A veteran of the Second World War, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his bravery in battle.

He was the director of the Institute of Literature and Linguistics of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR from 1946 to 1951, Rector of the Abai KazPI from 1953 to 1963,[6] head of the folklore department of the Institute of Literature and Art named after M. O. Auezov of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR from 1963 to 1973.

The main topic of Malik Gabdullin's research is the heroic epics, folk songs, aytys, fairy tales, proverbs and sayings of the Kazakh people.

His scientific work "Kazakh Heroic Epic" was awarded the prize named after Shoqan Walikhanov in 1972.

[8] Gabdullin had a daughter, Maidan Malikovna, granddaughters Amin and Madina, great-grandchildren Malik, Jamilya, Ilyas and Maya.