The Way of As-Salaf as-Saalih
Excerpt from The Salafi Methodology by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Umar Bazmool:
The Salafi methodology stands upon three fundamental principles:
1. The First: Sincerely directing all worship to Allaah alone.
2. The Second: Holding fast to the Jama'ah, and hearing and obeying [the Muslim Rulers].
3. The Third: Being extremely cautious of innovation (bid'ah) and the people of religious innovation.
From the evidences that provide textual support for these fundamental principles is the following:
Al-'Irbaad Ibn Saariyah, radiAllaahu 'anhu, said, "The Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, admonished us one day after the early morning prayer. The admonition was heartfelt and eloquent and caused the eyes to shed tears and the hearts to tremble. A man from amongst us said, 'Certainly, it is as if this is a farewell admonition, so with what do you advise us, O Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa salam,? He replied, 'I advise you to fear Allaah and to listen and obey those in authority over you even if it were an Abyssinian slave. Indeed, whoever from amongst you lives long will witness much differing. And beware of newly invented matters for surely they are misguidance. Whoever from amongst you lives to witness this, then cling to my Sunnah and the way of the rightly guided Khulafaa [Caliphs] who will come after me and grab hold of it with your molar teeth.'"
Suhayl Ibn Abi Saalih said upon the authority of his father who narrated from Aboo Hurayrah, radiAllaahu 'anhu, that the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa salam, said "Indeed, Allaah loves for you three things and despises you for three things. He loves for you that you worship Him alone and that you do not associate any partners with Him; that you hold on to the rope of Allaah altogether; and that you advise those who have been placed in authority over you. Allaah despises for you gossip, the wasting of wealth, and incessant questioning." [Muslim, Ahmad]
These three principles have been explicitly mentioned in the narration of Zayd ibn Thaabit, radiAllaahu 'anhu, who said, "I heard the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa salam, say, 'Allaah will brighten the face of the one who hears from us a hadeeth (narration), memorizes it and then coveys it to others. Perhaps, the one who conveys it does not comprehend it, and perhaps the one carrying fiqh conveys it to one who has more understanding than himself. There are three characteristics which when present the heart of a Muslim will never harbor any vindictive feelings; Sincerely performing an action for Allaah, advising those who have been places in authority over you and holding fast to the Jama'ah. Indeed their call protects all those behind them."
These three characteristics encompass everything that the people's Religion and their worldly affairs are built upon. Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhaab (d.1206H) said, "There is no deficiency in a person's Religion or worldly affairs except due to a discrepancy in these three things or some of them." [Masa'il al-Jahiliyyah]
1. The First: Sincerely directing all worship to Allaah alone.
2. The Second: Holding fast to the Jama'ah, and hearing and obeying [the Muslim Rulers].
3. The Third: Being extremely cautious of innovation (bid'ah) and the people of religious innovation.
From the evidences that provide textual support for these fundamental principles is the following:
Al-'Irbaad Ibn Saariyah, radiAllaahu 'anhu, said, "The Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, admonished us one day after the early morning prayer. The admonition was heartfelt and eloquent and caused the eyes to shed tears and the hearts to tremble. A man from amongst us said, 'Certainly, it is as if this is a farewell admonition, so with what do you advise us, O Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa salam,? He replied, 'I advise you to fear Allaah and to listen and obey those in authority over you even if it were an Abyssinian slave. Indeed, whoever from amongst you lives long will witness much differing. And beware of newly invented matters for surely they are misguidance. Whoever from amongst you lives to witness this, then cling to my Sunnah and the way of the rightly guided Khulafaa [Caliphs] who will come after me and grab hold of it with your molar teeth.'"
Suhayl Ibn Abi Saalih said upon the authority of his father who narrated from Aboo Hurayrah, radiAllaahu 'anhu, that the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa salam, said "Indeed, Allaah loves for you three things and despises you for three things. He loves for you that you worship Him alone and that you do not associate any partners with Him; that you hold on to the rope of Allaah altogether; and that you advise those who have been placed in authority over you. Allaah despises for you gossip, the wasting of wealth, and incessant questioning." [Muslim, Ahmad]
These three principles have been explicitly mentioned in the narration of Zayd ibn Thaabit, radiAllaahu 'anhu, who said, "I heard the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa salam, say, 'Allaah will brighten the face of the one who hears from us a hadeeth (narration), memorizes it and then coveys it to others. Perhaps, the one who conveys it does not comprehend it, and perhaps the one carrying fiqh conveys it to one who has more understanding than himself. There are three characteristics which when present the heart of a Muslim will never harbor any vindictive feelings; Sincerely performing an action for Allaah, advising those who have been places in authority over you and holding fast to the Jama'ah. Indeed their call protects all those behind them."
These three characteristics encompass everything that the people's Religion and their worldly affairs are built upon. Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhaab (d.1206H) said, "There is no deficiency in a person's Religion or worldly affairs except due to a discrepancy in these three things or some of them." [Masa'il al-Jahiliyyah]
Who are the Salaf?
The meaning of the [word] Salaf is (Al-Mutaqaddimoon) the predecessors so every person that precedes another is a salaf for him but when this term is used unrestrictedly then it only refers to the first three praised generations from the companions (as-Sahaabah) and those that followed them (at-Taabi’oon) and those that followed them [Atba’ at-Taabyi’een]. They indeed are the pious predecessors (as-Salaf as-Saaleh). Whoever came after them and traversed upon their way (Minhaaj) then he is like them upon the way of the Salaf; even though he may have come after them with regards to time because as-Salafiyyah is a designation which applies to the way (Minhaaj)) which was traversed by the pious predecessors (as-Salaf as-Saaleh) as the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa salam) said:
“Indeed my nation will split into seventy three sects all of them in the Fire except one and it is the united body (al-Jamaa’ah)”
and in another wording,
“..whoever is upon the same as what I am upon and my companions.”
So based upon that then as-Salafiyyah here is specific in meaning, hence whoever is upon the way (Minhaaj) of the Sahaabah, the Taabi’oon and those who followed them upon goodness then he is a Salafi even if he is in our contemporary times and whilst it being the fourteenth century after the Migration [of the Prophet] (al-Hijrah).
Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih Ibn Uthaymeen, rahimahUllaah
Fataawa Noor 'alaa al-Darb: at-Tawheed wal-'Aqeedah.
What is Salafiyyah?
All praise is due to Allaah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his family and his Companions.
To proceed:
"As-Salafiyyah" is an attachment or affiliation to the 'Salaf'. And "The Salaf" are the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wassallam) and the Imaams of guidance (may Allaah be pleased with them) from the first three generations, those whose goodness Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) bore witness to in his statement:
"The best of mankind is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them. Then there will come people where bearing witness of one of them will precede his taking an oath and his taking an oath will be his bearing witness."
[Reported by Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in the 'Musnad', 'Al-Bukhaaree', and Muslim]*
And "The Salafiyyoon [or Salafees]" is the plural of "Salafi", an attachment or affiliation to the Salaf, and its meaning has already preceded above - and they are those who traverse upon the Methodology (Manhaj) of the Salaf in following the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah [of the Messenger of Allaah], and inviting to them, and acting upon them, and they are, due to this, Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah.
Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz, rahimahUllaah
* Imaam Ahmad: (4/426). Al-Bukhaaree: (2651). Muslim: (2535).
"Fataawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Daa'imah": (2/165-166). Fatwa No. (1361). Translated by Abu Khadeejah
Who and what is the Jamaa'ah of as-Salafiyyah?
The Jamaa’ah of as-Salafiyyah is the Jamaa’ah which is upon the truth, and it is the one that it is obligatory to belong to, act in accordance with and to ascribe to. And everything else from amongst the jamaa’aat, then it is obligatory that they not be considered jamaa’aat of da’wah, because they are in opposition. How can we follow a sect that opposes the Jamaa’ah of Ahlus-Sunnah and the guidance of the Salafus-Saalih?!
Whatever opposes the Jamaa’ah of Salafiyyah, then it opposes the manhaj of the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). It is in opposition to whatever the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions were upon.
So the statement of the speaker that the Jamaa’ah of Salafiyyah is one of the Islaamic jamaa’aat, this is an error. The Jamaa’ah of Salafiyyah is the sole Jamaa’ah that it is obligatory to follow, to traverse upon its manhaj, to be affiliated with and to make Jihaad with. And everything else besides it, then it is not permissible for the Muslim to affiliate himself with any of that, because it is in opposition.
So if the person pleased to be affiliated with the opponents to the manhaj of the Salaf? The Muslim is not pleased with this. The Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “Stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs after me.” [1]
And he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whosoever is upon the likes of what I am upon today, and my Companions.” [2] So does a person desire salvation, but he traverses other than its path? ‘You hope for salvation, but you do not traverse its path; Indeed, the ship does not sail upon dry land.'
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, hafidhUllaah
Fataawaa ’Ulamaa‘ fil-Jamaa’aat; [1]: Related by Aboo Daawood (no. 4607)., [2]: Related by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2541).
How to remain firm upon Salafiyyah?
There are a number of affairs that will help someone in this. From them:
[1] Staying close to the people of knowledge, those who are known for:
[a] their capabilities;
[b] being foremost in virtues;
[c] being well versed in knowledge;
[d] their strength in (knowledge of) the Sunnah;
[e] their adherence to it;
[f] their harshness against the people of desires.
It is suitable that they are the ones to take (knowledge) from, the knowledge that is paired with wisdom.
[2] Staying distant from the people of innovation and desires, keeping away from their gatherings, and not subjecting oneself to their debating and argumentation.
[3] Reading the books authored by the Salaf, reading them with the scholars if that is possible. If that is not possible, then asking about the phrases or subjects which are difficult to understand within these Salafee books, asking the people of knowledge about them, so they can clarify any misunderstandings one encounters.
Shaykh 'Ubayd al-Jaabiree, hafidhUllaah
Is Salafiyyah amongst the Hizbiyoon?
Salafiyyah: It is the saved sect, and they are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, it is not a sect from amongst the party spirited groups that are labeled with partisanship; it is a Jamaa’ah upon the Sunnah and the Deen. He (the Prophet) sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
“There will not cease to be a group of my nation manifest upon the truth, not being harmed by those who abandon them, nor by those who appose them.” [Muslim, 1920]
He (the Prophet) sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
This Ummah will split into seventy three sects all of them in the fire except one.”
They (the Companions) asked: “What is it (the saved sect) O Messenger of Allaah?” He (the Prophet sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
”Those that are upon what I and my Companions are upon today.” [Tirmidhi, 2641]
So Salafiyyah is a group upon the methodology of the Salaf, upon that which the Messenger sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his Companions were upon, that is not a sect from the party spirited sects of today. Indeed it (as-Salaffiyah) is an ancient Jamaa’ah traced back to the time of the Messenger sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam a continually inherited legacy, remaining manifest upon the truth up until the establishment of the Hour as he sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam informed.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, hafidhUllaah
