Imam an-Nawawi {May Allah have mercy upon him} said:
“Of Imam Malik’s nine hundred teachers = three hundred were from the followers of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad {Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, his family and companions} and six hundred were from the followers of those who followed the Prophet Muhammad. Out of all of them, the Imam’s greatest teacher was Imam Nafi`{May Allah have mercy upon him} the Mawla’ of ‘Abdullahi ibn `Umar {May Allah be pleased with him}.“
{Tahdhib al-Asma’}