Salafism

Salafism is a branch of Sunni Islam, who believe not only in Islamist government, but Islamic rule based on the Qu'ran and the first generation of interpretation. They reject not only secular government, but modernism; they want to reestablish the Caliphate. The movement is heterogeneous, however, salafis diverge with respect to the final form of the Caliphate and how that end state is to be achieved.

In most current discussion, salafism refers to 19th and 20th century formulations of the ideal, although it can trace back to the twelfth century ideas of Ibn Tamiyya. Many of the violent armed jihadist movements of today are salafist, especially al-Qaeda, but not all salafists are violent and not all violent Muslim extremists are salafist.

Modern salafism
desired states and the proper methods of achieving a unified collection of states (caliphate). The salafi movement is closest ideologically to the Puritan movement in America and England. The Saudi clerics are the most influential salafis.26 The salafi movement draws its theology primarily from the Hanbali school of Islam. The movement has also attracted the more militant and radical of Islamists. The Holy Warriors or jihadis are today’s most recognized terrorists and are a part of the greater salafi movement. Jihadi thinkers draw legitimacy for their actions from the salafist ideology. The most influential present day thinkers that are influencing the Salafi-jihadis are: (2) Abu Basir al-Tartusi, another prolific modern scholar from Syria, who is slightly more moderate and lives in London. He has provided scholarly arguments to legitimize armed resistance against tyrannical rule, or the employment of jihadi tactics, while living in accordance with shari’a law.28 (3) Abu Qatada al-Filistini, born in 1960 in the West Bank, now living in England. Al-Filistini is an example of a cleric who encourages jihad against apostate rule in accordance with the shari’a. His writings contend that it is every Muslim’s individual obligation to overthrow and expel any secular government from Muslim lands through violent means (bombings, sabotage, or terror) to advance the implementation of the shari’a. He is alleged to be a member of al-Qa’ida’s Fatwa Committee, but is currently fighting extradition to Jordan.29 (4) ‘Abd al-Qadir bin ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, born in 1950 in Upper Egypt. After serving in Peshewar with other jihadis, he founded and became the first leader of al-jihad al-Islami fir Misr (Islamic jihad in Egypt), until Dr. Zawahiri took over in 1991. Indications exist that al-Zawahiri published some of al-Qadir’s writings under his own name, and therefore likely split over this controversy. Al-Qadir authored “Rislat al ‘umda fi I’dad al-udda li’l-jihad fi sabil allah,” an important jihad manual which numerous terrorist cells have embraced.30 (5) Noted Saudi clerics who use salafi teachings in their mosques or in writings to inspire jihad among the Muslim communities. These individuals possess significant influence on jihadi organizations, and they are also in the best position to condemn violence and denounce jihadi organizations that revert to terror to achieve their aims. Denouncements of prominent jihadis by other prominent jihadis or ideologues is extremely damaging and often demoralizing.31
 * Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi