Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan — Salafiyyah in Brief
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, said:
Salafiyyah is to follow the path of pious predecessors – the Sahabah, the Tabiin and the virtuous generations. Allah, The Most High, said:
وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهَـٰجِرِينَ وَٱلۡأَنصَارِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِـإِحۡسَـٰنٍ۬ رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ
And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhaajiroon) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. [at-Tawbah 100]
Allah, The Most High, said about the Sahabah:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَـٰهَدُواْ بِأَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِہِمۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاوَواْ وَّنَصَرُوٓاْ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ بَعۡضُہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬ۚ
Verily, those who believed, and emigrated and strove hard and fought with their property and their lives in the Cause of Allah as well as those who gave (them) asylum and help, – these are (all) allies to one another – up to His statement:
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنۢ بَعۡدُ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَـٰهَدُواْ مَعَكُمۡ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ مِنكُمۡۚ
And those who believed afterwards, and emigrated and strove hard along with you, (in the Cause of Allah) they are of you.
Allah, Glorified be He and free is He from all Imperfections, said in Surah Al-Hashar:
لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ ٱلۡمُهَـٰجِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُخۡرِجُواْ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمۡ وَأَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ يَبۡتَغُونَ فَضۡلاً۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضۡوَٲنً۬ا وَيَنصُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥۤۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقُونَ
وَٱلَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُو ٱلدَّارَ وَٱلۡإِيمَـٰنَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ يُحِبُّونَ مَنۡ هَاجَرَ إِلَيۡہِمۡ
(And there is also a share in this booty) for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their property, seeking Bounties from Allah and to please Him. And helping Allaah (i.e. helping His religion) and His Messenger (Muhammad). Such are indeed the truthful (to what they say); And those who, before them, had homes (in Al-Madinah) and had adopted the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, up until the statement of the Most High: [وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَلِإِخۡوَٲنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلۡإِيمَـٰنِ – And those who came after them say: “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith.]
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “This ummah will split into seventy three sects; all of them will enter the fire except one. They said, ‘which is that (saved sects) O Messenger of Allah? He replied: ‘those who are upon that which I and my companions are upon today'”. [Footnote a] The Prophet said: “Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa after me”.
Therefore, Salafiyyah is the methodology that has been obligated to us to follow and we are to abandon all other methodologies that are in opposition to it. The (people of Salafiyyah) are the saved sect- Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah, and they are the aided group till the Day of Judgement. May Allah include us amongst them.
However, ascription to this methodology requires knowledge of its fundamentals in order that the Muslim may adhere to it. [One is] required to have knowledge of the other methodologies that are in opposition to Salafiyyah in order to avoid them. Therefore, Salafiyyah upon the path of the pious predecessors has to be upon knowledge and clear sightedness. It is not enough for a person to ascribe himself to [Salafiyyah] while ignorant of it or being in opposition to it. For this reason, Allah said:[ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِـإِحۡسَـٰنٍ۬ – And also those who followed them exactly (in Faith)].
They follow based on knowledge- neither fall into extremism nor negligence.
They neither exaggerate nor fail to give the matter its right like those who ascribe themselves to the Madhabs of the four Imams whilst being in opposition to them in creed and worship. And like the one who ascribes himself to the methodology of the Salaf, yet he either declares the Muslims to be disbelievers or rebels against the Muslim rulers, or he follows other orientations towards extremism. This person is not a Salafi, rather he is named a khariji or a Mutazili. Or like the one who ascribes himself to the methodology of the Salaf, but utters the the statements of the Murji’ah in the subject of Iman and Kufr. This is not Salafiyyah. Therefore, it is obligatory to pay attention to this matter and not to mix the Salafi methodology with the other methodologies that are in opposition to it, and then says, “All these methodologies are not from Islam”. This is reckless speech, an oppressive judgement and deception against the people.
An Excerpt from Al-Bayaan Li-Akh’taa Badil Kuttab. 2/173-174
Footnote a: https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2024/12/28/all-in-the-fire-except-one/