THE SCHOLARS OF THE PAST & PRESENT USED THE TERMINOLOGY ‘SALAF’

 

The Linguistic Meaning:

‘’Majd ad-Deen Ibn al-Atheer (d. 606 A.H.) said:

‘The Salaf of a person is the one who preceded in death from ones fathers, and those related to him; and this is why the first generation of the Taba’een were called the Salaf as-Salih. 

‘’Imam Muhammad bin Isma’eel al-Bukhari (d. 256 A.H.) said:

‘Rashid bin Sa’ad said: ‘The Salaf used to like the stallion from the camels because it would be faster on a journey.’

‘’From Imam Muslim bin al-Hajjaj al-Nisapuree (d. 261 A.H.) in his ‘Saheeh’:Ibn Mubarak used to say in front of large gatherings: ‘Leave ‘Amr bin Thaabit because he used to curse the Salaf, i.e. the Companions.’

‘’Imam Bukhari mentioned a chapter heading in his ‘Saheeh’:

Chapter: What the Salaf used to store in their homes and their journeys from food and meat.’

‘’AbdurRahmaan bin ‘Amr al-Aawza’i (d.156 A.H.) said:

‘Be patient upon the Sunnah, stop where the Companions stopped, and say what they said, and keep 

away from what they kept away from, and follow the way of your Salaf as-Salih, since what is sufficient for them is sufficient for you.

Ascribing to the Manhaj of the Salaf

‘’Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah (d.728 A.H.) -Rahimullaah- said:

‘There is no blame on the one who manifests the Madhab of the Salaf, affiliates to it and ascribes to it, 

rather it is obligatory to accept that from him and that is accepted by agreement, because the Madhab of the Salaf is nothing except the truth.’[ Majmoo al-Fatawa 4/149]

‘’Shamsuddeen Muhammad bin Uthmaan ad-Dhahabi (d.748 A.H.)

‘as-Salafi is he who is upon the Madhab of the Salaf.’[Seera ‘Alaam 21/6]

‘’ Salih bin Fawzan al-Fawzan said:

‘Indeed the Jamaah as-Salafeeyah is the one which is upon the truth, and it is the one that it is obligatory to ascribe to, and act and attribute to, and whichever Jama’aat (parties) is upon other than Jama’ah as-Salafeeyah then do not regard them as Jama’aat of Dawa’[al-Ijjabbaat al-Muhimaa’ p.55]

‘’Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen (d.1421 A.H.) said:

‘as-Salafeeyah is following the methodology of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and his Companions, because he -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- is from our Salaf. The Companions are those who preceded us, therefore following them is Salafeeyah.’[From ‘Liqa al-Baab al-Maftooh’ Q.1322]

‘’Abdul Azeez bin Abdullaah Bin Baz (d. 1420 A.H.) said: ‘Indeed the Salaf are those of the best generations. So whoever follows their footsteps and continues 

upon their methodology then he is a Salafi. Whoever opposes the Salaf in this methodology then he is from the Khalaf (those who oppose the Salaf).[al-Fatawa al-Hamaweeyah’ researched by Dr. Ahmad Tuwayjur]

TO BE CONTINUE INSHA ALLAH...