What is Salafiyah? & who are the Salafis, what are they upon, what is their Dawah & what is the daleel from the Qur'an, hadith & the first 3 generations of Muslims to support this path?
بارك الله فيكم
Salafiyyah means following the way of the Salaf as Salih (the righteous early generations of this Ummah).
The Salaf are:
- The Sahabah
- The Tabi'un
- The Atba al Tabi'in
These three generations are described by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as the
best generations.
Salafiyyah is not a new sect.
It is
the original Islam, the Islam practiced by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions.
It means:
Following Qur'an
Following authentic Sunnah
Understanding both according to the way of the first three generations
Salafis are those Muslims who commit themselves to:
Tawhid
Sunnah
Avoiding bid'ah
Rejecting kalam theology
Following the understanding of the Sahabah
Respecting the Imams of Islam while not blind-following anyone
Returning to Qur'an and Sunnah when disagreements occur
They do not follow a personality or a modern group.
Their madhhab in aqeedah is
Ahl al Hadith,
Ahl al Athar,
Ahl al Sunnah wal Jama'ah.
The da'wah of Salafiyyah is the
same da'wah of all the Prophets:
1.
۞ Allah said:
Arabic:
﴿وَلَقَدۡ بَعَثۡنَا فِی كُلِّ أُمَّةࣲ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجۡتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ﴾
Translation: We sent to every nation a messenger saying Worship Allah and avoid the false gods.
Reference: Surah an Nahl: 36
2.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
Arabic:
«فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين»
Translation: You must follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs.
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud: 4607
3.
Arabic:
«وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور فإن كل محدثة بدعة وكل بدعة ضلالة»
Translation: Beware of newly invented matters, for every innovation is misguidance.
Reference: Sunan an Nasai: 1578
4.
Allah said:
Arabic:
﴿وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِینَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِینَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِیَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ﴾
Translation: The first of the Muhajirun and Ansar, and those who follow them with excellence, Allah is pleased with them.
Reference: Surah at Tawbah: 100
This verse is one of the foundations of Salafi methodology:
Following the Sahabah leads to Allah’s pleasure.
1. Truth is found in obeying Allah, His Messenger, and the people of knowledge
﴿فَإِن تَنَازَعۡتُمۡ فِی شَیۡءࣲ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ﴾
If you differ in anything, refer it to Allah and His Messenger.
Reference: Surah an Nisa: 59
This is the foundation of Salafiyyah.
2. Salvation comes by following the way of the first believers
﴿وَمَن یُشَاقِقِ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَیَّنَ لَهُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَیَتَّبِعۡ غَیۡرَ سَبِیلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ نُوَلِّهِۦ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصۡلِهِۦ جَهَنَّمَ﴾
Whoever opposes the Messenger and follows a path other than that of the believers, We will leave him to his path and enter him into Hell.
Reference: Surah an Nisa: 115
The believers referred to are
the Sahabah.
1. The saved sect is the one upon what the Prophet and his Companions were upon
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said regarding the 73 sects:
Arabic:
«ما أنا عليه وأصحابي»
Translation: The group that is upon what I and my Companions are upon.
Reference: Jami al Tirmidhi: 2641
This is the core of Salafiyyah.
2. The best generations are the Salaf
Arabic:
«خير الناس قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم»
Translation: The best of people are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.
Reference: Sahih al Bukhari: 2652
This hadith shows the authority of the early generations.
Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه said:
Arabic:
«اتبعوا ولا تبتدعوا فقد كفيتم»
Translation: Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed.
Reference: Al Darimi: 211
Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما said:
Arabic:
«كل بدعة ضلالة وإن رآها الناس حسنة»
Translation: Every innovation is misguidance even if the people see it as good.
Reference: Al Bayhaqi, Sunan al Kubra 4/316
Imam Ahmad said:
Arabic:
«أصول السنة عندنا التمسك بما كان عليه أصحاب رسول الله»
Translation: The foundations of Sunnah with us are to hold fast to what the Companions of the Messenger of Allah were upon.
Reference: Usul al Sunnah of Imam Ahmad
This is precisely the definition of Salafiyyah.
Salafiyyah means:
Following Qur'an and Sunnah
Upon the understanding of the Sahabah and the best three generations
Upholding Tawhid
Following the Sunnah precisely
Rejecting all religious innovations
Returning to evidences, not personal opinions or sectarian loyalties
This is not a new movement.
It is
the original, pure Islam that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم brought.
