Authenticity of the saying of Imam Malik on Innovations

Ibn Hazam narrated with his chain

حدثنا أحمد بن عمر بن أنس نا الحسين بن يعقوب نا سعيد بن فحلون نا يوسف بن يحيى المغامي نا عبد الملك بن حبيب أخبرني بن الماجشون أنه قال قال مالك بن أنس من أحدث في هذه الأمة اليوم شيئا لم يكن عليه سلفها فقد زعم أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خان الرسالة لأن الله تعالى يقول {حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوا بِالْأَزْلَامِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ} فما لم يكن يومئذ دينا لا يكون اليوم دينا

That Imam Maalik said “Whoever among this ummah innovates something today which was not practiced by the Salaf, has accused the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم of treachery because Allah said “…This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion…..” So what was not religion then, is not religion today” (Ibn Hazam quoted it with his chain in al Ahkam fe Asool al Ahkam vol 6 page 791)

Following are the chain of narrators

Ibn Hazam
Ahmad bin Umar bin Anas
Husain bin Yaqub
Saeed bin Fahloon
Yusaf bin Yahya al Maghami
Abdul Malik bin al Habeeb
Ibn al Majishoon
Imam Malik bin Anas al Madni

Ibn Hazam
ad-Dahabi said:
وكان ينهض بعلوم جمة ، ويجيد النقل ، ويحسن النظم والنثر . وفيه دين وخير ، ومقاصده جميلة ، ومصنفاته مفيدة ، وقد زهد في الرئاسة ولزم منزله مكبا على العلم ، فلا نغلو فيه ، ولا نجفو عنه ، وقد أثنى عليه قبلنا الكبار
“Ibn Hazm was well versed in many branches of knowledge, including hadith, and he excelled in writing both poetry and prose.

He was sincerely devoted and there was much goodness in him; his aims were good and his books are useful. He showed no interest in positions of leadership; he stayed in his house, focusing on knowledge. Therefore we should not exaggerate about him or undermine him or his status. Rather he was praised by senior scholars before us.” as-Siyar (18/187) [Islamqa] Ahmad bin Umar bin Anas
ad-Dahabi said
الإمام ، الحافظ ، المحدث ، الثقة أبو العباس ، أحمد بن عمر بن أنس
The Imam, The Hafidh, The Muhaddith, Trustworthy Abul Abbas Ahmad bin Umar bin Anas. [Seyar A`laam an-Nubala]

Husain bin Yaqub the Teacher of Ibn Abdul Barr
ad Dahabi said
الحسين بن عبد الله بن الحسين بن يعقوب. أبو علي البجاني، من مدينة بجانة بالأندلس. روى عن: أبي عثمان سعيد بن مخلوف صاحب يوسف المغامي كتاب الواضحة لعبد الملك بن حبيب، وهو آخر من رواها عن ابن فحلون. كما إن فحلون آخر من روى عن المغامي صاحب ابن حبيب. وقد توفي ابن فحلون سنة ست وأربعين وثلاثمائة. روى عنه: الخولاني وقال: كان قديم الطلب، كثير السماع من أهل العلم أسن وعمر طويلا وقارب المائة، واحتيج إليه. روى عنه أيضا: أبو عبد الله محمد بن عتاب، وأبو عمر بن عبد البر، والمصحفي أبو بكر، والمحدث أبو العباس العذري.
Al Husain bin Abdullah bin al Husain bin Yaqub, Abu Ali al Bajani a city Bajana in al Andulas. He narrated the book “Al Waaziha” by Abdul Malik bin Habeeb from Abi Uthman Saeed bin Makhluf the student of Yusaf al Maghami… al Khawlani narrated from him and said:.. He heard from many of the great people of knowledge.. Also Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ataab, Abu Umar bin Abdul Barr, al Mushafa Abu Bakr, The Muhaddith Abul Abbas al Azri narrated from him. [Tareekh al Islam 7/33]

Saeed bin Fahloon
ad-Dahabi said:
الشيخ الثقة الإمام ، أبو عثمان سعيد بن فحلون الأندلسي الإلبيري راوي كتاب الواضحة لعبد الملك بن حبيب
Shaykh, The Trustworthy Imam Abu Uthman Saeed bin Fahloon al Andalusi, al Beeri, the narrator of the book “al Waazihah” by Abdul Malik bin Habeeb. [Seyar A`laam an-Nubala]

Yusaf bin Yahya al Maghami
ad-Dahabi said:
العلامة ، المفتي ، شيخ المالكية أبو عمرو ، يوسف بن يحيى الأزدي الأندلسي القرطبي المالكي ، المعروف بالمغامي ، أحد الأعلام .
Allamah The Mufti, The scholars of Maalikis, Abu Amr, Yusaf bin Yahya al Azdi, al Andalusi al Qurtubi al Maaliki, famously known as al Maghaami, one of the scholars. [Seyar A`laam an-Nubala under the biography of al Maghami]

He also said, Tameem bin Muhammad al Qayrwani said that my father said:
كان أبو عمرو المغامي ثقة إماما ،
Abu Amr al Maghami is Trustworthy Imam. [Ibid] AbdulMalik bin Habeeb
One of the narrator is Abdul Malik bin Habeeb, a great scholar of Maaliki fiqh, he has been declared weak in hadeeth by some scholars and trustworthy by others, but he is agreed upon Hafidh of Maaliki fiqh, and his narrations of fiqh are accepted by all the scholars, that is why this narration is graded hasan by sh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpoori in Majallah as-Sunnah and giants among the Maalikis and others accepted this narration by quoting it with Jazam (Certainty).

The scholars who said he is trustworthy.

a) Ibn Wadah and (b) Baqi bin Makhlad

Ibn Hajar al Asqalani said:
روى عنه ابن وضاح وبقي بن مخلد ولا يرويان إلا عن ثقة عندهما .
Ibn Wadah and Baqi bin Makhlad narrated from him, and they do not narrate from anyone other than a trustworthy narrator according to them. [Tahzeeb at-Tahzeeb 6/391 no. 739]

The scholars who said he is weak in hadith.

a) Ibn Hazam said:
ليس بثقة.
He was not trustworthy. [Lisaan al Meezan no. 4901]

b) Abu Bakr Ibn Sayyed al Nas said:
وضعفه غير واحد. ثم قال: وبعضهم اتهمه بالكذب.
He has been declared weak by more than one, some of them accused him of lying. [Ibid]

Ibn Hajar responded by saying:
وقد افحش بن حزم القول فيه ونسبه إلى الكذب وتعقبه جماعة بأنه لم يسبقه أحد إلى رميه بالكذب.
And Ibn Hazam made atrocity regarding him, and accused him of lie (And because of this) a group refuted him, as no one before him has accused him of lies. [Tahzeeb at-Tahzeeb 6/391 no. 739]

The scholars who accepted his narrations in fiqh.

All the scholars accepted his narrations, even the likes of Ibn Hazam who criticised him praised his book on fiqh.

a) Ibn Hazam himself praised his book on Maaliki fiqh, while praising the scholars of al Andulus
ومنها في الفقه الواضحة، والمالكيون لا تمانع بينهم في فضلها واستحسانهم إياها
Among them (the books) is the fiqh of “al Waadiha” (a book authored by Abdul Malik bin Habeeb), Maalikis have no difference of opinion on its greatness and considering it a good (book). [Rasaail Ibn Hazam al Andalusi 2/181]

b) Ibn al Fardhi said:
كان حافظا للفقه نبيلا إلا أنه لم يكن له علم بالحديث، وَلا يعرف صحيحه من سقيمه.
He was great hafidh of Fiqh, apart from that he was not scholar of hadeeth, he did not know saheeh from weak. [Lisaan al Meezan no. 4901]

c) Ibn al Qattan said:
كان متحققا بحفظ مذهب مالك
He was verified preserver of the mandhab of Maalik.
[ibid]

d) ad-Dahabi mentioned him in Tadhkirah tul Huffadh and said:
عبد الملك بن حبيب الفقيه الكبير عالم الأندلس أبو مروان السلمي ثم المرداسى الأندلسي القرطبي
Abdul Malik bin Habeeb the Great faqeeh, the scholar of al Andulus, Abu Marwan asSulami thumm al Mardasi al Andalusi al Qurtubi. [Tadhkirah tul Huffadh 2/91]

He also said:
قال ابن بشكوال قيل لسحنون فقيه المغرب مات بن حبيب قال مات عالم الأندلس بل والله عالم الدنيا
Ibn Bashkawaal said: It was said to Sahnoon the Faqeeh of al Maghrib, Ibn Habeen died, he said: The scholar of al Andulas died, rather by Allah scholar of the world. [Ibid] Ibn al Majishoon
ad-Dahabi said:
العلامة الفقيه مفتي المدينة أبو مروان ، عبد الملك بن الإمام عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن أبي سلمة بن الماجشون التيمي مولاهم المدني المالكي ، تلميذ الإمام مالك .
The Allama, The Faqeeh, Mufti of Madeena Abu Marwan Abdul Malik bin al Imam Abdul Aziz bin Abi Salmah bin al Majishoon at-Taymi al Madni al Maaliki, the student of Imam Maalik. [Seyar A`laam an-Nubala]

Imam Maalik
He is agreed upon trustworthy Imam of Ahlus sunnah.

The scholars who authenticated this narration or quoted it with certainty.

a) Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpoori said the chain is hasan. see Majalla as-Sunnah no.69 page no.3.

b) Allama ash-Shatabi al Malaki mentioned it with Jazam (certainty) in Al-‘Itisaam as-Shaatibi 1/62 and repeated in 2/368

c) The Mufti of Malakis in Makkah, Muhammad Ali bin al Husayn al Malaki (1287 h to 1367 h) mentioned it with certainty in Tahdeeb al Farooq wa qawaid as-Sunniyah fil Asrar al Faqeehiyat 4/225