Salafi movement

A Salafi (Arabic سلفي referring to early muslim ), from the Arabic word Salaf سلف (literally meaning predecessors or early generations ), is a practitioner of Salafiyyah (Salafism). Modern usage from the Islamic phrase minhaj as-Salaf منهاج السلف , or method of the early Muslims .

Salafi ( ) is a word denoting one who ascribes her/himself to the Salaf of [Islam], based on its meaning in the Arabic language. Amongst contemporary historians, it denotes a follower of a Sunni Islamic movement that takes the pious predecessors, the Salaf of the patristic period of early Islam , as exemplary models. The word Salaf is an Arabic noun which may be translated as "predecessor" or "ancestor". In Islamic terminology , it is generally used to refer to the first three generations of Muslims : the Sahaba ("Companions"), the Tabi‘un ("Followers") and the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in ("Those after the Followers"). These three generations are looked upon as examples of how Islam should be practised. Salafis tend to use a stricter interpretation of scripture. It has grown to prominence ever since the First Saudi State captured Mecca and Medina in 1803.

The Salafi movement or Salafist movement is an ultra-conservative movement within Sunni Islam that references the doctrine known as Salafism . The doctrine can be summed up as taking "a fundamentalist approach to Islam, emulating the Prophet Muhammad and his earliest followers—al- salaf al-salih, the 'pious forefathers'...They reject religious innovation, or bida , and support the implementation of sharia (Islamic law)." The movement is often divided into three categories: the largest group are the purists (or quietists ), who avoid politics; the second largest group are the activists , who get involved in politics; the smallest group are the jihadists , who form a tiny (yet infamous) minority. The Salafi movement is often described as being synonymous with Wahhabism , but Salafists consider the term "Wahhabi" derogatory. At other times, Salafism has been described as a hybrid of Wahhabism and other post-1960s movements. Salafism has become associated with literalist , strict and puritanical approaches to Islam – and, particularly in the West , with the Salafi Jihadis who espouse offensive jihad against those they deem to be enemies of Islam as a legitimate expression of Islam. It is often reported from various sources, including the German domestic intelligence service, that Salafism is the fastest-growing Islamic movement in the world. In legal matters, Salafis are divided between those who, in the name of independent legal judgement ( ijtihad ), reject strict adherence ( taqlid ) to the four schools of law ( madhahib ) and others who remain faithful to these. The Economist . 27 June 2015 . The Economist . 27 June 2015 . Leiden University 's ISIM Review, Spring 2008, #21. It also reveals that Salafism was cited in 2010 as the fastest growing Islamic movement on the planet. It is the fastest-growing movement within the fastest-growing religion in the world. Though solid numbers are hard to come by, they're routinely described as the fastest-growing movement in modern-day Islam. The service [German domestic intelligence service] said in its most recent annual report dating from 2010 that Salafism was the fastest growing Islamic movement in the world…

Ultra-conservative reform movement within Sunni Islam Not to be confused with Salaf or Sufism . The Salafi movement , also called the Salafist movement , Salafiya and Salafism , is a heterodox reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that developed in Egypt in the late 19th century as a response to Western European imperialism. It had roots in the 18th-century Wahhabi movement that originated in the Najd region of modern-day Saudi Arabia . The name derives from advocating a return to the traditions of the salaf , the first three generations of Muslims, which they said was the unadulterated, pure form of Islam. Theoretically, those generations include the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his companions (the Sahabah ), their successors (the Tabi‘un ) and the successors of the successors (the Taba Tabi‘in ). Practically, Salafis maintain that Muslims ought to rely on the Quran and Sunnah alone, ignoring the rest of Islamic hermeneutic teachings. The Salafist doctrine is based on looking back to the early years of the religion to understand how the contemporary Muslims should practise their faith. They reject religious innovation or bid'ah and support the implementation of sharia (Islamic law). The movement is often divided into three categories: the largest group are the purists (or quietists ), who avoid politics; the second largest group are the activists , who get involved in politics; the third group are the jihadists , who form a minority and advocate armed struggle to restore the early Islamic movement. In legal matters, the Salafi are divided between those who, in the name of independent legal judgement ( ijtihad ), reject strict adherence ( taqlid ) to the four Sunni schools of law ( madhahib ) and others who remain faithful to these. In the Persian Gulf states , the majority of the Salafis reside in Qatar , United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia . 46.87 per cent of Qataris and 44.8 per cent of Emiratis are Salafis. Salafis are the " dominant minority " in Saudi Arabia. The 4 million Saudi Salafis make up 22.9 per cent of the population. They are concentrated in Najd . By contrast, Bahrain has 5.7 per cent Salafis, and Kuwait has a population that is 2.17 per cent Salafis. The Salafi literalist or fundamentalist creed has also gained some acceptance in Turkey . At times, Salafism has been deemed a hybrid of Wahhabism and other post-1960s movements. Salafism has become associated with literalist , strict and puritanical approaches to Islam. Western observers and analysts , often incorrectly, associate the movement with the jihadis who espouse violent attacks against those they deem to be enemies of Islam as a legitimate expression of Islam. Academics and historians have used the term "Salafism" to denote "a school of thought which surfaced in the second half of the 19th century as a reaction to the spread of European ideas" and "sought to expose the roots of modernity within Muslim civilization". However, some contemporary Salafis follow "literal, traditional ... injunctions of the sacred texts", looking to Ibn Taymiyyah or his disciple Ibn Kathir rather than the modernistic approach of Salafism of 19th-century figures Muhammad Abduh , Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Rashid Rida . Major figures in the movement include Ibn Taymiyyah , Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen , Rabee al-Madkhali , Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi'i , Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani and Saleh Al-Fawzan . The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . Legal Integration of Islam . Salafism, which is a largely pietistic, apolitical sect favoring a literalist reading of the Quran and Sunna. These men adhere to the Salafi branch of Islam "The Rise of European Colonialism" . The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World . The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics . Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History . The Encyclopedia of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History [4 volumes]: A Political, Social, and Military History . The Economist . 27 June 2015 . Leiden University 's ISIM Review, Spring 2008, #21. Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam . "Sufism and Salafism in Syria" . 11 May 2007 . The Salafis of the Muhammad Abduh variety no longer exist, as far as I can tell, and certainly are not thought of by others as Salafis since this term has been appropriated/co-opted fully by Salafis of the Ahl al-Hadith/Wahhabi variety.

Conservative revival movement within Sunni Islam Not to be confused with Salaf . The Salafi movement or Salafism ( Arabic : السلفية , romanized : as-Salafiyya ) is a fundamentalist revival movement within Sunni Islam , originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name " Salafiyya " is a self-designation, claiming a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" ( salaf ), the first three generations of Muslims (the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the Sahabah [his companions], then the Tabi'in , and the third generation, the Tabi' al-Tabi'in ), who are believed to exemplify the pure form of Islam . In practice, Salafis claim that they rely on the Qur'an , the Sunnah and the Ijma (consensus) of the salaf , giving these writings precedence over what they claim as "later religious interpretations". The Salafi movement aimed to achieve a renewal of Muslim life, and had a major influence on many Muslim thinkers and movements across the Islamic world. Salafi Muslims oppose bid'a (religious innovation) and support the implementation of sharia (Islamic law). In its approach to politics , the Salafi movement is sometimes divided by Western academics and journalists into three categories: the largest group being the purists (or quietists ), who avoid politics; the second largest group being the activists (or Islamists ), who maintain regular involvement in politics; and the third group being the jihadists , who form a minority and advocate armed struggle to restore early Islamic practice. In legal matters , Salafis advocate ijtihad (independent reasoning) and oppose taqlid (blind faith) to the four schools ( madhahib ) of Islamic jurisprudence . The origins of Salafism are disputed, with some historians like Louis Massignon tracing its origin to the intellectual movement in the second half of the nineteenth century that opposed Westernization emanating from European imperialism (led by Al-Afghani , Muhammad Abduh , and Rashid Rida ). However, Afghani and Abduh had not self-described as "Salafi" and the usage of the term to denote them has become outdated today. Abduh's more orthodox student Rashid Rida followed hardline Salafism which opposed Sufism , Shi'ism and incorporated traditional madh'hab system. Rida eventually became a champion of the Wahhabi movement and would influence another strand of conservative Salafis. In the modern academia , Salafism is commonly used to refer to a cluster of contemporary Sunni renewal and reform movements inspired by the teachings of classical theologians—in particular Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328 CE/661–728 AH). These Salafis dismiss the 19th century reformers as rationalists who failed to interpret scripture in the most literal, traditional sense. Conservative Salafis regard Syrian scholars like Rashid Rida ( d. 1935 CE/ 1354 AH) and Muhibb al-Khatib ( d. 1969 CE/ 1389 AH) as revivalists of Salafi thought in the Arab world . Rida's religious orientation was shaped by his association with Salafi scholars who preserved the tradition of Ibn Taymiyya. These ideas would be popularised by Rida and his disciples, immensely influencing numerous Salafi organisations in the Arab world. Some of the major Salafi reform movements in the Islamic world today include the Ahl-i Hadith movement, inspired by the teachings of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi and galvanized through the South Asian jihad of Sayyid Ahmad Shahid ; the Wahhabi movement in Arabia ; the Padri movement of Indonesia; Algerian Salafism spearheaded by Abdelhamid Ben Badis ; and others. Legal Integration of Islam . Salafism, which is a largely pietistic, apolitical sect favoring a literal reading of the Quran and Sunnah. These men adhere to the Salafi branch of Islam "The Rise of European Colonialism" . The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . Politics of piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject . Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History . Salafi Muslims: As a social movement within Sunni Islam, Salafi Muslims ARE a global revivalism movement L. The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics . Salafism, in its varying guises, has been an important trend in Islamic thought for more than a century. : CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list ( link ) Ali, Mohamed. The Oxford encyclopedia of the modern Islamic world . It aimed at the renewal of Muslim life and had a formative impact on many Muslim thinkers and movements across the Islamic world." L. The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics . Salafism has evolved under a number of key reformers, each of whom has brought his own unique insights and vision to the movement in response to the challenges of his national context. : CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list ( link ) "Salafism: Politics and the puritanical" . The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies . It is common to distinguish two kinds of Salafism, which are quite different in many ways. One may be called "modernist" Salafism, or some would say "enlightened" Salafism. This form was... associated with such figures as Muhammad 'Abduh. ... The other form may be called "conservative" or "text-oriented" Salafism. This was the form of Salafism before the mid-nineteenth century and variants of it have become prominent since the mid-twentieth century... Muhammad 'Abduh's views.. are not usually labeled Salafi today... al-Afghani and 'Abduh referred to the salaf and have been called Salafi, they did not themselves adopt Salafi as a label for their thinking in general. The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies . Rashid Rida (1865–1935), moved in the direction of a conservative Salafism... He was more polemical than 'Abduh and more rigid in his thinking. Where al-Afghani stressed the dynamism of early Islam and 'Abduh stressed its rationalism, Rida wanted to apply the model of the salaf as precisely as possible. He was more strongly opposed to Sufi practices and very critical of Shi'is. His basic concerns were Muslim activism (jihad in the broadest sense), unity of the umma (at least moral if not political), and truth, the true Islam that had been taught by the salaf. He did not reject the madhhabs but hoped for their gradual approximation and amalgamation... In the face of the growing secularism of the early twentieth century he welcomed and supported the Wahhabi movement Djait, Hicham (2011). Religious fervor crystallized in the writings of Rashid Rida, the pioneer of the new Wahhabi Salafi movement and the editor-in-chief of al-Manar C. Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World (2nd ed.). Contemporary Salafism can be defined as a Sunni reform movement that finds its roots in the Middle Ages, especially in the teachings of Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) E. Salafism (Arabic: al-Salafiyya) Salafism refers to a cluster of different Sunni renewal and reform movements and ideologies in contemporary Islam Bennett, Clinton; Shepard, William (2013). The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies . The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies . The Ulama in Contemporary Islam: Custodians of Change .