Salafism

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This article is on an Islamic movement. For the article on the group of early Muslims, see Salaf

Salafism (Arabic: سلفي "predecessors" or "early generations"), is a generic term, depicting a Sunni Islamic school of thought that takes the pious ancestors (Salaf) of the patristic period of early Islam as exemplary models.[1] Salafis view the first three generations of Muslims, who are Muhammad's companions, and the two succeeding generations after them, the Tabi‘in and the Taba‘ at-Tabi‘in, as examples of how Islam should be practiced. This principle is derived from the following hadith by Muhammad:

“ The people of my generation are the best, then those who follow them, and then whose who follow the latter (i.e. the first three generations of Muslims).[2] ”

The principal tenet of Salafism is that Islam was perfect and complete during the days of Muhammad and his companions, but that undesirable innovations have been added over the later centuries due to materialist and cultural influences. Salafism seeks to revive a practice of Islam that more closely resembles the religion during the time of Muhammad.[3] Salafism has also been described as a simplified version of Islam, in which adherents follow a few commands and practices.[4]

Salafism is often used interchangeably with "Wahhabism". Adherents usually reject this term because it is considered derogatory and because none of the adherents of Salafism in the past ever referred to themselves as such. Typically, they used terms like "Muwahidoon," "Ahle Hadith,"[5] or "Ahl at-Tawheed."[6]

Contents

[edit] Etymology

The word "Salaf" is an Arabic noun which may be translated as "(righteous) predecessor" or "(pious) ancestor."[citation needed] In Islamic terminology, it is generally used to refer to the first three generations of Muslims: the Sahabah, the Tabi‘in and the Tabi‘ at-Tabi‘in. These three generations are looked upon as examples of how Islam should be practiced.

[edit] Distinctive beliefs and practices

Just who, or what groups and movements, qualify as salafi is disputed.

  • Some define the term broadly, including the Muslim Brotherhood (who include the term salafi in the min nahnu (about us) section of their website[7]), and Deobandi[7]
  • In general however, the term excludes the Muslim Brotherhood[8][9]and Deobandi[10][11] since they believe these groups commit religious innovations (bid'ah), or worse.

Whichever definition is used, Salafis idealize an uncorrupted, pure Islamic religious community. They believe that Islam's decline after the early generations is the result of religious innovations (bid‘ah) and that an Islamic revival will result through the emulation of the three early generations and the purging of foreign influences from the religion. Particular emphasis is given to monotheism - (tawhid); many Muslim practices which have now become common are condemned as polytheism (shirk). Salafis believe that widespread Muslim practices such as venerating the graves of Islamic prophets and saints to be shirk. Salafis in general are opposed to both Sufi and Shi'a doctrines, which Salafis regard as having many aspects of shirk and bid`ah.

Salafis reject dogmatic theology (kalam). They consider this to be based on classical Greek philosophy (such as Plato and Aristotle) and an import foreign to the original practice of Islam.

Salafis place great emphasis on ritual not only in prayer but in every activity in life -- many are careful to always use three fingers when eating, drink water in three pauses with the right hand while sitting,[12] make sure their galabea or other garment worn by them does not extend below the ankle[13] -- so as to follow the example of Muhammad and the companions and make religion part of every activity in life.

Salafism differs from the earlier contemporary Islamic revival movements of the 1970s and 1980s commonly referred to as Islamism, in that (at least many) Salafis reject not only Western ideologies such as Socialism and Capitalism, but also common Western concepts like economics, constitutions, political parties, revolution and social justice. Muslims should not engage in Western activities like politics, "even by giving them an Islamic slant."[14] Instead, Muslims should stick to traditional activities, particularly Dawah. Salafis promote Sharia rather than an Islamic political program or state.

Salafism is a movement, and like the Sufis, Salafis can come from the Maliki, the Shafi, the Hanbali, or the Hanafi.[6] Salafis are divided on the question of adherence to the four recognized schools of legal interpretation (madh'habs).

  • Salafis must base their jurisprudence directly on the Qu'ran and Sunnah and the first three generations of Muslims. They believe that literal readings of the Qur'an and the Hadith and the Ijma (consensus) of the Ulema, are sufficient guidance for the believing Muslim. Virtually all Salafi scholars support this position.
  • Some Salafis rely on the jurisprudence of one of the four famous madh'habs. For example, Ibn Taymiya followed the Hanbali madhhab. Some of his students (such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Dhahabi) followed the Shafi madhhab. Other students (such as Ibn Abu al-Iz) follow the Hanafi madhhab. However none of the madh'habs are to be followed blindly, and in some cases Salafis may choose opinions that differ from any of them.

[edit] History of Salafism

From the perspective of the Salafis themselves, their history starts with Muhammad himself. They consider themselves direct followers of his teachings, and wish to emulate the piety of the first three generations of Islam (the Salaf). All later scholars are merely revivers (not 'founders'). Modern scholars may only come to teach (or remind) us of the instructions of the original followers of Islam. From the perspective of some others, however, the history of Salafism started a few hundred years ago, the exact time and place still being a matter of discussion.

From a perspective widely shared by scholars of Islam, the history of Salafism started in Egypt in the mid 19th century among intellectuals at al-Azhar University, the preeminent center of Islamic learning, located in Cairo. Prominent among them were Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905), Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1839-1897) and Rashid Rida (1865-1935).[15][16][17][18][19] These early reformers recognized the need for an Islamic revival, noticing the changing fortunes in the Islamic world following the Enlightenment in Europe. Al-Afghani was a political activist, whereas Abduh, an educator, and head of Egypt's religious law courts, sought gradual social reform and legal reform "to make sharia relevant to modern problems." Abduh argued that the early generations of Muslims (the salaf al-salihin, hence the name Salafiyya, which is given to Abduh and his disciples) had produced a vibrant civilization because they had creatively interpreted the Quran and hadith to answer the needs of their times.[20]

Other self-described Salafi disavow these early figures. One prominent Salafi website, for example, describing itself as promoting "the creed and manhaj of the salaf us-saalih - pure and clear,"[21] includes among its publications one claiming al-Afghani and Muhammad ‘Abduh were "known freemasons and ... also upon great misguidance in their ideologies." It alleges they were interested in an "anti-colonial political movement" rather than "orthodox Islaam" or "the way of the Salaf," but their

call was deceptively surrounded with slogans of `returning back to the way of the forefathers.` It is for this reason that you see the mistaken notion amongst western writers that `Salafiyyah` began at the hands of Jamaal ud-Deen al-Afghaani, and Muhammad Abduh, and also the mistaken notion that Hassan al-Bannah was upon `Salafiyyah`, due to the influence of Muhammad Rasheed Ridhaa upon him.[22][23]

Many self-described Salafi today point instead to Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab as the first figure in the modern era to push for a return to the religious practices of the salaf as-salih or "righteous predecessors".[24] His evangelizing in 18th century Saudi Arabia was a call to return to what he believed were the practices of the early generations of Muslims. His works (especially Kitab at-Tawhid) are still widely read by Salafis around the world today, and the majority of Salafi scholars still reference his works frequently.[25] After his death, his views flourished under the generous financing of the House of Saud and initiated the current worldwide Salafi movement. Regardless, it should still be pointed out that the terms "Salafi" and Wahhabi are not necessarily synonymous. Wahhabism has been variously described as a subset of Salafism,[6] a derogatory synonym for Salafism,[26] or a formerly separate current of Islamic thought that appropriated "language and symbolism of Salafism" until the two became "practically indistinguishable" in the 1970s.[27]

In recent years considerable publicity has been given to the self-described Salafism of Al-Qaeda, and related groups calling for the killing of civilians, and opposed many Muslim groups and governments, including the Saudi government and Muslim Brotherhood.[28] Debate continues today over the appropriate method of reform, ranging from violent political Islamism to less politicized evangelism. Despite some similarities, the different modern groups that claim to be part of Salafism often strongly disapprove of each other and deny their Salafi character.

[edit] Contemporary Salafis

[edit] Spread and effect

Salafism is a movement within Sunni Islam. It includes many groups and shades of belief. it is also found in most other Muslim-majority countries (see Islam by country and Demographics of Islam). It is increasingly important to diasporic Muslims in Europe, Canada, and the United States.

For rootless immigrants and disaffected second-generation youths in Europe, salafism provides the attraction of the authentic. For those living in the squalid metropolises of the Middle East, it offers an emotionally rich alternative to the slogans of Arab nationalism. Salafism appeals to younger Muslims as a way to differentiate themselves from their parents and grandparents because it is seen as pure, stripped of the local, superstitious, and customary usages of their families' countries of origin. It confers a sense of moral superiority. Salafism has a potent appeal because it underscores Islam's universality.[29]

Salafism insists on the inerrancy of Muslim scripture and what might be called a strict constructionist brand of sharia or religious law.[29] The Salafis transmitted from the traditionalists, and the secularists from the modernists. Salafism was able to outdo secularism by taking over its traditional role of defending the weak against the powerful.[30] The impulse of Salafism has forced political leaders in the Middle East to accommodate a greater role for religion in public policy.[31]

[edit] Political affiliation

The various Salafi groups tend to differ not so much in matters of Islamic practice, such as prescriptions for prayer (salat) or Islamic dress (hijab) as in their attitude towards the state.

  • Some Salafis urge believers to support or endure the state under which they live. Believers are encouraged to spread Salafism non-violently, by missionary activity, social work, and political organization. Above all, they should help each other lead lives of true Islamic piety. (Rabe' al-Madkhali)
  • Some Salafis believe that jihad is permissible against foreign, non-Muslim, occupation, but not against governments that claim to be Islamic. Those governments are to be reformed, not violently overthrown. Civil war (fitna) is to be avoided. (Salman al-Auda)
  • Some Salafis (sometimes called Jihadist-Salafists) believe that it is permissible, even required, for believers to engage in jihad against regimes that claim to be Islamic, because they do not follow Sharia law and thus are not Islamic. These Salafis have generated the most publicity in the non-Muslim world because of their global jihad network which has attracted Muslims from around the world to fight in such places as Iraq, Kashmir, Bosnia, Chechnya, Afghanistan, and the Philippines. Organizations that have been dubbed salafi-jihadist include Jaish-e-Mohammed, Sipah-e-Sahaba of Pakistan,[32] and Al-Qaeda. One of the most famous proponents for violence, (or "physical power and Jihaad for abolishing the organizations and authorities of the Jahili system")[33] was Sayyed Qutb, an Egyptian member of the Muslim Brotherhood who wrote a short manifesto on political Islam called Ma'alim fi-l-Tariq or Milestones. Hence these Muslims are sometimes called Qutbis and/or Ikhwanis. Not all jihadists are part of a global network. In Central Asia and the Caucasus the salafi-jihadist movement is more localized -- an expression of identity in areas such as Ferghana, villages in Daghestan, and upper Gharm valley. In Central Asia, the term "Wahabi" refers not to the Saudis but generally to Islamic religious movements outside the states' control, and also to fundamentalists hailing from Pakistan or Afghanistan, whether or not these Muslims belong to a political movement.[6]

Despite some similarities, the different tendencies often strongly disapprove of each other and deny their Salafi character.

[edit] Saudi Arabia

Some Salafis support the government; others distance themselves from it, or oppose it.

  • Some Salafis who have been heavily influenced by the teachings of non-Salafis from outside of Saudi Arabia, such as Sayyid Qutb for instance, believe that the majority of Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, have strayed into disbelief and that the only answer to the plight of Muslims today is Jihad against both the Muslim and non-Muslim governments alike. Osama bin Laden is a prominent example of a Salafi Saudi Muslim who has gone from supporting the Saudi regime to violently opposing it.

[edit] Notable modern Salafi scholars

[edit] Saudi Arabia

[edit] Albania

[edit] Yemen

[edit] Older authorities accepted by modern Salafis as Salafi Imams

[edit] Greater Khorasan

[edit] Egypt

[edit] Iraq

[edit] Syria

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ghazali And The Poetics Of Imagination, by Ebrahim Moosa ISBN 0807856126 - Page 21
  2. ^ Bukhari 3:48:819 and 820 [1] and Muslim 31:6150 and 6151 [2].
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ The Idea of Pakistan, By Stephen P. Cohen ISBN 0815715021 - Page 183
  5. ^ The Muslim World After 9/11 By Angel M. Rabasa, pg. 275
  6. ^ a b c d GlobalSecurity.org Salafi Islam
  7. ^ Pape, Dying to Win Random House, 2005, p.106
  8. ^ Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimoon [4]".... they accommodate every kind of religious innovator in their ranks ...."
  9. ^ Hasan al-Banna and the Ways and Means of Da'wah Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Bortherhood, "... is the imaam of this crooked path/way which makes permissible for itself every single way or means for the sake of actualising what they call the 'the benefit of the da'wah' but [in reality] it is nothing but the 'benefits of dejected hizbiyyah (party-spirit)' ..."
  10. ^ Some Famous Readings of exposition from GREAT MUJADDITH's OF Deoband "...each one of the misguided views is a well-established belief of the Deobandis ..."
  11. ^ Tableegh Jamaat: Teachings of Shirk .... "... And this is the trodden path of Salaf, so let the School of Deobandh and the generality of Tabligh beware that Allaah love not the spreaders of mischief and corruption upon the earth and that the oppression of Shirk (that they promote in their books) is great indeed ...."
  12. ^ Six Points of Tabligh, Its chapter on `Desired Manners of Eating and Drinking`, includes 26 norms on the etiquette of eating and drinking. From: Globalized Islam : the Search for a New Ummah, by Olivier Roy, Columbia University Press, 2004
  13. ^ Isbal: Wearing your garment below the ankles
  14. ^ Globalized Islam : the Search for a New Ummah, by Olivier Roy, Columbia University Press, 2004 (p.245)
  15. ^ Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, Macmillan Reference, 2004, v.2, p.609
  16. ^ The New Encyclopedia of Islam by Cyril Glasse, Rowman and Littlefield, 2001, p.19
  17. ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Islam by John L. Esposito, OUP, 2003, p.275
  18. ^ Historical Dictionary of Islam by Ludwig W. Wadamed, Scarecrow Press, 2001, p.233
  19. ^ see discussion section
  20. ^ Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, Macmillan Reference, 2004, p.7
  21. ^ salafipublications.com
  22. ^ "Historical Development of the Methodologies of al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen And Their Effect and Influence Upon Contemporary Salafee Dawah: Part 8 Updated. accessed 12 May 2007.p.5
  23. ^ Another example of how contemporary Salafi do not consider Muhammad ‘Abduh a Salafi or for that matter a Muslim to be emulated is [5] which sarcastically refers to Muhammad ‘Abduh as "the ‘great imaam’" for making complementary remarks about Europe.
  24. ^ The Principles of Salafiyyah
  25. ^ Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab: His Salafi Creed, Reformist Movement and Scholars' Praise of Him, 4th ed. by Judge Ahmad Ibn 'Hajar Ibn Muhammad al-Butami al-Bin Ali, Ad-Dar as-Salafiyyah, Kuwait, 1983, p.108-164
  26. ^ What is a Salafi and What is Salafism?
  27. ^ Abou El Fadl, Khaled M., The Great Theft, HarperSanFrancisco, 2005, p.79
  28. ^ PBS Frontline, interview with Dr. Mamoun Fandy [6]
  29. ^ a b The Next Attack, By Daniel Benjamin Steven Simon, ISBN 0805079416 - Page 55
  30. ^ Brief History of Islam, Hassan Hanafi, ISBN 1405109009 - Page 258-259
  31. ^ The Next Attack, By Daniel Benjamin, Steven Simon, ISBN 0805079416 - Page 274
  32. ^ Roy, Olivier, Globalized Islam, Columbia University Press, 2004, p.234
  33. ^ Qutb, Sayyid, Milestones, p.55

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salafism"
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