as-salafiya - the way of the pious predecessors by sh waleed basoyuni

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Al-Salafiyyah:

All praises and thanks are due to Allā

family, his companions, and all those w

Al-Islam is a collection of rules and arti

we should do. The theoretical part is t

with Allāh (and this is known as Iba

creations. Therefore, the religion is m

related to all of these areas ha%e been

'uring the time of mar)s *hilafah,

told mar the good news of how man

of Islam and by the new generation of

who was asked by mar , +

/hristians had their books, but it did n

did not do that without understanding

one another like the people of the 0o

on the mark in describing how this m

The %erses of the &ur1ān and the statpractice them and what methods sho

from the 2rophet by watching him

his character, and the #ahabah witn

re%ealed in the language of the #ah

trustworthiness which is referenced in

Any person, who comes after the #a

rulings from a hadith, for e3ample. 5e

familiari$e himself with the history of t

principles of sool before arri%ing at a

0ecause of that, the #ahabah ha%e be

means of following the &ur1ān and #un

himself. They are our predecessors (#

(the companions possessed the most

and had the least constraint. They wer

emulate their character and way, for

Al-Aa8urri9

:ot too long after what Ibn )Abbas

&ura)n and #unnah to support their o

the #ahabah. The most famous e3ampl

the way of the companions and e%en ce3ample, took up arms against the *ha

that says, +Allāh is the ;nly <udge.

considered arbitration as an act of disb

see any one of the companions with

understood what the *hawari8 unders

criterion.

As they were the first of our mmah

+#alaf (predecessors, and their wa

methodology of the #alaf. Al-imam al-

where the people (i.e. the companion

Tra%erse upon the path of your #alaf a

sufficient for you. 5e also said, +5ol

0eware of the opinions of men, no ma

become manifest whilst you will be

Assunnah wal-<ama)ah by A6-6alaka)i9

he Methodology of the Pious Predec

Sh. Waleed Basoyuni

, and may the blessings and prayers be upon

ho follow in their footsteps until the 'ay of <udg

cles of faith, of knowledge and action, of things

e theology aspect of the religion, and the rules

dah, or acts of worship or related to deali

de up of A!idah, "i!h and #ulook (eti!uettes

addressed in the &ur1ān and #unnah.

one of his companions came back from al-#

people had started reading the &ur1ān and m

Muslims. This sounded like %ery good news, but

hat you think Ibn ) said, +; 2rince of t

ot sa%e them from becoming di%ided and fighti

it first. I worry that they will be di%ided o%er th

k did. mar agreed with Ibn )Abbas and h

ah will be di%ided.

ments of the 2rophet are the sources of old be used to understand them The compani

as a practical e3ample in front of them. )A)isha

essed the 2rophet li%ing the &ur1ān in his

bah, and it was re%ealed within their cultura

the &ur1ān, and this gi%es them an instant ad%

abah, must go through a lengthy process bef

ust look at the authenticity of the narration, st

e te3t, e%aluate what scholars ha%e said about i

ny ruling(s, but as for the #ahabah, they did n

come the role models for the Muslim mmah

nah. They had no imam or Madh-hab or source

laf, and they are an e3ample for all others. I

pious hearts of this mmah. They were the m

a people whom Allāh chose for the companio

y the 6ord of the *a)bah, they are upon the str

said to mar , his fear became a realit

n ideas, and they interpreted them a different

es in Islamic history are those of the *hawari8 a

nsidered most of the #ahabah to be *uffar (dislifah Ali Ibn Abi Talib , based on their faulty

They understood that to mean that mediatio

elief. hen Ibn Abbas debated them on thi

you. In other words, he was saying that n

tood from this %erse and that the understandi

to precede us, following the companions beca

of understanding the religion and practicin

Aw$a=i (d. >?@ 5. said, +2atiently restrict your

s stopped, say what they say and refrain from

s-#alih (righteous predecessors, for indeed wh

fast to the Athar (narrations of the #alaf, e

ter how much they beautify it with their speec

upon the correct straight path concerning it.

essors

he Messenger of Allāh, his

ment.

we should know and things

re either related to dealing

g with other humans and

nd sociali$ing. The details

haam (#yria42alestine and

mori$ing it in this new land

it did not satisfy Ibn )Abbas

he 0elie%ers, the <ews and

g one another. I wish they

&ur1ān, and they will fight

is wisdom. This narration is

ur religion, but how do weons (#ahabah took directly

said, +The &ur1ān was

daily life. The &ur1ān was

l setting. Add to this their

antage o%er e%eryone else.

ore he4she can deri%e any

udy the culture of the time,

t, and look at it through the

ot need any of these steps.

and following them is the

other than the 2rophet

n Mas)oud said, +They

ost profound in knowledge

ship of 5is 2rophet , so

aight path. 7As-#hari=ah by

. Muslims began using the

way other than the way of

d the #hi)ah, who opposed

elie%ers. The *hawari8, forunderstanding of the %erse

is not allowed, and they

s opinion, he said, +I do not

one among the #ahabah

ng of the #ahabah was the

e known as following the

it became known as the

self upon the #unnah, stop

that which they refrained.

t was sufficient for them is

en if people abandon you.

, for indeed the matter will

7#harh sool I=ti!ad Ahl-



#ince years to come after that, do$

ideologies and %iews, but with one co

freed themsel%es of it. #heikh al Isla

people of inno%ation is their disassoci

B4>??. At the same time, there were a

Messenger commanded.

Allāh said,

“And the first forerunners (in the fait

with good conduct – Allāh is pleased

gardens beneath which rivers flow,

!aubah, %&&'

5e also said,

“And whoever opposes the Messenge

of the believers – e will give him w

#$urah An*+isa, %%-'

There were no other belie%ers when tcommanded to follow.

“$o if they believe in the same as you

The #ahabah -may Allāh be pleased w

then he will be upon guidance and

addressed in the %erse, then those wh

The 2rophet said, +"or indeed, those

#unnah and to the sunnah of the rightl

newly-in%ented matters, for e%ery new

Tirmidhi and Abu 'awud9

Also, he said, +The <ews split up intommah (Muslims will split up into se

+hich is that one ; Messenger of

companions.+ 7At-Tirmidhi9

0ased on this, the scholars who refuse

or practicing the religion were known

that name, so they will not praise the

the &ur1ān and #unnah in this sense, b

the #alaf from those who do not.

Al-imam Ahmad bin 5anbal (d. CB> 5.

to what the /ompanions of the Mess

followed, and the abandonment of inn

Abdullah Ibn Abi Dayd al &airawani (

Almighty and the #unnah of 5is 2rophe

of the best community produced for

righteous #alaf. 7Introduction to his b

ns of groups and sects appeared in the hist

mon factor they all did not follow the way of a

Ibn Taymiyyah said, +It is therefore known th

ation of themsel%es from the followers of the

lways those who followed the footsteps of the

) among the Muhajireen, and the Ansar, an

with them and they are pleased with .im, an

herein they will abide forever !hat is the gre

after guidance has become clear to him and

hat he has taen and drive him into .ell, and

his %erse was re%ealed other than the #ahabah

elieve in, then they have been (rightly) guided

ith them- were upon that guidance and the tr

pon the straight path as well. It is the #aha

came after them and followed their path.

ho will still be ali%e after me will see many diff

y guided *halifahs after me Adhere to and clin

ly-in%ented matter is an inno%ation and e%ery i

se%enty-one sects, the /hristians split up intoenty-three sects all of them are in the "ire e3

Allāh 5e replied, +hoe%er is upon that

to follow any way other than the way of the co

as +the followers of al-#alaf or +#alafi. They

sel%es or di%ide the community by using a na

t those labels were merely used to distinguish t

said, +The "undamental 2rinciples of the #unn

enger of Allāh were upon, taking them (and t

%ations. And e%ery inno%ation is misguidance. 7

. EFG 5. said, +#al%ation lies in seeking prot

t and following the path of the belie%ers and th

mankind. Heliance on that is protection. #al

ok al-Hisalah9

ry with a wide %ariety of

l-#alaf. They re8ected it and

at the characteristic of the

#alaf. (Ma8moo) al-"atawa

ompanions as Allāh and 5is

those who followed them

.e has prepared for them

at attainment" #$urah At*

ollows other than the way

evil it is as a destination"

, and it is their way we are

" #$urah Al*0a1arah, %23'

th and whoe%er follows it,

ah who are the ones first

erences, so hold fast to my

tightly to it and beware of

no%ation is de%iation.+ 7At-

e%enty-two sects, and thiscept one. #omeone asked,

which I am upon and my

mpanions in understanding

ight not call themsel%es by

e that is not mentioned in

hose who follow the way of

h with us are 5olding fast

eir way as a model to be

sool Al-#unnah9

ction in the 0ook of Allāh

t of the best of generations

ation lies in following the



Abu Al-&asim Al-6alaka)i (d. B>F 5. s

<ama=ah, when speaking about und

statements and the clearest of proofs

Messenger of Allāh and his pious comp

to it until the 'ay of <udgment, and a%

7#harh sool I=ti!ad Ahl As-#unnah wal

Al-imam al-'hahabi (d. @BF 5. in his

Al-'ara!utni (d. EF? 5. by saying, +It

hated to me than the art of Al-*ala

Attributes.) I say Al-'ara!utni was ne

indeed a #alafi. 7>G4BK@9

Ibn 5a8ar Al-)As!alani (d. F?C 5. said,

a%oids what was inno%ated by the *h

successors9 7"ath Al-0ari by Ibn 5a8ar >

Throughout history, those who held o

were gi%en many labels such as Ahl

#alafis, and at a time they were known

"i!h, but because they followed him a

and that 5e does not speak. These

methodology and way of understandi

followed. It is the pure, simple, clear,used when there was a need to distin

Malik was asked what defines +Ahl As-

they are known by they are not the

B4>??9

About a hundred years ago the Musli

#unnah of the 2rophet Muhammad

understanding the principles of the rel

the Muslims to go back to the way o

Hampant #ufisim had robbed the religi

erection of shrines and the worshipin

e%en though they run contrary to mon

of "i!h emptied the #hari)ah from it

di%ersity into a curse of di%ision. It re

four <um)ahs. Lou would find stateme

/hristian or <ewish woman but ne%er a

allowed in the case of necessity. Towar

the western secular law, and a big pa

resistance became a strange %oice.

mountains of the "ar ast to the coast

interest to change the situation of the

#alaf were needed more than e%er be

:orth Africa called for restoring Islam i

Muslims, i.e. following the way of al-#

rectified e3cept by that which rectified

necessarily were upon the way of Al-#

of others for %arious reasons. ;ur rel

attempt to go back to the way of the

areas and neglected the understanding

Take-away points from the historical

N "ollowing the way of Al-#alaf is not an

N "ollowing the way of the #alaf does n

to be a member of a particular mo%emwas understood and practiced by the fi

N <ust as merely labeling oneself +a #al

true that one who does not label hims

that is known through its members an

id in the introduction of his book #harh sool

erstanding of Tawheed and Allāh)s Attribut

and reasoning are Allāh)s 0ook, the /lear Tru

anions, then what was agreed upon by the High

oiding inno%ations and listening to what was in

-<ama)ah by 6alikai >4>?B9

reat collection of biographies entitled )#iyar A)l

as soundly reported from Al-'ara!utni that he

(A philosophic way of understanding the :a

%er in%ol%ed in any *alam-based arguments, no

+The happy one is the one who sticks to wh

alaf. 7*halaf The ones who came after the t

4CG@9

to the way of the #ahabah (as opposed to the

s-#unnah al-<ama=ah, Ahlul-5adeeth, Ahlul-

as Al-5anabilah not because they followed the

d not the Mu)ta$ilah who claimed that Al-&ur1ā

titles were ne%er a description of the memb

g the religion according to the way the 2roph

comprehensi%e understanding of Islam. "or thuish between understandings, and otherwise n

#unnah wa al <ama)ah 5e replied, +They are t

<ahmis, nor Hafidis, nor &adaris. 7Ma8moo) a

m nation drifted far away from the way of th

in all areas "i!h, A!idah, mannerisms, spiritual

igion in completely unprecedented manners. T

f the #alaf and lea%e the e3tremism that dest

on of its strength and purity by basing it on inn

of the dead and the <inn became common pra

otheism of Islam. The followers of the Madhah

s strength by closing the door for I8tihad and

ched the e3tent that in Mecca there were fou

nts in 5anafi "i!h books saying that a 5anafi

#haf)i. In a #haf)i book, you would find that pra

ds the end of the ;ttoman #tate some /aliphs r

t of the Muslim mmah was under occupation

any scholars, acti%ists, and leaders among th

of the est, from the cold of the north to hot

Muslims. The title of +#alafiyyah and the re%i%

fore. Many mo%ements and groups in India, Ira

all aspects of life to the way it was during the

laf. Al-imam Malik said, +The matters of the las

the first of this mmah. :ot all of those %oice

laf in all aspects, and some of them focused on

igion is A!idah, "i!h, and #uluk. Many of the

#alaf, concentrated on the #alaf)s methodolog

of the #alaf in the others.

ackground to the Salafiyyah

option it is a must.

ot mean following a specific scholar or group o

nt. Hather it is following what the companionsrst three generations of Islam.

fi does not automatically make one a follower

lf +a #alafi is thus remo%ed out of +Al-#alafiyya

who, by default, are called #alafi based on their

I=ti!ad Ahl As-#unnah al-

s, +"rom the greatest of

th, then the sayings of the

eous #alaf, then holding on

o%ated by the misguided.

am Al-:ubala) reports from

said, )There is nothing more

ure of Jod and 5is 'i%ine

r did he e%er use it. 5e was

t the #alaf were upon and

ime of the pious #alaf, the

way of others carried and

Athar, Al-"ir!ah Al-:a8yah,

adhhab of imam Ahmad in

n is one of Allāh)s creations

rs of a group, rather the

t himself did that they

t reason the title was onlyo titles were used. Al-imam

hose who ha%e no title that

l-"atawa by Ibn Taymiyyah

#alaf and surely from the

ity, politics and e%en began

at led many people to call

royed the beauty of Islam.

%ations and fairy tales. The

ctices in the Muslim world,

ib (the famous four schools

transformed the beauty of

prayers, four Adhans, and

ale is allowed to marry a

ying behind a 5anafi is only

placed the Islamic law with

, and the call for <ihad and

Muslim mmah from the

forests of Africa, there was

l of the methodology of Al-

!, Arabia, #yria, gypt, and

rophet)s time and the early

t of this mmah will not be

s for change and correction

some areas at the e3pense

modern mo%ements, in an

concerning some of these

scholars, nor does it mean

greed upon and that which

of +Al- #alafiyyah, it is also

h. It is not a specific group

membership.



N Mistakes committed by anyone asso

criticism against Al-#alafiyyah is inde

understand the difference between Al-

N Most certainly Al-#alafiyyah does not

"i!h or political stance which is based

#alaf)s (and thus #alafis) consensus o

details. Al-#alaf Al-#alih (righteous pre

in weighing the benefits and harms th

of them due to that differing, as long a

the contrary, difference of opinion is a

N "alling into mistakes does not take

fundamentals while stri%ing to obser%e

ma8or fundamental principle of the #

principles of the #unnah, to the poin

important though to differentiate betw

N /onsidering Al-#alafiyyah as a metho

Al-#alafiyyah, being that e%ery Musli

methodology of the companions of

Muslims and any de%iation from it be

specific matters is nothing but due to

certain groups and or indi%iduals that hN Al-#alafiyyah being a methodology,

interpret the te3ts lead to an acceptab

own principles and guidelines with %a

wealth does in no way lead to ambig

I8tihad and recogni$ing the opposing u

I ask Allāh to help all of us to follow th

good ending and grant us 2aradise.

Al-Oasan Al-0aPrQ (d. >>K 5. said,

one way, showing the same face 7whe

e%eryone around him, running with e%

!e"ical Meaning:

Ibn "aris (d. E? 5. states +The (lette

precedence and antecedence. A deri%

the #alaf are the predecessors. 7Ma!ay

iated with Al-#alafiyyah should ne%er be attrib

d both disconcerting and pre8udiced, and it

#alafiyyah as a methodology and #alafis as indi%i

mean that all who associate with it are to agr

on the e%aluation of Al-Masaalih wal-Mafaasi

a general methodology does not mandate th

ecessors did not agree on many of the "i!h iss

t may result from such issues. This definitely di

e%ery one of them held fast to the general prin

sign of the strength and fle3ibility of the #alafi m

one out of Al-#alafiyyah as long as one hold

such principles in their real life. The only e3cep

nnah, or when one continuously comes up

t where he may be characteri$ed as being a

een this matter as a rule and applying it to a spe

ology, not a group, necessitates that by default

is re!uired to follow Islam based on e%id

he 2rophet . Al-#alafiyyah as such becom

omes the e3ception. Therefore, attempting to

ignorance of certain people or perhaps a %end

a%e their own agendas.not a group, does not mean that all human

le and correct result all the time. Al-#alafiyyah is

st room for I8tihad. 5owe%er, Al- #alafiyyah in

uity in finding decisi%e solutions among all of

acceptable I8tihad.

#unnah of the 2rophet and his companions

Rerily, you will find the belie%er (Mu1min consi

reas9 you will find the hypocrite (Munāfi! chan

ry wind. 7AbS 0akr Al-'aynSrQ, Al-Mu8ālasah w

r #in, the (letter 6am, and (letter "a (togethe

tion of this root is +Al-#alaf which means thos

is Al-6ugha by Ibn "aris, the root #alaf9

ted to it. #uch generali$ed

is caused by the failing to

duals and groups.

e on e%ery issue related to

(benefits and harms. The

t they should agree on the

ues due to their differences

d not call for critici$ing any

iples and methodology. ;n

ethodology.

s fast to its principles and

tion is when one opposes a

ith ideas contradicting the

de%iant from its path. It is

cific person.

all Muslims are followers of

nce and according to the

es the default state of all

estrict it to a group or few

tta against Al-#alafiyyah by

efforts to understand and

a methodology that has its

its %astness, fle3ibility and

he acceptable attempts of

and to gi%e us a good life, a

stent Ume aVer Ume, upon

ging colors, trying to be like

<awāhir Al-WIlm X>EG9

r, is a root which indicates

e who ha%e passed on, and

as-salafiya - the way of the pious predecessors by sh waleed basoyuni

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