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Al-Salafiyyah: The Methodology of the Pious
Predecessors
Posted by: Waleed Basyouni June 17, 2014 in Aqeedah and Fiqh, Featured, Islam 19 Comments

All praises and thanks are due to Allh, and may the blessings and prayers be upon the Messenger of
Allh, his family, his companions, and all those who follow in their footsteps until the Day of Judgment.
Al-Islam is a collection of rules and articles of faith, of knowledge and action, of things we should know
and things we should do. The theoretical part is the theology aspect of the religion, and the rules are
either related to dealing with Allh (and this is known as Ibaadah, or acts of worship) or related to
dealing with other humans and creations. Therefore, the religion is made up of Aqidah, Fiqh and
Sulook (etiquettes and socializing). The details related to all of these areas have been addressed in the
Qurn and Sunnah.
During the time of Umar's Khilafah,
one of his companions came back from al-Shaam
(Syria/Palestine) and told Umar the good news of how many people had started reading the Qur n and
memorizing it in this new land of Islam and by the new generation of Muslims. This sounded like very
good news, but it did not satisfy Ibn 'Abbas

who was asked by Umar

, What you think? Ibn '

said, O Prince of the Believers, the Jews and Christians had their books, but it did not save them
from becoming divided and fighting one another. I wish they did not do that without understanding it
first. I worry that they will be divided over the Qur n, and they will fight one another like the people
of the Book did. Umar agreed with Ibn 'Abbas
describing how this Ummah will be divided.

and his wisdom. This narration is on the mark in

The verses of the Qurn and the statements of the Prophet

are the sources of our religion, but how
do we practice them and what methods should be used to understand them? The companions
(Sahabah) took directly from the Prophet

by watching him as a practical example in front of them.

'A'ishah
said, The Qurn was his character, and the Sahabah witnessed the Prophet
living the
Qurn in his daily life. The Qurn was revealed in the language of the Sahabah, and it was revealed
within their cultural setting. Add to this their trustworthiness which is referenced in the Qur n, and
this gives them an instant advantage over everyone else. Any person, who comes after the Sahabah,
must go through a lengthy process before he/she can derive any rulings from a hadith, for example. He
must look at the authenticity of the narration, study the culture of the time, familiarize himself with
the history of the text, evaluate what scholars have said about it, and look at it through the principles of
Usool before arriving at any ruling(s), but as for the Sahabah, they did not need any of these steps.
Because of that, the Sahabah have become the role models for the Muslim Ummah, and following them
is the means of following the Qurn and Sunnah. They had no imm or Madh-hab or source other
than the Prophet

himself. They are our predecessors (Salaf), and they are an example for all

others. Ibn Mas'oud

said, They (the companions) possessed the most pious hearts of this Ummah.
They were the most profound in knowledge and had the least constraint. They were a people whom
Allh chose for the companionship of His Prophet
, so emulate their character and way, for by the
Lord of the Ka'bah, they are upon the straight path. [As-Shari`ah by Al-Aajurri]
Not too long after what Ibn 'Abbas
said to Umar
, his fear became a reality. Muslims began
using the Qura'n and Sunnah to support their own ideas, and they interpreted them a different way
other than the way of the Sahabah. The most famous examples in Islamic history are those of the
Khawarij and the Shi'ah, who opposed the way of the companions and even considered most of the
Sahabah to be Kuffar (disbelievers). The Khawarij, for example, took up arms against the Khalifah Ali
Ibn Abi Talib
, based on their faulty understanding of the verse that says, Allh is the Only Judge.
They understood that to mean that mediation is not allowed, and they considered arbitration as an act
of disbelief. When Ibn Abbas

debated them on this opinion, he said, I do not see any one of the

companions with you. In other words, he was saying that no one among the Sahabah understood what
the Khawarij understood from this verse and that the understanding of the Sahabah was the criterion.
As they were the first of our Ummah to precede us, following the companions became known as
following the Salaf (predecessors), and their way of understanding the religion and practicing it
became known as the methodology of the Salaf. Al-imm al-Awza`i (d. 157 H.) said, Patiently restrict
yourself upon the Sunnah, stop where the people (i.e. the companions) stopped, say what they say and
refrain from that which they refrained. Traverse upon the path of your Salaf as-Salih (righteous
predecessors), for indeed what was sufficient for them is sufficient for you. He also said, Hold fast to
the Athar (narrations) of the Salaf, even if people abandon you. Beware of the opinions of men, no
matter how much they beautify it with their speech, for indeed the matter will become manifest whilst
you will be upon the correct straight path concerning it. [Sharh Usool I`tiqad Ahl-Assunnah walJama'ah by AL-Lalaka'i]
Since years to come after that, dozens of groups and sects appeared in the history with a wide variety
of ideologies and views, but with one common factor; they all did not follow the way of al-Salaf. They
rejected it and freed themselves of it. Sheikh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
said, It is therefore known
that the characteristic of the people of innovation is their disassociation of themselves from the
followers of the Salaf. (Majmoo' al-Fatawa 4/155). At the same time, there were always those who
followed the footsteps of the companions as Allh and His Messenger commanded.
Allh

said,

And the first forerunners (in the faith) among the Muhajireen, and the Ansar, and those who
followed them with good conduct Allh is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him,
and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide
forever. That is the great attainment. [Surah At-Taubah, 100]
He also said,

And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other
than the way of the believers We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and
evil it is as a destination. [Surah An-Nisa', 115]
There were no other believers when this verse was revealed other than the Sahabah, and it is their way
we are commanded to follow.
So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then they have been (rightly) guided [Surah
Al-Baqarah, 137]
The Sahabah -may Allh be pleased with them- were upon that guidance and the truth and whoever
follows it, then he will be upon guidance and upon the straight path as well. It is the Sahabah who are
the ones first addressed in the verse, then those who came after them and followed their path.
The Prophet
said, For indeed, those who will still be alive after me will see many differences, so
hold fast to my Sunnah and to the sunnah of the rightly guided Khalifahs after me; Adhere to and cling
tightly to it and beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation
and every innovation is deviation. [At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]
Also, he said, The Jews split up into seventy-one sects, the Christians split up into seventy-two sects,
and this Ummah (Muslims) will split up into seventy-three sects; all of them are in the Fire except one.
Someone asked, Which is that one O Messenger of Allh? He replied, Whoever is upon that which I
am upon and my companions. [At-Tirmidhi]
Based on this, the scholars who refused to follow any way other than the way of the companions in
understanding or practicing the religion were known as the followers of al-Salaf or Salafi. They
might not call themselves by that name, so they will not praise themselves or divide the community by
using a name that is not mentioned in the Qurn and Sunnah in this sense, but those labels were
merely used to distinguish those who follow the way of the Salaf from those who do not.
Al-imm Ahmad bin Hanbal (d. 241 H.) said, The Fundamental Principles of the Sunnah with
us are: Holding fast to what the Companions of the Messenger of Allh
were upon, taking them
(and their way) as a model to be followed, and the abandonment of innovations. And every innovation
is misguidance. [Usool Al-Sunnah]

Abdullah Ibn Abi Zayd al Qairawani (d. 386 H.) said, Salvation lies in seeking protection in the Book of
Allh Almighty and the Sunnah of His Prophet and following the path of the believers and that of the
best of generations of the best community produced for mankind. Reliance on that is protection.
Salvation lies in following the righteous Salaf. [Introduction to his book al-Risalah]
Abu Al-Qasim Al-Lalaka'i (d. 418 H.) said in the introduction of his book Sharh Usool I`tiqad Ahl AsSunnah Wal-Jama`ah, when speaking about understanding of Tawheed and Allh's Attributes, From
the greatest of statements and the clearest of proofs and reasoning are Allh's Book, the Clear Truth,
then the sayings of the Messenger of Allh
and his pious companions, then what was agreed upon
by the Righteous Salaf, then holding on to it until the Day of Judgment, and avoiding innovations and
listening to what was innovated by the misguided. [Sharh Usool I`tiqad Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah by
Lalikai 1/154]
Al-imm al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H.) in his great collection of biographies entitled 'Siyar A'lam AlNubala' reports from Al-Daraqutni (d. 385 H.) by saying, It was soundly reported from Al-Daraqutni
that he said, 'There is nothing more hated to me than the art of Al-Kalam (A philosophic way of
understanding the Nature of God and His Divine Attributes).' I say: Al-Daraqutni was never involved in
any Kalam-based arguments, nor did he ever use it. He was indeed a Salafi. [16/407]
Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalani (d. 852 H.) said, The happy one is the one who sticks to what the Salaf were
upon and avoids what was innovated by the Khalaf. [Khalaf: The ones who came after the time of the
pious Salaf, the successors] [Fath Al-Bari by Ibn Hajar 13/267]
Throughout history, those who held onto the way of the Sahabah (as opposed to the way of
others) carried and were given many labels such as Ahl As-Sunnah Wal-Jama`ah, Ahlul-Hadeeth, AhlulAthar, Al-Firqah Al-Najyah, Salafis, and at a time they were known as Al-Hanabilah not because they
followed the Madhhab of immAhmad in Fiqh, but because they followed him and not the Mu'tazilah
who claimed that Al-Qurn is one of Allh's creations and that He does not speak. These titles were
never a description of the members of a group, rather the methodology and way of understanding the
religion according to the way the Prophet
himself did that they followed. It is the pure, simple,
clear, comprehensive understanding of Islam. For that reason the title was only used when there was a
need to distinguish between understandings, and otherwise no titles were used. Al-imm Malik was
asked what defines Ahl As-Sunnah wa al Jama'ah? He replied, They are those who have no title that
they are known by; they are not the Jahmis, nor Rafidis, nor Qadaris. [Majmoo' al-Fatawa by Ibn
Taymiyyah 4/155]
About a hundred years ago the Muslim nation drifted far away from the way of the Salaf and surely
from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad
in all areas: Fiqh, Aqidah, mannerisms, spirituality,
politics and even began understanding the principles of the religion in completely unprecedented
manners. That led many people to call the Muslims to go back to the way of the Salaf and leave the
extremism that destroyed the beauty of Islam. Rampant Sufisim had robbed the religion of its strength
and purity by basing it on innovations and fairy tales. The erection of shrines and the worshiping of
the dead and the Jinn became common practices in the Muslim world, even though they run contrary
to monotheism of Islam. The followers of the Madhahib (the famous four schools of Fiqh) emptied the
Shari'ah from its strength by closing the door for Ijtihad and transformed the beauty of diversity into a

curse of division. It reached the extent that in Mecca there were four prayers, four Adhans, and four
Jum'ahs. You would find statements in Hanafi Fiqh books saying that a Hanafi male is allowed to marry
a Christian or Jewish woman but never a Shaf'i. In a Shaf'i book, you would find that praying behind a
Hanafi is only allowed in the case of necessity. Towards the end of the Ottoman State some Caliphs
replaced the Islamic law with the western secular law, and a big part of the Muslim Ummah was under
occupation, and the call for Jihad and resistance became a strange voice. Many scholars, activists, and
leaders among the Muslim Ummah from the mountains of the Far East to the coasts of the West, from
the cold of the north to hot forests of Africa, there was interest to change the situation of the Muslims.
The title of Salafiyyah and the revival of the methodology of Al-Salaf were needed more than ever
before. Many movements and groups in India, Iraq, Arabia, Syria, Egypt, and North Africa called for
restoring Islam in all aspects of life to the way it was during the Prophet's time and the early Muslims,
i.e. following the way of al-Salaf. Al-imm Malik said, The matters of the last of this Ummah will not be
rectified except by that which rectified the first of this Ummah. Not all of those voices for change and
correction necessarily were upon the way of Al-Salaf in all aspects, and some of them focused on some
areas at the expense of others for various reasons. Our religion is Aqidah, Fiqh, and Suluk. Many of the
modern movements, in an attempt to go back to the way of the Salaf, concentrated on the Salaf's
methodology concerning some of these areas and neglected the understanding of the Salaf in the
others.
Take-away points from the historical background to the Salafiyyah

Following the way of Al-Salaf is not an option; it is a must.

Following the way of the Salaf does not mean following a specific scholar or group of scholars,
nor does it mean to be a member of a particular movement. Rather it is following what the companions
agreed upon and that which was understood and practiced by the first three generations of Islam.

Just as merely labeling oneself a Salafi does not automatically make one a follower of AlSalafiyyah, it is also true that one who does not label himself a Salafi is thus removed out of AlSalafiyyah. It is not a specific group that is known through its members and who, by default, are called
Salafi based on their membership.

Mistakes committed by anyone associated with Al-Salafiyyah should never be attributed to it.
Such generalized criticism against Al-Salafiyyah is indeed both disconcerting and prejudiced, and it is
caused by the failing to understand the difference between Al-Salafiyyah as a methodology and Salafis
as individuals and groups.

Most certainly Al-Salafiyyah does not mean that all who associate with it are to agree on every
issue related to Fiqh or political stance which is based on the evaluation of Al-Masaalih wal-Mafaasid
(benefits and harms). The Salaf's (and thus Salafis') consensus on a general methodology does not
mandate that they should agree on the details. Al-Salaf Al-Salih (righteous predecessors) did not agree
on many of the Fiqh issues due to their differences in weighing the benefits and harms that may result
from such issues. This definitely did not call for criticizing any of them due to that differing, as long as
every one of them held fast to the general principles and methodology. On the contrary, difference of
opinion is a sign of the strength and flexibility of the Salafi methodology.


Falling into mistakes does not take one out of Al-Salafiyyah as long as one holds fast to its
principles and fundamentals while striving to observe such principles in their real life. The only
exception is when one opposes a major fundamental principle of the Sunnah, or when one
continuously comes up with ideas contradicting the principles of the Sunnah, to the point where he
may be characterized as being a deviant from its path. It is important though to differentiate between
this matter as a rule and applying it to a specific person.

Considering Al-Salafiyyah as a methodology, not a group, necessitates that by default all Muslims
are followers of Al-Salafiyyah, being that every Muslim is required to follow Islam based on evidence
and according to the methodology of the companions of the Prophet
. Al-Salafiyyah as such
becomes the default state of all Muslims and any deviation from it becomes the exception. Therefore,
attempting to restrict it to a group or few specific matters is nothing but due to ignorance of certain
people or perhaps a vendetta against Al-Salafiyyah by certain groups and or individuals that have their
own agendas.

Al-Salafiyyah being a methodology, not a group, does not mean that all human efforts to
understand and interpret the texts lead to an acceptable and correct result all the time. Al-Salafiyyah
is a methodology that has its own principles and guidelines with vast room for Ijtihad. However, AlSalafiyyah in its vastness, flexibility and wealth does in no way lead to ambiguity in finding decisive
solutions among all of the acceptable attempts of Ijtihad and recognizing the opposing unacceptable
Ijtihad.
I ask Allh to help all of us to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet
good life, a good ending and grant us Paradise.

and his companions and to give us a

Al-Hasan Al-Basr (d. 110 H.)

said, Verily, you will find the believer (Mumin) consistent time after
time, upon one way, showing the same face; [whereas] you will find the hypocrite (Munfiq) changing
colors, trying to be like everyone around him, running with every wind. [Ab Bakr Al-Daynr, AlMujlasah wa Jawhir Al-Ilm #1936]
Lexical Meaning:
Ibn Faris (d. 395 H.) states: The (letter) Sin, the (letter) Lam, and (letter) Fa (together), is a root which
indicates precedence and antecedence. A derivation of this root is Al-Salaf which means those who
have passed on, and the Salaf are the predecessors. [Maqayis Al-Lugha by Ibn Faris, the root: Salaf]