What is Salafiyyah? Our Da’wah.

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All praise is due to Allāh, Lord of all creation. May Allāh extol the mention of the Prophet in the highest company of Angels and may the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him, his family, his Companions and all those who follow him exactly till the Day of Judgement.

Introduction and Important Words of Clarification

• Islam is the Religion of all the Prophets, from Adam to Muhammad. A Muslim is anyone who embraces this Religion and acts upon it. Muslims worship none except the one true God (Arabic, Al-Ilāh), and He is Allāh. Muslims shun all forms of polytheism, and they follow the teachings of final Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) sent to mankind. This is the basis of Salafism.
• The Sunnah is the Path of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his Companions. Whoever follows this path exactly is referred to as a Sunni and he is from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā’ah. Sometimes the term Sunni is used more generally to refer to anyone who is not from the Shi’ite sect. However merely being a non-Shi’ite is not sufficient to save a person from falling into deviation.
• As-Salaf As-Sālih (“The Pious Predecessors”) are the Companions of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and the three generations that came after them. They are also called Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā’ah, the Salaf, As-hābul-Hadeeth and Ahlul-Hadeeth. Whoever accepts them and follows their path precisely in belief, methodology and religion is upon true guidance.
• Salafiyyah (or Salafism) is the true Path to following Islam and the Sunnah. A Salafi is one who follows the path of the Salaf As-Sālih exactly without alteration.
• The terms Salafi, Sunni, Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā’ah, As-hābul-Hadeeth and Ahlul-Hadeeth are interchangeable. All these titles refer to the same body of people who all follow the same path. However, not everyone who uses these titles is a true adherent of what they represent. In fact, the majority of people who ascribe themselves to these labels have beliefs and methodologies in opposition to the path of the Salaf As-Sālih. To distinguish between a mere claimant and a true adherent is one of the main purposes of this booklet.

To be a Salafi means adhering to the Creed, Methodology and the way of life of the Salaf As-Sālih (the Pious Predecessors). The earliest Salaf were the generation of our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his Companions. Then after them came the three virtuous generations of believers who held fast to the Sunnah (Path) of the Prophet and his Companions. The person who understands this path correctly, and follows it exactly, without introducing anything into it and nor deviating from it is a Salafi. To be a Salafi is not merely to imagine that one is upon the true path of the Salaf, but it is to study the religion of the Companions and follow it — it was they who understood best the meanings and intent of the speech and actions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

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Authored by Shaikh Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid.