Imam Malik ibn Anas, Allah have mercy upon him said:
“For 13 years I sat from the time of the Fajr prayer to sunset [Maghrib] with various teachers. I did this in order to attain knowledge from various Shuyukh [teachers/scholars/Muhadithin/Fuqaha] in the city of Madinah.
I would attend the circles of different teachers, a different teacher within a different scheduled time period.
From studying like this, I ended up having a knowledge that stems from the teachings of the followers of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, and those who in turn followed them. I never mentioned (most of this knowledge) to any human being and I never wrote it within any books.”
(Related by Shaykh Janun in his explanation of the Muwatta of Imam Malik)