Salafi

Salafismis aconservativemovement withinSunni Islamoriginating inArabia.A Salafist or Salafi is aSunni Muslimwho thinksIslamshould be practiced the way the first few generations of Muslims did during the time of the Islamic prophetMuhammad.

The term is also used to talk about certain teachings ofSunni Islamthat are based on "conservative" ideals.

The origin of the movement is in the 19th century.^[1]Muhammad Abduh(1849–1905) was an Islamicscholarwho thought that the values of Islam were incompatible with a modern lifestyle. He is often called a Salafi. Another scholar,Ibn Taimiya(1263–1328) said that the teachings of Islam were not compatible with certain modern interpretations, such asSufism.Theideologybehind many of the jihadist wars in the Middle East and in the northern part ofAfricais Salafism.

"Salafi Jihadism" was used to describe those Salafist Islamic militant groups who began to use armedjihadduring the mid-1990s.^[2]^[3]

Salafi scholars such as Ibn Baz and Ibn al Uthaymeen who were alive at the time said Salafism has nothing to do with these "islamic" groups. Majority of Salafi scholars distanced the movement from these groups.