Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Aslaamalykum,

I have recently found a website very similer-and perhaps as good as this website: islamqa.com
However the one thing i don`t understand is this; what is meant by: ``Salafi `aqeedah``

http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=serv&lv=supp&dgn=4

Sincere Regards. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

What is Salafi?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: what is meant by: ``Salafi `aqeedah``

The literal meaning of the Arabic term ‘Salaf’ would mean those people who went before us, or those things which happened before us; as opposed to ‘Khalaf’ which would mean those people who will come after us or those things which will be done in the future.

When one claims that one follows the ‘salafi’ aqeedah, what they mean to imply is that they follow the ‘aqeedah’ or belief of all the righteous slaves of Allah who went before them, which include the Prophet (saws), his noble companions (r.a.), and all the righteous scholars and jurists who existed in times prior to their own. They do not associate or align themselves with any individual school of thought, but rather they claim to seek guidance and take advantage of the knowledge of all the great scholars and jurists and imams of all the schools of thoughts that have passed away.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan