One of the many legendary men of a land once known for being a center of Hadith—Al-Andalus

[مذهب العمل بالحديث]

ولم يكن (أي: بقي بن مخلد، رحمه الله) بالمالكي، ولا الحنبلي، ولا الظاهري الصرف، ولكنه قال بترك التمذهب، والعمل بالنصوص

And he (Baqi Bin Makhlad, rahimahu Allah) was neither a Maliki, nor a Hanbali, nor was he a pure Dhahiri; however he called for the abandoning of Madhhabism, and called towards acting on the Texts.

—Dr. Ahmad Bukair Mahmud, hafithahu Allah, or rahimahu Allah in any case, Al-Madrasat Al-Dhahiriyyah Bil Mashriq Wal-Maghrib, p. 32, publ. Dar Qutaibah

[AbuKhuzaimahAnsari]

Imaam Baqee Ibn Mukhlad 273H

He was a great Imaam of Ahlus Sunnah and travelled to Andalus where he began to deliver lectures and open circles on Hadeeth so much so that knowledge of the prophets statement became widespread. During this time the Maliki Jurists made life very difficult for Imaam Baqee.

From such jurists were the likes of Muhammad Ibn Haarith, Ahmad Ibn Khalid and Abu Zaid (Most probably Maliki) and so they complained to the ruler of Andalus at the time. Allaah aided this blessed call and Imaam Baqee’s call overpowered with the Aid of Allaah and hence the teaching and knowledge of Hadeeth spread in Andalus.

Similalry Imaam Ibn Hazm mentions Imaam Baqee would teach Musannaf Ibn Abee Shaybah and some people of Rayy ie the people of opinion who historically have been adjoined and considered to be hanafis complained to the ruler at the time. Similarly such Hanafis or Ahlur Rayy caused dissent and discord amongst the people against Imaam Baqee.

The ruler at the time was a learned man ie Muhammad bin Abdur Rahman who told to people to leave Imaam Baqee also and then instructed him to continue teaching and preaching the Prophetic Ahadeeth, thereafter Ahlur Rayy stopped pestering and bothering him.(refer to Taareekh Ulama Andalus (1/92), Siyar al-A’laam an-Nabula (12/286) onwards of Imaam Dhahabee)

So this example illustrates how the Maliki and Hanafi Ahlur Rayy madhab were enforced and heavily propagated by scaring the people and those who preached anything contrary. Non madhabis would be hounded, pestered and complained about, to the government.

Imaam Baqee Ibn Mukhlad did not follow a particular or specific madhab and his methodology was a universal one which still exists today ie just following the a Quraan and Hadeeth without being limited by a madhab. For example Qaasim Ibn Asbag who was a Maliki narrates that Asbag bin Khaleel who was an extremely bigoted Maliki and severely engrossed in madhabee partisanship would warn Qaasim bin Asbag not to listen to Hadeeth from Baqee Ibn Mukhlad.