Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullahi ‘alayhi) said,

“My eyes have never fallen on anyone faster in understanding, correct in answering, and examining as Imam Malik.”

Imam al-Shafi’i (rahmatullahi ‘alayhi) said,

“Knowledge is encompassed by three people: Malik bin Anas, Layth bin Sa’d and Sufyan bin ‘Uyayna”

and

“When the scholars of knowledge are mentioned, Imam Malik is the guiding star.”

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (rahmatullahi ‘alayhi) said,

“I have compared Imam Malik to al-Awza’i, Hammad, al-Hakim, al-Thawri, al-Layth, in knowledge, but he is the leader in Hadith and Fiqh.”

Imam Sufyan bin ‘Uyayna (rahmatullahi ‘alayhi) said,

“May Allah have mercy upon Imam Malik. He only narrated authentic Hadith, he would never report except from the reliable. In my opinion, Madina without him, has only had a decrease in knowledge after his demise.”

Source: Cordoba Academy

Imam Malik said,

“It was not a part of people’s fatwas to say ‘This is halal and this is haram’, but they used to say, ‘I disapprove of this and would not do it myself,’ and people used to be content with that.” In another place, “They didn’t use to say ‘halal’ nor ‘haram’ except about that which was [stated to be so] in the Book of Allah ta’ala.”

[From Hajj Abdassamad Clarke's translation of Kitab al-Jami' of Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, entitled "A Madinan View: on the Sunnah, courtesy, battles and history"]

Imam Malik (rahimahullah) said:

“I have met people here in Madina who had no faults of their own, but who spoke about other people’s faults, so people found fault with them. I also met here those with many faults but who kept quiet about other people’s fault, so other people kept quiet about theirs.”

[al-Bajis Muntaqa vii 300]