Lesson 6- Transmission of the Muwatta.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
27 Rajab, 1444 AH ( Sunday, 19 February 2023)
Transmissions
We mentioned many times that Imām Mālik (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) taught the Muwaṭṭa annually for forty to sixty years. And every year, he would edit it. That means that an edited version was taught to a new audience and different students each year. Thus, the transmission of a person who heard the Muwaṭṭa in 149 AH, for example, would differ from a person who heard the Muwatta in 175 AH, because Imām Mālik was editing it in 150 AH, 151 AH, 152 AH. Every year he was subtracting more narrations, and editing it more.
There are two natural outcomes of this:
- There will be many transmissions of the Muwaṭṭa (because of the lengthy period and the multitudes of students who heard each year).
- These transmissions are going to differ (due to Imām Mālik revising and editing the Muwaṭṭa each year).
Students who Heard the Muwaṭṭa
To get an idea about how many students of Imām Mālik heard the Muwaṭṭa from him, there are a few points to keep in mind:
1.Imām Mālik has the reputation of being a leading Muḥaddith, and this made everyone desirous of attending his lessons. People from all over the world travelled to him. The most senior scholars of that time travelled to Madīnah to participate in his lessons.
Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ mentions how even kings and princes would attend lessons of the Muwaṭṭa:
وذكروا أن الرشيد وبنوه الأمين والمأمون والمؤتمن أخذوا عنه الموطأ وقد ذُكر عن المهدي والهادي أنهما سمعا منه ورويا عنه، وأنه كتب الموطأ للمهدي. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 108)
“They mentioned that Rashīd and his sons Amīn, Maʾmūn and Muʾtamin learnt the Muwaṭṭa from him. It was also mentioned that Mahdī and Hādī heard and narrated from him, and that he wrote the Muwaṭṭa for Mahdī.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 108)
If people would not make a special trip to Madīnah to hear the Muwaṭṭa, then they would definitely participate in the Durūs of the Muwaṭṭā when they would visit Madīnah
2.Imām Mālik was conducting lessons publically and the venue was also easily accessible. It was in Masjid an-Nabawī. Although there was some protocol and conditions to participate in his Durūs, ultimately, lots of people could easily hear the Muwaṭṭā directly from him. Every lesson would naturally have multitudes of participants.
3.This continued for 40 to 60 years.
These are sufficient reasons to make us understand that he would have thousands of students.
Just to give an indication on how many students heard from Imām Mālik (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him), in the beginning of his edition of the Muwaṭṭa, Shaykh Muṣṭafā Aʿzamī added the condensation of Shaykh Rashīd ad-Dīn on ʿAllāmah Khatib’s treatise.
In this treatise, Shaykh Rashīd ad-Dīn gathered the names of some transmitters from Imām Mālik. Shaykh Muṣṭafā Aʿḍamī quotes all these names, and it spans over 63 pages. From page 124 to page 187, he listed 967 names of the famous students of Imām Mālik. His list is by no means an exhaustive list which was meant to include each and every student of his. Rather, it only comprises of the names of a few of his students who are known.
Besides these, there were definitely thousands of other students, since people from all over the world would travel to come and hear the Muwaṭṭa from Imām Mālik (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him).
From these multitudes of students, not every student then narrated the Muwaṭṭa from him, and hence the number of narrators are much less.
This is something that is easy to understand. It is normal and logical that not every student becomes a transmitter, just like how not every student becomes a teacher. Over the years, there may have been many students who studied Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī under your Ustādh of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. The vast majority of them are not narrating Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī today. Most students do not go on to narrate. It is the very few from the elite and high level students who would narrate. Therefore, the number of narrators of the Muwaṭṭa are much less than the total number of students of Imām Mālik.
Students who Transmitted the Muwaṭṭa
Scholars differ on the amount of students that actually transmitted the Muwaṭṭa. Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ brought a dedicated chapter:
باب في ذكر من روى الموطأ من الجلة والأئمة المشاهير الثقات عن مالك رحمه الله تعالى (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 107)
Chapter on the Great and Trustworthy, Famous Imāms Who Narrated the Muwaṭṭa from Mālik, May Allāh have mercy on him. (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 107)
Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) lists around 55 names of the transmitters of the Muwaṭṭā.
Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) says that these are merely narrators that reached him with a sanad:
ولا مرية إن رواة الموطأ من هؤلاء من جلة أصحابه ومشاهير رواته ، ولكن إنما ذكرنا من بلغَنا نصاً سَماعه له منه وأخذه له عنه، أو من اتصل إسنادنا له فيه عنه (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 108)
“There is no doubt that the narrators of the Muwaṭṭa are among those of the greatest of his companions and famous narrators, but we have only mentioned those whom it has reached us textually that they heard the Muwaṭṭa from him or that they learnt it from him, or whom our chain of transmission is from him.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 108)
He is clearly qualifying this by saying that these are either the senior companions or the famous narrators of Imām Mālik. If we consider other transmitters who are not famous, we will reach a much higher number. Likewise, he is saying that these has reached him with an authentic chain. It will be explained shortly that he knew of 1300 narrators from Imām Mālik. A greater portion of this amount could have actually narrated the Muwaṭṭa, since Imām Mālik was primarily teaching Aḥādīth through the Muwaṭṭa.
In Ītḥāf as-Sālik bi Ruwāt al-Muwaṭṭaʾ ʿan al-Imām Mālik, Ibn Nāṣir ad-Dīn ad-Dimashqī (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) mentioned about 79 transmitters. He also objected on some of the names that Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ quoted. (Please refer to Ithāf as-Sālik, page 64)
Allāmah Zurqānī (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) listed 81 names of the transmitters in the introduction of his commentary, from page 11 to page 13.
Many scholars wrote entire books on the narrators of the Muwaṭṭa. Ibn Nāsir ad-Dīn ad-Dimashqī wrote:
وقد جمع الرواة عن مالك مفردا بالتصنيف عدة من العلماء ، منهم: أبو الحسن الدارقطني ، وأبو نعيم الأصبهاني ، وأبو بكر أحمد بن علي الخطيب البغدادي ، وعبد الله بن أبي دليم الأندلسي وغيرهم ، منهم: القاضي عياض صنف كتابا سماه: “جمهرة رواة مالك” ذكر أنه انطوى على أزيد من ألف وثلاثمئة راو (إتحاف السالك برواة الموطأ عن الإمام مالك – ص: 121)
“Several scholars collected the narrators from Mālik, forming compilations on that topic alone, including: Abu ‘l-Ḥasan ad-Dārqutnī, Abū Nuʿaym al-Aṣbahānī, Abu Bakr Aḥmād ibn ʿAlī al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī, ʿAbdullāh ibn Abī Dalīm al-Andalusī and others, among them: Qaḍī ʿIyāḍ wrote a book called: “Jamharah Ruwāt Mālik”. It was mentioned that it included more than 1,300 narrators.” (Itḥāf as-Sālik – 121)
In this statement, it is mentioned that Qāḍī ‘Iyāḍ wrote a book gathering 1300 narrators from Imām Mālik. Taking it further, ‘Allāmah Dhahabī says that he gathered 1400 names of the narrators of Imām Mālik:
وقد كنت أفردت أسماء الرواة عنه في جزء كبير يقارب عددهم ألفا وأربع مائة، فلنذكر أعيانهم. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 8 / 52)
Although these refer to general narrators, since Imām Māliks general method of transmitting Aḥādīth was through the Muwaṭṭa, a good number of this 1300 – 1400 might have actually been teaching the Muwaṭṭa. The point is that from the direct students of Imām Mālik, there may have a larger number transmitting the Muwaṭṭa.
Then, not all of the transmissions became popular and got passed on. Rather, some transmitters taught the Muwaṭṭa, and then none of their students in turn taught it. Or maybe a few students of his transmitted it, but then no one from this third generation of students passed on the Muwaṭṭa. This is similar to how the lineage gets discontinued when there are no children. So with time, their transmission died off.
For example, Imām Aḥmad quotes many Aḥādīth of the Muwaṭṭa from ‘Abdur Raḥmān ibn Mahdī. He even says that he read to him. Around 130 places in his Musnad, he says:
قرأت على عبد الرحمن، عن مالك. (مسند أحمد – 4 / 58)
Yet today, there is no sign of his Muwaṭṭa. In his Ṣaḥīḥ, Imām Bukhārī frequently quotes via Ismā’īl ibn Abī Uways from Imām Mālik. Qāḍī ‘Iyāḍ lists Ismā’īl ibn Abī Uways as one of the certified transmitters of the Muwaṭṭa.
وإسماعيل بن أبي أويس. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 108)
Yet, despite such a great Imām relying upon him for approximately 200 times in such a famous book, there is no sign of his recension today. It simply did not get passed on.
The same can be said about all the other thirty-five narrators whose name Qāḍī ‘Iyāḍ mentioned, since he mentions that only 20 odd transmissions reached him. He says:
والذي اشتهر من نسخ الموطأ مما رويته أو وقفت عليه أو كان في روايات شيوخنا رحمهم الله أو نَقَل منه أصحاب اختلاف الموطئات نحو عشرين نسخة وذكر بعضهم أنها ثلاثون نسخة وبالله التوفيق. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 108)
“The transmissions of the Muwaṭṭa which are popular, from those I narrated from or am aware of, or was included the narrations of our shuyūkh – may Allāh have mercy on them- or which scholars differing regarding the copies of the Muwaṭṭa have mentioned, are about twenty copies. Some have mentioned thirty copies, and Allāh grants success.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 108)
He listed 55 names, and then mentioned that the transmissions of only 20 narrators reached him. Bear in mind that Qādī ‘Iyāḍ is saying this in the sixth century. That means that by three hundred years after Imām Mālik, there were already thirty transmissions which discontinued.
Abū ‘l-‘Abbās, Aḥmad ibn Ṭāhir ad-Dānī (532 AH) said:
روى الموطأ عن مالك جماعة لا يحصى عددهم، فبعض الروايات نقلت فاشتهرت، وبعضها أهمل نقلها فدرست، ومنها روايات اعتد بها فيما سلف فضبط مواضع الخلف منها في المساند وغيرها، ولا تكاد توجد اليوم بأسرها، وإنما يعول فيما شذ منها عنا على ما نقل إلينا في المساند المستخرج ذلك منها. (الإيماء إلى أطراف أحاديث كتاب الموطأ – 4 / 351)
In short:
- The amount of students of Imām Mālik are a lot
- The narrators are much less
- The amount of recensions that reached us are even less.
- These students all heard from Imām Mālik at different times.
Reverting back to point mentioned in the beginning, Imām Mālik was editing his book every year. Hence, every year there were changes, and all these transmitters were hearing at different years. A transmitter will narrate what he heard from Imām Mālik in the year that he was with him. After that, when another transmitter heard in another year, then there will be some minor differences, because Imām Mālk was editing it. Due to these annual changes, there are differences in the transmissions, based on the year when a particular narrator heard the Muwaṭṭa. Therefore, the various transmissions of the Muwaṭṭa will be different in various issues; from the wording of the text to the order and sequence of the narrations and also in their respective chapter headings. The number of narrations also differ, because Imām Mālik was adding and decreasing every time they would read the Muwaṭṭa. ‘Allāmah Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn al-‘Alā’ī said:
قلت: وقد روى الموطأ عن الإمام مالك رحمه الله جماعة كثيرة، وبين رواياتهم اختلاف من تقديم وتأخير وزيادة ونقصان (بغية الملتمس في سباعيات حديث الإمام مالك بن أنس – ص: 89)
TRANSMITTERS OF THE MUWAṬṬAʾ
ʿAlī ibn Ziyād (d. 183)
ʿAlī ibn Ziyād was one of the very early and senior students of Imām Mālik. Asad ibn al-Furāt said
كان علي بن زياد من نقاد أصحاب مالك. قال وإني لأدعو له مع والدي. وفي رواية: أني لأدعو في إدبار صلاتي لمعلمي، وأبدأ بعلي بن زياد. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك 1 / 186)
Asad said: “ʿAlī ibn Ziyād was one of the critics from amongst Mālik’s companions. He says: I would pray for him along with my father. In another narration, I supplicate after Ṣalāh for my teachers, and start with ʿAlī ibn Ziyād.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 186)
His transmission is the earliest known transmission of the Muwaṭṭa. It was transmitted from Mālik before the year 150 AH.
We mentioned previously that the leader, Abū Jaʿfar Manṣūr commanded Imām Mālik to write the Muwaṭṭa in the Ḥajj of 140 AH. In a subsequent Ḥajj, Abū Jaʿfar Manṣūr saw the Muwaṭṭa and indicated to it and told Imām Mālik that he wanted to make this book binding upon all Muslims. It is probably this copy that Abū Jaʿfar Manṣūr saw when he recommended that he wants to impose upon all Muslims to follow the Muwaṭṭa.
ʿAlī ibn Ziyād also has the credit of being the first to introduce the Muwaṭṭa into the African continent.
قال أبو سعد بن يونس: هو أول من أدخل الموطأ وجامع سفيان المغرب، وفسر لهم قول مالك ولم يكونوا يعرفونه. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 186)
Abū Saʿd ibn Yūnus said, “He was the first to introduce the Muwaṭṭa and Jāmiʿ Sufyān in Morocco, and he explained to them Mālik’s teachings, as they did not know him.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 186)
ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr says:
على بن زياد التونسي: يكنى أبا الحسن أصله من العجم ولد بأطرابلس ثم سكن تونس روى عن مالك وغيره (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 109)
“ʿAlī ibn Ziyād at-Tūnisī: His nickname is Abu ‘l-Ḥassan, and is of non-Arab roots. He was born in Tripoli, then lived in Tunisia. He narrates from Mālik and others.” (Al-Intiqā: 109)
The Muwaṭṭa consists of Aḥādīth of Aḥkām. Thus, there is additional merit when a faqīh narrates it. ʿAlī ibn Ziyād was a great faqīh. Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ writes about him:
متعبد بارع في الفقه ممن يخشى الله عز وجل مع علوه في الفقه. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 185)
“A worshiper who is skilled in fiqh, who fears Allāh Almighty along with his high rank in jurisprudence.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 185)
That adds great value to his recension.
Another great thing is that he studied Fiqh directly under Imām Mālik. He is also the teacher of the great Mālikī jurist, Saḥnūn:
وهو معلم سحنون الفقه. قال الشيرازي به تفقه سحنون وله كتب على مذهبه وتفقه بمالك. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 186)
“He taught Saḥnūn Fiqh. Al-Shirāzī said, ‘Saḥnūn learnt Fiqh through him. He has books on his school of thought, and he learnt Fiqh from Mālik.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 186)
ʿAlī ibn Ziyād passed away three to four years after Imām Mālik. ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr says:
وتوفي سنة ثلاث وثمانين ومائة (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 109)
“He passed away in the year 183 AH.” (Al-Intiqā: 109)
Portions of an early manuscript of this transmission (which is dated 288 AH) has been edited and published in 1980. It is named Muwaṭṭa al-Imām Mālīk: Qiṭʿah minhu bi Riwāyat Ibn Ziyād. Muḥammad ash-Shādhilī an-Nayfar edited and published the book. It was printed by Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī in Beirut.
This published portion contains chapters on Aṣ-Ṣayd wa ’ḍ-Ḍhabā’iḥ (game and slaughtered animals).
Muḥammad ibn Shaybāni (d 189 / 805)
We will speak about his Muwaṭṭa separately, as an independent book, in shā Allāh.
ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn al-Qāsim (d. 191)
The next main student of Imām Mālik who also related the Muwaṭṭa from him is ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn al-Qāsim. Some scholars mention that he was born in 132 AH. ʿAllāmah Dhahabī quotes:
قال أبو سعيد بن يونس: ولد ابن القاسم سنة اثنتين وثلاثين ومائة، وتوفي في صفر، سنة إحدى وتسعين ومائة -رحمه الله- عاش تسعا وخمسين سنة. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 9 / 125)
Abū Saʿīd ibn Yūnus said: “Ibn al-Qāsim was born in the year 132 AH, and he passed away in Ṣafar, in the year 191 AH – may Allāh taʿālā have mercy on him – he lived 59 years.” (Siyar A’lām an-Nubalā – 9 / 125)
However, we prefer what ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr mentioned, that he was born in 128 AH and passed away in 191 AH. ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr writes:
ولد عبد الرحمن بن القاسم سنة ثمان وعشرين ومائة وتوفى بمصر سنة إحدى وتسعين ومائة (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 95)
“ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn al-Qāsim was born in the year 128 AH and passed away in Egypt in the year 191 AH.” (Al-Intiqā: 95)
ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn al-Qāsim is also a teacher of Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā al-Laythī, whose transmission is very popular.
Although he was a Muḥaddīth, he was more famous in Fiqh. ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr says:
وكان فقيها قد غلب عليه الرأى (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 95)
“He was a jurist who predominantly judged by opinions.” (Al-Intiqā: 95)
He was also known for his piety. ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said:
وكان رجلا صالحا مقلا صابرا (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 95)
“He was a righteous, ascetic, patient man.” (Al-Intiqā- 95)
ʿAllāmah Dhahabī quotes from Asad ibn al-Furāt:
كان ابن القاسم يختم كل يوم وليلة ختمتين. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 9 / 121)
It is reported from Asad ibn al-Furāt who said, “Ibn al-Qāsim used to make two completions of the Qurʾān every day and night.” (Siyar A’lām an-Nubalā – 9 / 121)
ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn al-Qāsim went to Imām Mālik when he was already quite old. Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ quotes:
قال ابن وضاح: سمع ابن القاسم من الشاميين والمصريين وإنما طلب وهو كبير ولم يخرج لمالك حتى سمع من المصريين. وأنفق في سفرته إلى مالك ألف مثقال. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 252)
Ibn Waḍḍāhḥ said, “Ibn al-Qāsim heard from the Shāmis and the Egyptians, but he sought knowledge while he was old and did not go to Mālik until he heard from the Egyptians. He spent a thousand Mithqāl on his trip to Mālik.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 252)
Before he went to Imām Mālik, he already studied and knew all the views of Imām Mālik. Saḥnūn says:
ما خرجت لمالك إلا وأنا عالم بقوله. (ترتيب المدارك وتقريب المسالك – 1 / 252)
“Saḥnūn transmits from him, “I did not go out for Mālik except that I knew of his views.” (Tartīb al-Madārik – 1 / 252)
Despite going to Imām Mālik at such an advanced age, and despite knowing all the Masāil of Imām Mālik, he spent approximately twenty years studying under Mālik.
Thereafter, when he returned to Egypt, he travelled back multiple times to Imām Mālik. For every trip, he would have to spend a great amount of funds for the journey. ʿAllāmah Dhahabī write:
وبلغنا عن ابن القاسم، قال: خرجت إلى الحجاز اثنتي عشرة مرة، أنفقت في كل مرة ألف دينار. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 9 / 121)
It has reached us from Ibn al-Qāsim, who said, “I went to the Hijaz twelve times, each time spending a thousand dinārs.” (Siyar A’lām an-Nubalā – 9 / 121)
Besides the Muwaṭṭa, he also transmitted the opinions and judgements of Imām Mālik. That was later all gathered and put together in the form of a book known as Mudawwanah. This book became like the bible in the Mālikī Madhab, second only to the Muwaṭṭa. His student, Saḥnūn, ʿAbd as-Salām ibn Saʿīd at-Tanūkhī (240 AH) narrated from him all the answers of Imām Mālik, and then compiled them in a book that he called: Al-Mudawwanat al-Kubrā.
ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr explains with regards to his transmission of the Muwaṭṭa:
وروايته للموطأ عن مالك رواية صحيحة ، قليلة الخطأ، وكان فيما رواه عن مالك من موطئه ثقة حسن الضبط متقنا (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 95)
“His recension of the Muwaṭṭa from Mālik is correct, with few errors, and what he narrated from Mālik from his Muwaṭṭa is reliable, well-memorized and accurate.” (Al-Intiqā: 95)
As for the copy of his transmission, there are fragments of this transmission in manuscript form in Tunis and Qayrawan. These manuscripts include a large part of the Chapter on Business Transactions (for which Ibn al-Qāsim was famously knowledgeable). It is printed by Dār al-Bashāir al-Islāmi.
Besides that, there is a condensation of this book which was written by ‘Allāmah al-Qābisī (may Allāḥ Ta’ālā have mercy on him)
ʿAllāmah al-Qābisī separated all the Musnad narrations and gathered them separately in a book called Al-Mulakhkhaṣ (or Mulakhkhiṣ). This has been published under the title Muwaṭṭaʾ al-Imām Mālīk ibn Anas Riwayat Ibn al-Qāsim wa Talkhīṣ al-Qābisī, with the taḥqīq of As-Sayyid Muḥammad ibn ʿAlawī al-Mālikī.
ʿAlī Ibrāhīm Muṣṭafā also edited and published the book, and it has been published by Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah.
There are a handful of narrations that ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn al-Qāsim included, which other transmitters did not narrate. For example, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāh Abū Ghuddah quotes:
ومن متفرداتها: مالك عن العلاء بن عبد الرحمن، عن أبيه، عن أبي هريرة، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “قال الله: من عمل عملا أشرك فيه معي غيري فهو له كله، أنا أغنى الشركاء”. قال أبو عمر بن عبد البر: هذا الحديث لا يوجد إلا في موطأ ابن القاسم وابن عفير. (التعليق الممجد على موطأ محمد – 1 / 85)
“Among its singularities: Mālik, from ʿAlāʾ ibn ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān, from of his father, from Abū Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, ‘Allāh said: “If anyone does a deed in which he associates anyone else with Me, I shall abandon him to what he associates with Me. Of all the associates, I am the most independent.” Abū ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-Barr said, “This ḥadīth is only found in the Muwaṭṭaʾ of Ibn Al-Qāsim and Ibn ʿUfayr.” (At-Taʾlīq al-Mumajjad – 1 / 85)
However, Abu ‘l-Qāsim al-Jawharī (d. 381) attributed this narration only to Ibn ‘Ufayr. He quoted the narration with his chain and then said:
هذا الحديث عند ابن عفير في الموطأ دون غيره، والله أعلم. (مسند الموطأ للجوهري – ص: 490)
“This ḥadīth is transmitted only by ibn ʿUfayr in the Muwaṭṭa, and no one else besides him.” (Musnad al-Muwaṭṭa li’l Jawharī: 490)
Likewise, there is another narration that is transmitted only by Ibn Wahb and Ibn al-Qāsim:
أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يقولوا لا إله إلا الله … الحديث، وهذا الحديث من متفردات ابن وهب، ولا يوجد في الموطآت الأُخر إلاّ موطأ ابن القاسم. (التعليق الممجد على موطأ محمد 1 / 83)
“The ḥadīth, ‘I was commanded to fight the people until they say there is no deity but Allāh […]’ is one of the mufradāt of Ibn Wahb, which cannot be found in the other Muwaṭṭas except the Muwaṭṭa of Ibn al-Qāsim.” (At-Taʾlīq al-Mumajjad – 1 / 83)
Abūl Qāsim al-Jawharī wrote:
وهذا الحديث عند ابن وهب، وابن القاسم، وليس عند القعنبي، ولا ابن عفير، ولا ابن بكير، ولا أبي مصعب. (مسند الموطأ للجوهري – ص :450)
“This ḥadīth is according to Ibn Wahb and Ibn al-Qāsim. It is not (transmitted by) Qaʿnabī nor Ibn ʿUfayr, or Ibn Bukayr, or Abū Muṣʿab.” (Musnad al-Muwaṭṭa li’l-Jawharī: 450)
We mentioned, that the presence of a few additional narrations does not cause any harm. What matters is whether Imām Mālik quoted the same, and whether it can be considered as one book.
The words of the narrations that Imām Mālik quotes in this transmission are quoted the same by other transmitters.
May Allāh Taʿālā have mercy on them all.