarded by
Imam Shafi as the soundest book on earth after the Quran.
Imam Malik died in Madina and is buried in Janat-ul-Baqi (a cemetery near
Masjid-ul-Nabawi) in 179 AH (795 CE).