What is Salafism, and how does it differ from madhhab-based fiqh?

Salafism (Salafiyyah) is a movement and orientation within Sunni Islam that emphasizes returning directly to the Quran and the Sunnah as understood and practiced by the earliest generations of Muslims, the Companions and the two generations that followed them, collectively called the salaf ('predecessors'), a term with roots in the Quran's praise of the early forerunners in faith. Rather than committing to the accumulated methodology of one of the four classical madhhabs, many Salafis prefer to evaluate each legal question on its own textual evidence, sometimes describing this as following the Quran and authentic hadith without blind adherence to a single school. Salafi theology also tends to favor a more literal, textually cautious approach to descriptions of God's attributes and is often critical of speculative theology and some popular Sufi devotional practices. Salafism itself is internally diverse, ranging from apolitical and quietist currents focused on personal piety and education to politically engaged and, in rare extreme cases, violent offshoots that mainstream Salafi scholars themselves have condemned. Both madhhab-based traditionalism and Salafism operate within the broader Sunni fold and share the same core creed, differing mainly in legal and theological methodology rather than fundamentals of belief.

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