Title/Question: Who are the Salaf, and is it correct to use the term “Salafiyyah” in this day and age?
Answer:
The important point is that we say that among the people of the Qiblah (Muslims) are those who took the texts according to their apparent meaning that is befitting to Allah—the Mighty and Sublime—without interfering with anything. And who are they? They are the Salaf (the righteous predecessors).
The way of the Salaf in this regard is safer, more knowledgeable, and wiser.
- Safer: Because they did not delve into anything beyond the texts.
- More knowledgeable: Because they derived their creed from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.
- Wiser: Because they followed the path that must be followed, which is to accept the texts according to their apparent meaning that is befitting to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.
Who are these Salaf? They are the Companions (of the Prophet), those who followed them in righteousness, and the leaders of the Muslims—such as Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Malik, al-Shafi’i, Abu Hanifah, Sufyan al-Thawri, al-Awza’i, and others among the leaders of the Muslims.
And is it possible for Salafiyyah to exist in our present time? Yes, and we say: it is Salafiyyah in ‘aqidah (creed), even if it is not Salafiyyah in time, because the Salaf came before us chronologically. However, these people are Salaf in creed—in creed and in practice, in reality.
Furthermore, in relation to those who come after them, they are predecessors, just as the Prophet ﷺ said when visiting the graveyards: “You are our salaf (predecessors), and we are following in your footsteps.”