Whenever someone thinks of radical Islam, the first concept that usually comes to mind is “Salafi”… or is it “Wahhabi”? Or are they referring to the same thing, but don’t exactly understand if there is really much of a distinction between the two? The two terms are often used interchangeably, but unfortunately, it simply provides an incorrect usage of the two terms. So then, what distinguishes the two? A Salafi is defined as “a follower of the Sunni Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf (the first three generations of Muslims following the revelation of the Prophet Muhammad, which include the prophet himself) who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples. The world Salafi should not be confused with the word Salaf, (meaning “predecessor” or “forefather”) but within this context, it means Ahl-as-Sunnah (people of the Sunnah) or Ahl al-Hadith (people of the tradition). The medieval practice of their faith, as well as their strenuous effort to stick to their original roots, has forced them into a fundamentalist category in the eyes of many people. The Salafi movement was later brought to life to try and revert muslims to their traditional roots; to bring back a way of Islam that is believed to be fool proof, but far from modern. As the Salafi movement came to rise, a sect of Islam was then born: Wahhabism.
Wahhaba-what?
Wahhabism was created by the 18th century muslim theologian Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, and as a form of Salafism, but they are not what you would call a “Salafi,” as they are, in fact two different sects. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab believed that the decline of the muslim would was due to the mix of foreign concepts and ideas — especially those of Western modernism — were tainting true Islam. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab wished to purge these violations and wanted to bring up a true Islamic revival. His creed would be then based the monotheistic views (tawhid), condemned any modern Islamic practices (shirk), and gave jihad a very unusual sense of importance in his teachings. Wahhabi’s did not believe in calling themselves “Wahhabi’s,” in fact, they (at the time) did not call themselves “Salafi’s,” rather, they called themselves “Muwahideen,” or “monotheists”.
You Fundamentalist Salafi…
Salafism began to originate in the mid to late 19th century, as an intellectual movement started by the al-Azhar University, particularly Muhammad Abduh, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, and Rashid Rida. The movement itself was built on a broad spectrum, with each leader carrying out a different cause. Al-Afghani was a political activist, while Abduh was an educator who sought after social reform through education. The debate about how the change should occur continues on to this day, failing to meet some sort of compromise. Salafi’s admired the technological and social advancements of the European enlightenment, and tried to hold steadfast to the belief that a divinely guided golden age of Islam was to befall upon their society, as stated by the Prophet Muhammad via his revelation.
A Wahhabi is NOT a Salafi!
Looking back at the formations and the belief systems on which Wahhabi’s and Salafi’s reside, it’s quite obvious that they are not synonymous, and should not be used interchangeably. Wahhabi’s were formed on the basis of preventing reform, and to even go as far as rewinding back to a time in which Islam had just been born. Salafi’s believe in the creation of a reform; the modernization and the use of technology is not a disadvantage to Islam, but will bring it up to par with the rest of the world. The modern day concept of a Salafi being a “fundamentalist” ideology is incorrect, and needs to be reinterpreted by people. And stopping the use of ”Salafi” as a synonymous term for “Wahhabi” has to be the very first step.
