Factors of Preference According to Abu Al-Waleed Al-Baji Al-Maliki through his book "Al-Muntaqa Sharh Al-Muwatta"

Abstract

Whoever follows Al-Baji's hadith opinions, and the evidence he uses to support the school of Imam Malik, will realize the extent of Al-Baji's deep knowledge in the science of hadith, and his proficiency in clarifying its issues, explaining its problematic parts, and reconciling its contradictory texts. He often uses hadith evidences and various narrations that support and strengthen his opinion. And in many instances, he inclines towards preferring some jurisprudential opinions, and he supports his statements through the context of the hadith and the occasion in which it was mentioned. He may also support and strengthen his opinion by considering the reliability of the narrator with his sheikh, in addition to other various methods that Al-Baji employed in preferring some opinions over others. All of these demonstrated Al-Baji's ability to employ evidences and testimonies to give preponderance to the choices he adopted. And there is no doubt that those criteria for preponderance do not depart from the methodology of the scholars in tarjeeh [giving preponderance