Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Who are the Salaf?

The meaning of the [word] Salaf is (Al-Mutaqaddimoon) the predecessors so every person that precedes another is a salaf for him but when this term is used unrestrictedly then it only refers to the first three praised generations from the companions (as-Sahaabah) and those that followed them (at-Taabi’oon) and those that followed them [Atba’ at-Taabyi’een].

They indeed are the pious predecessors (as-Salaf as-Saaleh).

Whoever came after them and traversed upon their way (Minhaaj) then he is like them upon the way of the Salaf; even though he may have come after them with regards to time because as-Salafiyyah is a designation which applies to the way (Minhaaj)) which was traversed by the pious predecessors (as-Salaf as-Saaleh) as the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said:


 “Indeed my nation will split into seventy three sects all of them in the Fire except one and it is the united body (al-Jamaa’ah)”

and in another wording,  

“..whoever is upon the same as what I am upon and my companions.”


So based upon that then as-Salafiyyah here is specific in meaning, hence whoever is upon the way (Minhaaj) of the Sahaabah, the Taabi’oon and those who followed them upon goodness then he is a Salafi even if he is in our contemporary times and whilst it being the fourteenth century after the Migration [of the Prophet] (al-Hijrah).

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen 
Fataawa Noor 'alaa al-Darb: at-Tawheed wal-'Aqeedah.

Article taken from:

http://fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=836

No comments:

Allah Guides Whomsoever He Wills....

Assalaamu Alaikum...

There is none to misguide a person whom Allah guided...

There is none to guide a person whom Allah misguided (due to a disease in his heart)....

May Allah Guide us.....

For Comments and Corrections...

thoobaah@gmail.com