The Salafi movement holds that the purest form of Islam was practiced by the first three generations of Muslims: the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, followed by the Tabi'in and the Tabi' al-Tabi'in. Salafis rely on the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of those early generations, giving those sources precedence over later legal interpretations. They oppose religious innovation (bid'ah) and generally reject blind adherence (taqlid) to the four classical schools of Islamic law.
Who founded the Salafi movement and when did it originate?
The Salafi movement as a distinct reform tradition emerged in the late nineteenth century among scholars in the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Notable early leaders include Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi (1866-1914), 'Abd al-Razzaq al-Bitar (1837-1917), Tahir al-Jazai'iri (1852-1920), and Muhammad Rashid Rida (1865-1935). The medieval theologian Ibn Taymiyya (1263-1328) is regarded as the most significant classical scholarly authority whose writings formed the doctrinal foundation of the movement.
What is the difference between Salafism and Wahhabism?
Wahhabism refers to the reform movement founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (died 1792) in the Najd region of Arabia, which secured a political alliance with the House of Saud. Scholar Ahmad Moussalli summarised the relationship as: all Wahhabis are Salafists, but not all Salafists are Wahhabis. Stéphane Lacroix of Sciences Po distinguished them by saying Salafism refers to the hybridisations that took place from the 1960s between Wahhabi teachings and other Islamic schools of thought.
What are the three types of Salafis?
Political scientist Quintan Wiktorowicz identified three categories in a 2006 article: purists (also called quietists), who focus on religious education and avoid politics; activists (haraki), who participate in political processes to advance Islamic law without violence; and jihadists, who advocate armed struggle. Journalist Bruce Livesey estimated Salafi jihadists represent less than 1 percent of the world's 1.2 billion Muslims. Subsequent scholars have challenged this typology as too rigid to capture how Salafi groups shift strategies over time.
How did Saudi Arabia spread Salafi Islam globally?
Saudi Arabia funded the global spread of Salafi-Wahhabi Islam primarily during and after the Cold War. Estimates suggest that between the 1960s and 2016, Saudi sources channelled over 100 billion U.S. dollars into this effort. Yahya Birt calculated spending on around 1,500 mosques, 210 Islamic centres, and dozens of Muslim academies and schools at approximately 2-3 billion dollars annually since 1975. Mohammed bin Salman acknowledged the campaign was rooted in Cold War logic, with allies asking Saudi Arabia to use its resources to counter Soviet influence in Muslim countries.
Who was Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani and why is he significant to Salafism?
Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani (1914-1999) is considered the spiritual father of contemporary Salafism and is regarded within the movement as the greatest hadith scholar of his generation. An Albanian-born scholar who worked in Damascus, he synthesised the Wahhabi movement of Arabia, the Ahl-i Hadith movement of South Asia, and the Arab Salafiyya into what became known as the Salafi Manhaj from the 1960s onward. He was a protege of Rashid Rida and is respected across Salafi tendencies.