Salafi movement
-
What is the Salafi movement?
The Salafi movement is a broad set of Islamic movements that aim to emulate the practices of al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ, the early generations of Muslims during and after the Prophet Muhammad's life. Salafis prioritize the Qurʾān and the Sunnah as the fundamental sources of Islamic law. They reject strict adherence to traditional schools of jurisprudence and hold literalist interpretations of scripture, often seen as puritanical in their rejection of beliefs and customs not backed by Salafi epistemology.
The movement's intellectual roots trace back to the 19th-century Islamic modernist school, which sought to rejuvenate Islamic society through reforms in thought and practice. While most Salafis avoid politics, some advocate a more forceful approach, as exemplified by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where did the Salafi movement begin?
The intellectual origins of the Salafi movement can be traced back to the modernist school of thought that emerged in the Islamic world during the 19th century. Thinkers like Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī and Muḥammad ʿAbduh advocated for reforms in Islamic thought and practice to rejuvenate Islamic society. Rashid Rida, a student of ʿAbduh, promoted centering Islamic reform on the practices of al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ. Rida and other reformists drew inspiration from the Wahhabiyyah movement, which originated in the 18th-century Najd region (now part of Saudi Arabia).
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are the main beliefs of the Salafi movement?
The Salafi movement is a collection of Islamic movements that seek to emulate the practices of al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ ("the pious predecessors"), who represent the first generations of Muslims during and after the Prophet Muhammad's life.
Salafis prioritize the Qurʾān and the Sunnah as the main sources of Islamic law. They believe other traditional tools should only apply when rooted in the Qurʾān and the Sunnah. Salafis reject adherence to traditional jurisprudence schools and interpret scripture literally. They are often seen as puritanical because they reject mainstream beliefs and customs not backed by Salafi epistemology.
Tawhid (the oneness of God) is a central concept, asserting that God is one and unique. Salafis reject bidʿah (innovation), emphasizing following the Prophet's example (Sunnah) without trying to improve upon it.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How does the Salafi movement view Islamic history and tradition?
The Salafi movement is characterized by prioritizing the Qurʾān and the Sunnah as the fundamental sources of Islamic law. Salafis reject adherence to traditional schools of jurisprudence and hold literalist interpretations of scripture.
Tracing back to the 19th century, Islamic modernists believed a proper understanding of Islam had decayed and needed renewal. They sought answers from the scripture directly, disregarding traditional religious authorities. Rashīd Ridā, an early proponent, drew inspiration from the Wahhābiyyah movement, rejecting theological doctrines relying on conjecture in favor of canonical revelation and early practice.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some differences between the Salafi movement and other Islamic groups?
The Salafi movement emulates the practices of "the pious predecessors" (al-salaf al-\u1e63\u0101li\u1e25), the early generations of Muslims. Salafis prioritize the Qurʾān and the Sunnah as the fundamental sources of Islamic law. They reject adherence to traditional schools of jurisprudence and hold literalist interpretations of scripture, often seen as puritanical due to their rejection of mainstream beliefs or customs not backed by Salafi epistemology.
While most Salafis avoid politics, some participate in a representative capacity, and a few take a more forceful approach toward society and public policy. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is an extreme example, using violence to impose its way of life.
Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, emphasizes moral motivation and the state of the heart, as opposed to the legalist formulations of Islam.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has the Salafi movement influenced modern Islamic societies?
The Salafi movement is a broad set of Islamic movements that seeks to emulate the practices of "the pious predecessors" (al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ), the early generations of Muslims. Salafis prioritize the Qurʾān and the Sunnah as the fundamental sources of Islamic law. They reject adherence to traditional schools of jurisprudence and hold literalist interpretations of scripture.
The intellectual foundation of the movement emerged in the Islamic world in the 19th century, with thinkers like Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī and Muḥammad ʿAbduh arguing for extensive reform in Islamic thought and practice.
Today, the Salafi movement is often confused with Islamism, a term for political ideologies that draw on Islamic symbols and traditions. While most Salafis do not seek to inject their movement into public life, some take a more forceful approach, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Salafi movement, broad set of Islamic movements that strive to emulate the practices of al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ (“the pious predecessors”), the early generations of Muslims during and after the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad.
Salafis (followers of the al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ) are characterized by the prioritization of the Qurʾān and the Sunnah as the fundamental uṣūl al-fiqh, or sources of Islamic law. Other traditional tools that were developed to resolve issues not addressed directly by scripture, such as analogical reasoning (qiyās) and scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ), are only applicable when plainly rooted in the Qurʾān and the Sunnah. Salafis thus reject devoted adherence (taqlīd) to traditional schools of jurisprudence and hold literalist interpretations of scripture. They are often regarded as puritanical for their staunch rejection of certain mainstream beliefs or customs that are not backed by a Salafi epistemology.
The intellectual foundation of the movement is often traced to the modernist school of thought that emerged in the Islamic world in the 19th century. The decline of the Ottoman Empire as an Islamic power and the rapid industrialization in the West left many in the Islamic world with questions about identity and the relative sluggishness of material progress in their own countries. Many concluded that a proper understanding of Islam, which once inspired scholarship and scientific advancement, had decayed and was in need of renewal. With increased access to the Qurʾān, owing to growth in literacy and greater availability of print materials, many modernists sought answers from the scripture themselves, bucking traditional religious authorities and scholars as gatekeepers to scriptural interpretation.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
Among the most influential thinkers of the Islamic modernists were Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī and Muḥammad ʿAbduh, who argued that the rejuvenation of Islamic society required extensive reform in Islamic thought and practice. Their students gave birth to a variety of movements, both secular and Islamic. Rashīd Riḍā, a student of ʿAbduh, was one early proponent of focusing Islamic reform around the practices of al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ (or salaf). He and other like-minded reformists drew inspiration from the Wahhābiyyah, a movement founded in the 18th-century Najd region (now part of Saudi Arabia) that drew on the teachings of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (flourished 9th century) and Ibn Taymiyyah (flourished 14th century). Like Ibn Ḥanbal and Ibn Taymiyyah, the Wahhābiyyah rejected theological doctrines that rely on conjecture in favour of a theology based on canonical revelation and early practice. Early Salafi engagement with the Wahhābiyyah infused the movement with many of its precepts.
Two strands of Salafi thought coexisted for several decades. One strand sought to emulate the philosophical underpinnings of the salaf and to apply them to a modern setting. The other strand sought to emulate the practices of the salaf and to retreat from modern habits that contradict that lifestyle. Both strands interacted with and influenced each other, with the common goal of reviving a prosperous Islamic community in a postcolonial environment. The strand that sought to emulate the philosophy of the salaf eventually faded into secular nationalist movements that embraced Islam as part of their heritage.
The Salafi movement today is often confused with Islamism, a term which refers to a set of political ideologies that draw on Islamic symbols and traditions for a sociopolitical objective. Most Salafis, however, do not seek to inject their movement into public life. Likewise, many Islamists do not subscribe to the notion that emulating the salaf should be at the focus of modern Islamic practice. Nonetheless, although the terms refer to separate phenomena, Salafism and Islamism are not inherently contradictory, and some movements embrace both ideologies.
For many in the West, the difference between Salafis and Islamists is exemplified by the political environment in Egypt following the Arab Spring. When the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood organization’s Freedom and Justice political party gained control of the Egyptian government after the 2011–12 democratic elections, it enjoyed the support of the Salafi Al-Nour (Al-Nūr) Party, founded by Emad Abdel Ghafour, in codifying a more strict interpretation of Islamic practice into civil law. But although the two movements found much agreement in social practice, the Al-Nour Party participated in government more as a representative of Salafi Egyptians than as an activist party for public reform. When the Muslim Brotherhood government was toppled in 2013 and replaced by a military regime, members of the Muslim Brotherhood took to the streets in opposition, and the movement was quickly banned and suppressed. By contrast, Al-Nour cooperated with the new government and remained an influential voice in Egyptian governance into the 2020s.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
While most Salafis avoid politics—though some participate in a representative capacity—a portion of Salafis take a more forceful approach toward society and public policy. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL; also called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria [ISIS]) represents an extreme example, employing violence to impose its prescribed way of life and to attack those Muslims and non-Muslims that members perceive as standing in the way of proper Islamic society.