The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1463 page)

see
ANGEL
.

 
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Malankara Church
:

see
UNIAT(E) CHURCHES
;
SYRIAN CHURCHES
.

 
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(1925–65)
. Leading figure in the Nation of Islam (see
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
) and civil rights activist in the USA. He was born in Nebraska as Malcolm Little, and after an early life of petty crime (somewhat exaggerated later), he was converted through the Nation of Islam programme. His appearance on the TV programme, ‘The Hate that Produced Hate’, projected him into national prominence, leading to a rift with Elijah Muhammad. He opposed civil rights movements, looking for direct action, and he contrasted ‘true’ with ‘compromise’ Islam. He left the movement, and, while on pilgrimage (
ajj
) to
Mecca
, he was converted to Sunni Islam. He took the new name of el-Hajji Malik el-Shab(b)az(z). He failed to establish himself as an independent leader, and was assassinated by black Muslim loyalists in 1965. A popularizing film led to a revival of his influence in the 1990s.

 
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(d. 795 (AH 179))
. Author of
Kit
b al-Muwa
a
, one of the earliest surviving Muslim lawbooks. It records Islam as practised in
Mad
ina
. M
lik was sensitive to the untrustworthy ways in which sunna was being produced, and for that reason allowed
isti
l
h
to overrule a deduction from
Qur'
n
and sunna. M
likites are therefore intermediate between Hanifites and Sh
fi‘ites.