Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 17:16, 29 January 2014

Part of a series on Sunni Islam
Beliefs God Prophets and Messengers Holy books Succession to Muhammad Angels Judgement Day Predestination Sahaba
Five Pillars Declaration of Faith Prayer Charity Fasting Pilgrimage
Rightly-Guided Caliphs Abu Bakr Umar Uthman Ali
Schools of law Hanafi Maliki Shafi'i Hanbali Others Zahiri Awza'i Thawri Laythi Jariri
Schools of theology Ash'arism and Maturidism (Ahl al-Ra'y) Atharism (Ahl al-Hadith) In terms of Ihsan: Sufis (Ahl al-Wijdan wa al-Kashf)
Contemporary movements Barelvi movement Deobandi movement Salafism Wahhabism Ahl-i Hadith Modernism Neo-traditionalism Farahi
Holy sites Mecca Medina Jerusalem
Lists Literature Kutub al-Sittah History Persecution
Islam portal
v t e

Part of a series on: Salafi movement
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque, Qatar
Theology and Influences Ahl al-Hadith Ibn Taymiyya Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya Ibn Kathir Al-Dhahabi Ibn Abd al-Hadi Ibn Muflih Muhammad Hayaat Al-Sindhi Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab Ismail Dehlavi Al-Shawkani
Founders and key figures Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab Syed Nazeer Husain Siddiq Hasan Khan Jamal al-Din Qasimi Rashid Rida Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh Ibn Baz Al-Uthaymin Al-Albani Al-Fawzan Ibn Jibrin Zubair Ali Zai List of Salafi scholars
Notable universities Umm al-Qura University Islamic University of Madinah Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University Jamia Salafia, Faisalabad Jamia Salafia, Varanasi International Islamic University List of Salafi Islamic universities
Related ideologies Ahl-i Hadith movement Islamism Islamic fundamentalism Madkhalism Manhaj Qutbism Sahwa movement Sailaifengye Salafi jihadism Sufi-Salafi relations Hazimism Wahhabism International propagation by country/region
Associated organizations Al-Nour Party Authenticity Party People Party Takfir wal-Hijra Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant al-Qaeda
Politics portal Islam portal
v t e

The Salafi movement, also known as the Salafi methodology and the Salafist movement, is a movement or sect within Sunni Islam that takes its name from the term salaf ("predecessors", "ancestors") used to identify the earliest Muslims, who, its adherents believe, provide the epitome of Islamic practice.

The movement is often described as related to, including, or synonymous with Wahhabism, but Salafists consider the term "Wahhabi" derogatory. At other 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 – and, particularly in the West, with the Salafi Jihadis who espouse violent jihad against civilians as a legitimate expression of Islam, though these Salafi and their supporters are a minority and leading Salafi scholars condemn such attacks.

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 contemporary Salafis follow "literal, traditional ... injunctions of the sacred texts", looking to Ibn Taymiyyah rather than the "somewhat freewheeling interpretation" of 19th century figures Muhammad Abduh, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, and Rashid Rida.

Though Salafis always claim to be Sunni Muslims, some people claim that Salafis are a sect unto their own and different from orthodox (i.e. traditional) Sunni Muslims. Such people sometimes claim that Salafis and Wahhabis are the same. The basis of this claim is that Salafis do not acknowledge or follow any of the four schools of thought to which other Sunni Muslims adhere. They have their own beliefs and laws, their own leaders and systems, a religion with strict and so-called extremist ways.

In the Arab world – and possibly even more so now by Muslims in the West – the term Ahl-as-Sunnah ("People of the Sunnah") is frequently used instead, while the term Ahl al-Hadith ("People of the Tradition") is often used on the Indian subcontinent to identify adherents of Salafi ideology, though this term is used more often in the Middle-East to indicate scholars and students of Hadith). The Muslim Brotherhood includes the term in the "About Us" section of its website while others exclude that organisation in the belief that the group commits religious innovations.

A German intelligence service report compiled in 2010 described Salafism as the fastest-growing domestic Islamic movement.

Etymology

Collectively, the first generations of Muslims are known as the "Pious Predecessors" (as-Salaf as-Saleh), and include the "Companions" (Sahabah), the "Followers" (Tabi‘un) and the "Followers of the Followers" (Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in). These have been revered in Islamic orthodoxy and by Sunni theologians since the fifth Muslim generation or earlier used their example to understand the texts and tenets of Islam, sometimes to differentiate the creed of the first Muslims from subsequent variations in creed and methodology (see Madhab), to oppose religious innovation (bid‘ah) and, conversely, to defend particular views and practices.

Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern Studies, states that "a strongly held view" among Sunnis is "that temporal proximity to the Prophet Muhammad is associated with the truest form of Islam." This veneration is based on a number of records of the sayings of Muhammad, who said: "I am the best Salaf for you" and, as narrated in the Sahih al-Bukhari of `Abd Allah ibn `Umar (a companion of Muhammad): "The best people are those of my generation, and then those who will come after them and then those who will come after them..." The term has been in use since the Middle Ages.

The terms Salafi, Ahl-as-Sunnah ("People of the Sunnah") and Ahl al-Hadith ("People of the Tradition") are all considered to bear the same or similar connotation and Muslim scholars have used them interchangeably throughout the ages. Ahl al-Hadeeth is possibly the oldest recorded term for these earliest adherents, while Ahl as-Sunnah is overwhelmingly used by Muslim scholars, including Salafi scholars, such as the Ash'ari sect, leading to a narrower use of the term "Salafi".

Tenets

Salafis view the Salaf as an eternal model for all succeeding Muslim generations in their beliefs, exegesis, method of worship, mannerisms, morality, piety and conduct: the Islam they practiced is seen as pure, unadulterated and, therefore, the ultimate authority for the interpretation of the Sunnah. This is not interpreted as an imitation of cultural norms or trends that are not part of the legislated worship of Islam but rather as an adherence to Islamic theology. Salafis reject speculative philosophy (kalam) that involves discourse and debate in the development of the Islamic creed. They consider this process a foreign import from Greek philosophy, alien to the original practice of Islam. The Imam Al-Dhahabi (died 748H / 1348) said:

It is authentically related from ad-Daaraqutnee that he said: There is nothing more despised by me than kalam. I say: He never entered into kalam nor argumentation. Rather, he was a Salafi.

Salafis believe that the Qur'an, the Hadith and the consensus (ijma) of approved scholarship (ulama) along with the understanding of the Salaf us-salih as being sufficient guidance for the Muslim. As the Salafi da'wa is a methodology and not a madh'hab in fiqh (jurisprudence) as commonly misunderstood, Salafis can come from the Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali or the Hanafi schools of Sunni fiqh and accept teaching of all four if supported by clear and authenticated evidence from the Sunnah. In the face of clear evidence, be it from Qur'an or Hadeeth, they support scholars' engagement in ijtihad – if they are qualified – as opposed to total blind imitation (taqlid). Their theological views are based on the Athari creed as opposed to kalam, dialectics or any form of philosophy deemed speculative.

Salafis condemn certain common practices as polytheism (shirk) and tawassul of religious figures, such as venerating the graves of Islamic prophets and saints or using amulets to seek protection. They maintain that such practices are bid‘ah (heretical innovations) that are not permissible and should not be taught or practiced. Salafis believe that Islam declined after the early generations because of religious innovations and an abandoning of what they consider to be pure Islamic teachings; and that an Islamic revival will only result through emulation of early generations of Muslims and purging of foreign influences.

Salafis place great emphasis on following acts in accordance with the known sunnah, not only in prayer but in every activity in daily life. For instance, many are careful always to use three fingers when eating, drink water in three pauses with the right hand while sitting, and make sure their jellabiya or other garment does not extend below the ankle, thereby following the example recorded by Muhammad and his companions.

Views on Taqlid (scholarly authority)

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. Salafi scholars from Saudi Arabia are generally bound by Hanbali fiqh and advocate following an Imam rather than understanding scripture oneself. These include Bin Baz, Salih al-Uthaymeen, Salih al-Fawzaan, Saud bin Shuraim and al-Sudais . Other Salafi scholars however hold that taqlid is unlawful since from their perspective, following a madhab without searching for direct evidence leads Muslims astray. These scholars include Rashid Rida, al-Khajnadee, Muhammad Abduh, Saleem al-Hilali and Nasir al-Din al-Albani.

At the very end of the spectrum, some Salafis hold taqlid to be an act of polytheism.

Opposition to the use of kalam

Salafi scholars are in staunch opposition to the use of kalam, dialectics or speculative philosophy in theology. This is because it is seen as a heretical innovation in Islam which opposes the primordial aspiration to follow the original methodology of the Salaf us-salih with regards to Aqidah. Statements of the early Imams of the early Muslims are in corroboration with this such as Abu Hanifa who prohibited his students from engaging in kalam, stating that those who practice it are of the "regressing ones". Malik ibn Anas referred to kalam in the Islamic religion as being "detested", and that whoever "seeks the religion through kalam will deviate". In addition, Shafi'i said that no knowledge of Islam can be gained from books of kalam, as kalam "is not from knowledge" and that "It is better for a man to spend his whole life doing whatever Allah has prohibited – besides shirk with Allah – rather than spending his whole life involved in kalam." Ahmad ibn Hanbal also spoke strongly against kalam, stating his view that no-one looks into kalam unless there is "corruption in his heart" and even went so far as to prohibit sitting with people practicing kalam even if they were defending the Sunnah, and instructing his students to warn against any person they saw practicing kalam.

History

Landmarks claimed in the history of Salafi da'wah are Ahmad ibn Hanbal (died 240 AH /  AD), known among Salafis as Imam Ahl al-Sunnah and one of the three scholars commonly titled with the honorific Sheikh ul-Islam, namely, Taqi ad-Deen Ibn Taymiyyah (died 728 AH / 1328 AD) and Ibn al-Qayyim (died 751 AH / 1350).

Early examples of usage

• Ibn Taymiyyah wrote: "There is no criticism for the one who proclaims the madh'hab of the Salaf, who attaches himself to it and refers to it. Rather, it is obligatory to accept that from him by unanimous agreement because the way of the Salaf is nothing but the truth."

• The term salafi has been used to refer to the theological positions of particular scholars. Abo al-Hasan Ali ibn Umar al-Daraqutuni (d. 995 C.E., 385 A.H.) was described by al-Dhahabi as: "Never having entered into rhetoric or polemics, instead he was salafi."

• Also, al-Dhahabi described Ibn al-Salah, a prominent 12th century hadith specialist, as: "Firm in his religiosity, salafi in his generality and correct in his denomination. refrained from falling into common pitfalls, believed in Allah and in what Allah has informed us of from His names and description."

• In another of his works, Tadhkirat al-huffaz, al-Dhahabi said of Ibn al-Salah: "I say: He was salafi, of sound creed, abstaining from the interpretations of the scholars of rhetoric, believing in what has been textually established, without recourse to unjustified interpretation or elaboration.

• In his book, Tabsir al-Muntabih, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani mentioned the ascription al-Salafi and named Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdillah ibn Ahmad Al-Sarkhasi al-Salafi as an example of its usage. Ibn Hajar then said: "And, likewise, the one ascribing to the salaf."

• Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also used the term, salafi in describing Muhammad ibn al-Qaasim ibn Sufyan al-Misri al-Maliki (d. 966 C.E., 355 A.H.) He said that al-Malaiki was: "Salafi al-madh'hab – salafi in his school of thought."

• In the book Al-Ansaab by Abu Sa'd Abd al-Kareem as-Sama'ni, who died in the year 1166 (562 of the Islamic calendar), under the entry for the ascription al-Salafi he mentions an example or more of people who were so described in his time. In commenting upon as-Sama'ni, Ibn al-Athir wrote: "And a group were known by this epithet."

Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab

Many today consider 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. His evangelizing in the Arabian Peninsula during the 18th century was a call to return to the practices of the early Muslims. His works, especially Kitab at-Tawhid, are still widely read by Salafis around the world today and the majority of Salafi scholars still cite them frequently. After his death, his views flourished under his descendants (the Al ash-Sheikh) and the generous financing of the House of Saud, initiating the current worldwide Salafi movement.

The vast majority of Salafis reject the label "Wahhabi" because they consider it unfounded and an object of controversy, holding that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab did not establish a new school of thought but restored the Islam practiced by the earliest generations of Muslims. Followers of Salafiyyah consider it wrong to be called "Wahhabis" as the 17th Name of God is al-Wahhab ("the Bestower"), so to be called a "Wahhabi" denotes the following of a person other than what is meant to be followed in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Wahhabism has been called a "belittling" and derogatory term for Salafi, while another source defines it as "a particular orientation within Salafism," an orientation some consider strongly apolitical, and yet another describes it as a formerly separate current of Islamic thought that appropriated "language and symbolism of Salafism" until the two became "practically indistinguishable" in the 1970s.

Trevor Stanley states that while the origins of the terms Wahhabism and Salafism "were quite distinct" – "Wahhabism was a pared-down Islam that rejected modern influences, while Salafism sought to reconcile Islam with modernism" – they both shared a rejection of "traditional" teachings on Islam in favor of a direct, more puritan interpretation. Stéphane Lacroix, a fellow and lecturer at Sciences Po in Paris, also affirmed a distinction between the two: "As opposed to Wahhabism, Salafism refers here to all the hybridations that have taken place since the 1960s between the teachings of Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhab and other Islamic schools of thought. Al-Albani’s discourse can therefore be a form of Salafism, while being critical of Wahhabism."

The migration of Muslim Brotherhood members from Egypt to Saudi Arabia and Saudi King Faisal's "embrace of Salafi pan-Islamism resulted in cross-pollination between Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab's teachings on tawhid, shirk and bid‘ah and Salafi interpretations of the sayings of Muhammad.

Contemporary Salafism

Salafism is attractive to its adherents because it underscores Islam's universality. It insists on affirmation of the literal truth as understood by its apparent meaning of Qur'anic scripture and Hadeeth, yet may challenge secularism by appropriating secularism's traditional role of defending the socially and politically weak against the powerful.

Views on extremism

In recent years, Salafi methodology has come to be associated with the jihad of extremist groups and related groups that advocate the killing of innocent civilians. While some terrorists claim to be Salafi, these acts have consistently been strongly opposed by some Salafi scholars such as Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen and Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz who have all issued fatawa (religious verdicts) forbidding suicide bombing, declaring it as being totally haram (forbidden).

With regard to suicide bombings, Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz said:

" ... such an act is never correct because it is a form of killing oneself and Allāh subhanahu wa ta'ala says: 'And do not kill yourselves. ' And the prophet salAllahu 'aleihi wa selim said: 'Whoever kills himself by any means, he will be punished by it on the Day of Resurrection. ' The person should rather strive and seek to guide them and if fighting is legalized and legislated, then he fights alongside the Muslims. If he’s then killed in this way, then Allāh is praised. But as for killing himself by booby-trapping his body with explosives, thereby killing others and himself, this is wrong and completely impermissible. Rather, he should fight with the Muslims only when fighting is legitimately legislated. As for the actions of (some of) the Palestinians, they are wrong and produce no benefit. Instead, it is compulsory upon them to call to Allāh by teaching, guiding, and advising and not by such actions as these."

The groups and individuals that carry out terrorist attacks are regarded as being outside the methodology of the Salaf, misguided and deviant; chiefly erroneous "Qutubi jihadism" groups.

It has been noted that the Western association of Salafi ideology with violence stems from writings "through the prism of security studies" that were published in the late 20th century ands that continue to persist. More recent attempts have been made by academics and scholars to challenge these major assumptions.

Trends loosely associated with Salafism

Salafist jihadism

"Salafi Jihadism" was a term coined by Gilles Kepel to describe those self-claiming Salafi groups who began developing an interest in jihad during the mid-1990s. Practitioners are often referred to as "Salafi jihadis" or "Salafi jihadists". Journalist Bruce Livesey estimates Salafi jihadists constitute less than 0.5 percent of the world's 1.9 billion Muslims (i.e., less than 10 million). However, those who take their actions beyond the limits of the shari'ah (such as terrorist attacks against civilians) are seen as deviant and not true Salafis.

• Another definition of Salafi jihadism, offered by Mohammed M. Hafez, is an "extreme form of Sunni Islamism that rejects democracy and Shia rule." Hafez distinguished them from apolitical and conservative Salafi scholars (such as Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen, Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz and Abdul-Azeez ibn Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaikh), but also from the sahwa movement associated with Salman al-Ouda or Safar Al-Hawali.

Purists, Madkhalism

"Purists" are Salafists who focus on non-violent da'wah, education, and "purification of religious beliefs and practices". They dismiss politics as "a diversion or even innovation that leads people away from Islam".

Madkhalism is a term typically referring to the strain of Salafists viewed as supportive of authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. Taking its name from the controversial Saudi Arabian cleric Rabee Al-Madkhali, the movement lost its support in Saudi Arabia proper when several members of the Permanent Committee (the country's clerical body) denounced Madkhali personally. Influence of both the movement and its figureheads have waned so much within the Muslim world that analysts have declared it to be a largely European phenomenon.

Salafist activism

It has sometimes been described as a third strain of the global movement, being different from the Salafist Jihadists by eschewing violence and from the Salafist Madkhalists by engaging in modern political processes. Due to numerical superiority, the movement has been referred to the mainstream of the Salafist movement at times. This trend, sometimes called "politicos", see politics as "yet another field in which the Salafi creed has to be applied" in order to safeguard justice and "guarantee that the political rule is based upon the Shari'a".

Qutbism

Qutbism is a movement which has, at times, been described both as a strain of Salafism and an opposing movement, providing the foil to Madkhalism in that the movement is typically found in radical opposition to the ruling regimes of the Middle East. Qutbism has, at times, been associated with the above mentioned Salafist Jihadist trend.

Despite some similarities, the different contemporary self-proclaimed Salafist groups often strongly disapprove of one another and deny the other's Islamic character.

Comparison with other movements

Some Salafi Muslims often preach disengagement from Western activities, and advocate being apolitical and being against any form of extremism, "even by giving them an Islamic slant." Instead, it is thought that Muslims should stick to traditional activities, particularly Dawah. Nevertheless, Salafis do not preach willful ignorance of civil or state law. While preaching that the Sharia takes precedence, Salafi Muslims conform to civil or state law as far as they are required, for example in purchasing mandatory auto insurance.

Arab Spring

Salafi have been notable following insurrections in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. In the 2011–12 Egypt parliamentary elections, the Islamist Bloc led by the Al‑Nour Party managed to receive 27.8% of the vote despite only "a few months of party politicking experience", gaining 127 of the 498 parliamentary seats contested and forming the second-largest bloc in the parliament. According to Ammar Ali Hassan of al-Ahram, while Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood agree on many issues such as the need to "Islamize" society and restricting private property rights by legally requiring all Muslims to give alms, the former has nevertheless rejected the flexibility of the latter on the issue of whether women and Christians should be entitled to serve in high office, as well as its relatively tolerant attitude towards Shia Iran.

Criticism

Salafism has been recently criticized by Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl of the UCLA School of Law. El Fadl argues that the Salafi methodology "drifted into stifling apologetics" by the mid-20th century, a reaction against "anxiety" to "render Islam compatible with modernity," by its leaders earlier in the century. He attacks those who state "any meritorious or worthwhile modern institutions were first invented and realized by Muslims". He argues the result was that "an artificial sense of confidence and an intellectual lethargy" developed, according to Abou El Fadl, "that took neither the Islamic tradition nor" the challenges of the modern world "very seriously."

According to the As-Sunnah Foundation of America, the Salafi and Wahhabi movements are strongly opposed by a long list of Sunni scholars. The Saudi government has been criticised for damaging Islamic heritage of thousands of years in Saudi Arabia. Though Salafis when told about this were as opposed to it as other Muslims. The Salafi movement has been linked by Marc Sageman to some terrorists group around the world.

Salafism in China

Salafism is intensely opposed by a number of Hui Muslims in China and by the Gedimu, Sufi Khafiya and Jahriyya, to the extent that even the fundamentalist Yihewani (Ikhwan) Chinese sect, founded by Ma Wanfu after Salafi inspiration, condemned Ma Debao and Ma Zhengqing as heretics when they attempted to introduce Salafism as the main form of Islam. Ma Debao established a Salafi school, called the Sailaifengye (Salafi) menhuan in Lanzhou and Linxia. It is completely separate from other Muslim sects in China. Muslim Hui avoid Salafis, even if they are family members. The number of Salafis in China are not included on percentage lists of Muslim sects in China. The Kuomintang Sufi Muslim General Ma Bufang, who backed the Yihewani (Ikhwan) Muslims, persecuted the Salafis and forced them into hiding. They were not allowed to move or worship openly. The Yihewani had become secular and Chinese nationalists; they considered the Salafiyya to be "heterodox" (xie jiao) and people who followed foreigners' teachings (waidao). After the Communists took power, Salafis were allowed to worship openly again.

German government's statement on Salafism

German government officials have stated that Salafism has a strong link to terrorism but have clarified that not all Salafists are terrorists. The statements by German government officials criticizing Salafism were televised by Deutsche Welle during April 2012.

Prominent Salafi scholars by country

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

See also

• Athari
• Ahl al-Hadith
• Wahhabi
• Ibn Taymiyyah

References

1. Have Salafis Taken Over the Muslim World and Muslim Communities, Answered by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, ... and only recently (in the last 30 years) has the so called Salafi sect come into existence.
2. Ghazali And The Poetics Of Imagination, by Ebrahim Moosa ISBN 0-8078-5612-6 – Page 21
3. salafiyya About Atheism/Agnosticism
4. For example, the Ahl-i Hadith which "have been active since the nineteenth century on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan ... though designated as Wahhabis by their adversaries, ... prefer to call themselves 'Salafis.'" (from The Failure of Political Islam, by Olivier Roy, translated by Carol Volk, Harvard University Press, 1994, pp. 118–9)
5. ^ Stephane Lacroix, Al-Albani's Revolutionary Approach to Hadith. Leiden University's ISIM Review, Spring 2008, #21.
6. Dr Abdul-Haqq Baker, Extremists in Our Midst: Confronting Terror, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011
7. Beaumont, Peter (9 February 2013). "Violent tide of Salafism threatens the Arab spring". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
8. ^ Shaykh Salih Al Suhaymee's fatwa against suicide bombings at islamagainstextremism.com.
9. ^ , Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Abdul Aziz Aal Al Shaykh's fatwa against suicide bombing at islamagainstextremism.com.
10. ^ Shaykh Al Albaani's fatwa on suicide bombings (audio with English translation) at islamagainstextremism.com.
11. ^ Shaykh Ubayd Al Jaabiree refuting suicide bombings and Anwar Al Awlaki at islamagainstextremism.com.
12. Kepel, Gilles (2006). Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781845112578. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
13. For example: "Salafism originated in the mid to late 19th-century as an intellectual movement at al-Azhar University, led by Muhammad Abduh (1849–1905), Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1839–1897) and Rashid Rida (1865–1935)." from Understanding the Origins of Wahhabism and Salafism, by Trevor Stanley. Terrorism Monitor Volume 3, Issue 14. July 15, 2005
14. ''Jihad'' By Gilles Kepel, Anthony F. Roberts. Books.google.com. 24 February 2006. ISBN 978-1-84511-257-8. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
15. Haykel, Bernard. "Sufism and Salafism in Syria". 11 May 2007. Syria Comment. Retrieved 22 May 2013. 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.
16. ^ As-Sunnah Foundation of America, Wahhabism: Understanding the Roots and Role Models of Islamic Extremism, by Zubair Qamar
17. ^ Masud.co.uk, Al-Albani Unveiled, Some Observations about the Salafi/Wahhabi sect
18. Yazid was Never Amirul Muminin, by Sheikh Abdillahi Nassir, published Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya, 2004; also published Al-Islamd.org Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project. Section entitled Wahabis Contradict the Sunnah!
19. ^ GlobalSecurity.org Wahhabi.
20. DifferenceBetween.net, Difference Between Sunni and Wahabi.
21. ikhwanonline.net
22. Hasan al-Banna and the Ways and Means of Da'wah Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, "... is the imaam of this crooked path/way which makes permissible for itself every single way or means for the sake of actualizing what they call the 'benefit of the da'wah' but it is nothing but the 'benefits of dejected hizbiyyah (party-spirit)'..."
23. Uproar in Germany over Salafi drive to hand out millions of Qurans
24. Comment: Underground Islam in Russia, Source: Simon Shuster, SLATE.
25. Christian Caryl, The Salafi Moment at foreignpolicy.com.
26. "Dawat-us-Salafiyyah ("Call of those who preceded us")". Muttaqun.com. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
27. Shaikh Saleh al-Fawzan (24 May 2004). "أعزاءنا زوار وأعضاء الساحة العربية، ("Salafiyyah is not a sect amongst sects")". alasha.com. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
28. "The way of the Sufis is the way of the Salaf, the Scholars among the Sahaba, Tabi’in, and Tabi’ at-Tabi’in. Its origin is to worship Allah and to leave the ornaments of this world and its pleasures.” (Ibn Khaldun (733-808 H/1332-1406 CE) Muqaddimat ibn Khaldan, p. 328, quoted in; PAHARY SHEIK MOHAMMAD YASSER, SUFISM: ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT AND EMERGENCE OF SUFI ORDERS, retrieved March 2012.
29. Aydin Der Unterschied zwischen salafīya und as salaf as s ā lih, Wien 2009, retrieved March 2012.
30. Haykel, Bernard (2009). "Chapter 1: On the Nature of Salafi Thought and Action". In Meijer, Roel (ed.). Global Salafism: Islam's New Religious Movement. Columbia University Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-231-15420-8.
31. "Why the Word Salafee?". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
32. Sahih al-Bukhari, 8:76:437
33. شرف أصحاب الحديث ("The Noble Status of the People of Hadeeth"), al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi.
34. "حكم قول انا سلفي ("The Ruling On Saying "I am Salafi"", Shaikh al-Albani)". islameye.com. Retrieved 10/12/2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
35. Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, al-Laalika'ee, tahqeeq of Nash'at Kamaal Misree, 1/7-9
36. ^ Statements from the Salaf on Ascription to the Salaf, SalafiPublications.com, Article ID: SLF010001
37. ^ GlobalSecurity.org Salafi Islam
38. http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/pv/Hasb-e-Haal/3/ep-9906/ALL/2013-09-13
39. Six Points of Tabligh, the 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.
40. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought, p 484
41. Stephane Lacroix, George Holoch, Awakening Islam, p 84
42. Miriam Cooke, Bruce B. Lawrence, Muslim Networks from Hajj to Hip Hop, p 213
43. Thus he opposed Taqlid and called for and practiced absolute ijtihad. Clinton Bennett, The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies, p.174. See also, Richard Gauvain, Salafi Ritual Purity: In the Presence of God, Introduction, p9
44. Abduh's statement of purpose was: To liberate thought from the shackles of Taqlid and understand religion as it was understood by the Salaf. Clinton Bennett, The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies, p.168.
45. From there he learned to oppose taqlid in a madhab. Clinton Bennett, The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies, p.174. Al-Albani had denounced Wahhabi attachment to the Hanbali school. Stephane Lacroix, George Holoch, Awakening Islam, p 85
46. For many Salafis, both modernist and conservative, "worship" of created beings includes practicing taqlid within a madhab of fiqh. Clinton Bennett, The Bloomsbury Companion to Islamic Studies, p.165
47. al-Makkee, Manaaqib Abee Haneefah, pg. 183–184
48. Dhammul-Kalaam (B/194)
49. Dhammul-Kalaam (Q/173/A)
50. Dhammul-Kalaam (Q/213)
51. Dhahabi, as-Siyar (10/30)
52. Ibn Abi Hatim, Manaaqibush-Shaafi'ee, pg. 182
53. Jaami' Bayaanul-'Ilm wa Fadlihi (2/95)
54. Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad (or Manaaqibul-Imaam Ahmad), by Abu'l-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi, p205.
55. Ibn Battah, al-Ibaanah (2/540)
56. التجديد بمفهومية ("Renewal and its Understanding"), Shaikh Muhammad Aman al-Jaamee, Part 1.
57. صور من الجاهليات المعاصرة ("Glimpses From the Modern Jahiliyyah"), Shaikh Muhammad Amaan al-Jaamee.
58. سلسلة مفهوم السلفية ("Understanding Salafiyyah"), Shaikh Muhammad Naasir ad-Deen al-Albaani, Parts 1–2, 6.
59. Siyar 'Alam al-Nubula, by al-Dhahbi, vol. 16, pg. 457, no. 332, Mua'ssash al-Risalah, Beirut, 11th edition, 2001.
60. Siyar 'Alam al-Nubala, vol. 23, pg. 142-3, by al-Dhahabi, Muassah al-Risalah, Beirut, 11th Edition, 2001.
61. Tadhkirah al-huffaz, vol. 4, pg. 1431, Da'irah al-Ma'arif al-'Uthmaniyyah, India.
62. Tabsir al-Muntabih Bitahrir al-Mushtabih, vol. 2, pg. 738, published by: Al-Mu'assasah al-Misriyyah al-'Ammah Lil-Talif wa Al-Anba' wa al-Nashr, edited by: Ali al-Bajawi, no additional information.
63. Lisan al-Mizan, by Ibn Hajar, vol. 5, pg. 348, no. 1143, Dar al-Kitab al-Islami, no additional information; it is apparently a reprint of the original Indian print. The quoted segment of Ibn Hajar's biography for al-Misri originated from Ibn Hajar, as this was not included in al-Dhahabi's biography of the same individual (who is named 'ibn Sha'ban' instead of ibn Sufyan).
64. Al-Ansab, by Abu Sa'd Abd al-Kareem Al-Sama'ni, vol. 7, pg. 168, photocopied from the Da'iah Al-Ma'arif Al-Uthmaniyah edition by the Al-Faruq publishing company of Egypt, no date provided. The names of those using this ascription were described by the verifier as being blank in all of the manuscript copies of the book, he obtained them by means of cross referencing.
65. A Reply to the Doubts of the Qutubiyyah Concerning Ascription to Sunnah and Salafiyyah, page 29, SalafiPublications.com, Article ID: SLF010004.
66. "The Principles of Salafiyyah". Salafipublications.com. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
67. 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
68. The Wahhabi Myth, H.J.Oliver
69. Laurent Bonnefoy, Salafism in Yemen. Transnationalism and Religious Identity, Columbia University Press/Hurst, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84904-131-7, page 245.
70. ^ What is a Salafi and What is Salafism?
71. Murphy, Caryle (15 January 2007). "Washington Post, For Conservative Muslims, Goal of Isolation a Challenge". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
72. John L. Esposito, What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, p.50
73. Abou El Fadl, Khaled M., The Great Theft, HarperSanFrancisco, 2005, p.79
74. Stanley, Trevor. "Understanding the Origins of Wahhabism and Salafism by Trevor Stanley". Jamestown.org. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
75. ^ Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon, The Next Attack, page 55. ISBN 0-8050-7941-6.
76. Hassan Hanafi, Brief History of Islam, pp. 258-259. ISBN 1-4051-0900-9.
77. "Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Baz on Suicide Bombings". faithinallah.org.
78. Meijer, Roel (2009). "Introduction". In Meijer, Roel (ed.). Global Salafism: Islam's New Religious Movement. Columbia University Presss. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-231-15420-8.
79. ^ The Salafist movement by Bruce Livesey
80. Coming to Terms: Fundamentalists or Islamists?, Martin Kramer, Middle East Quarterly, Spring 2003, pp. 65–77.
81. Suicide Bombers in Iraq By Mohammed M. Hafez
82. ^ Whatever Happened to the Islamists? edited by Olivier Roy and Amel Boubekeur, Columbia University Press, 2012.
83. ^ Richard Gauvain, Salafi Ritual Purity: In the Presence of God, pg. 41. New York: Routledge, 2013.
84. Roel Meijer, Global Salafism: Islam's New Religious Movement, pg. 49. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009.
85. ^ George Joffé, Islamist Radicalisation in Europe and the Middle East: Reassessing the Causes of Terrorism, pg. 317. London: I.B. Tauris, 2013.
86. ^ The Transmission and Dynamics of the Textual Sources of Islam: Essays in Honour of Harald Motzki, eds. Nicolet Boekhoff-van der Voort, Kees Versteegh and Joas Wagemakers, pg. 382. Leiden: Brill Publishers, 2011.
87. ^ Meijer, pg. 48.
88. Abou El Fadl, Khaled, The Great Theft Harper San Francisco, 2005, p.62-8
89. Globalized Islam :the Search for a New Ummah, by Olivier Roy, Columbia University Press, 2004 (p.245)
90. Salafis and Sufis in Egypt, Jonathan Brown, Carnegie Paper, December 2011.
91. Hassan, Ammar Ali. "Muslim Brothers and Salafis". 06-12-2012. Al Ahram. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
92. Abou El Fadl, Khaled, The Great Theft, Harper San Francisco, 2005, p. 77
93. Abou El Fadl, pp. 52–56, 78–9
94. As-Sunnah Foundation of America, Wahhabism: Understanding the Roots and Role Models of Islamic Extremism by Zubair Qamar. This article lists 65 Sunni scholars from different time periods, whom the article claims were opposed to either the Salafi or the Wahhabi movements. The article claims that the Wahhabi movement is the same thing as the Salafi movement.
95. The Independent, The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen – and proof Islam's most holy relics are being demolished in Mecca , by Jerome Taylor, 15 March 2013. The article says that the Saudis are dismantling some old parts the Grand Mosque at Mecca, as part of work to make the mosque larger, and that the sites of other very old buildings in Mecca and Medina have been redevloped over the past twenty years. The article claims that many senior Wahhabis believe that preserving historic relics for their own sake is undesirable because it encourages idolatry (shirq).
96. Youtube, Saudi's Destruction Of The Islamic Heritage, by AhleSunnaTV.
97. The Independent, Why don't more Muslims speak out against the wanton destruction of Mecca's holy sites?, by Jerome Taylor, 28 October 2012.
98. Third public hearing of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, Statement of Marc Sageman to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 9 July 2003
99. Michael Dillon (1999). China's Muslim Hui community: migration, settlement and sects. Richmond: Curzon Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-7007-1026-3. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
100. Maris Boyd Gillette (2000). Between Mecca and Beijing: modernization and consumption among urban Chinese Muslims. Stanford University Press. p. 279. ISBN 0-8047-3694-4. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
101. John L. Esposito (1999). The Oxford History of Islam. Oxford University Press US. p. 749. ISBN 0-19-510799-3. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
102. BARRY RUBIN (2000). Guide to Islamist Movements. M.E. Sharpe. p. 800. ISBN 0-7656-1747-1. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
103. Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz) 7/18/2012: latest 2011 report on Islamic Salafist extremism in Germany (English)
104. Deutsche Welle article of May 8, 2012 regarding Salafism and its adherents' activities in Germany (English)
105. Template:De icon Online "Pipeline" German news agency article from July 17, 2012 on the German government's view of Salafist extremism

• Use dmy dates from March 2013
• Salafi movement