When the Khaleefah, Muhammad al-Mahdee, arrived in Madeenah, he sent for Al-Imaam Maalik - rahimahullah. When the latter arrived, the Khaleefah said to his two sons, Haarun and Musa: 'Hear (knowledge) from him.'
Later, Imaam Maalik - rahimahullah - was sent for to attend to his new students, but he refused to answer the call.
When the Khaleefah was told of what Imaam Maalik did, he spoke to him about that. Imaam Maalik repsonded: 'O Leader of the Faithful, knowledge is to be sought from its possessor.'
The Khaleefah agreed with Imaam Maalik thus he instructed his sons: 'Go to him.'
So the sons of the Khaleefah went to Imaam Maalik. When they got to him, they said to him, 'read to us.'
Imaam Maalik - rahimahullah - responded: 'Verily the people of Madeenah do read to their scholars as kids read to their teachers, so that if they make mistakes, they will correct them.'
The sons went back to their father to report Imaam Maalik. The Khaleefah once again sent for Imaam Maalik and spoke to him about the issue.
Imaam Maalik - rahimahullah - said: I heard from Ibn Shihaab (my teacher) saying: We gained this knowledge when we were young from reputable men such as Saeed bn Musayyib, Abu Salamah, Urwah, al-Qaasim, Saalim, Khaarijah Ibn Zayd, Sulaiman bn Yasaar, Naafi, Abdurrahman bn Hurmuz'.
Imaam Maalik - rahimahullah - added, 'then from those after them such as Abu Zinaad, Rabeeah, Yahya bn Saeed, Ibn Shihaab; all these people, their students used to read to them not the other way round.'
The Khaleefah said: 'In the act of those is a good emulation, (my sons) go and read to him.'
Then they did so.
(Haarun would later become 'Haarun ar-Rasheed' - Haaroon the Wise One.)
As-Siyar 7/154
