Comparing Wahabism And Salafism

Islamic movements are revolutionary or reformist movements that praised for applying Islamic laws and following the sharia. They preach for embracing the Quran for its exact words, for adjusting to the modern world, or for interpreting the Quran through both logic and philosophy. Wahabism and Salafism are two these fundamental and significant widespread movements in the course of Islam that have gained many followers. Salafism is an Islamic approach and a school of thought whose principles are to refer to the Quran and sunnah in order to bring purity to Islam and reform societies by complying to the rules of sharia. This should be projected into today’s society without adding or subtracting anything, and without interpreting anything. As for Wahabism, it is a branch of Salafism that differs from Salafism, and is generally mistaken to mean the same thing. As a rule, all Wahhabis are salafists, but not all salafists are Wahhabis (Moussalli, 2009).

Islam, Islamic societies and ideologies have developed and changed according to the times that these people encountered. As a fact, when the caliphate experienced a phase of weakness and challenge, between the years of the sixth and the seventh centuries according to the hijra calendar, power was divided between two major parties; the executive branch which was responsible for political economical matters, and the other party being the caliphate (Moussalli,1999, p.112). Progressing after this time period, the Muslim lands were invaded by foreign powers, which lead to crises in many aspects including the moral, political, and economic aspects. Thus, many revivalist movements emerged, some being of radical fundamental revolution, and others of conservative reorganizational reform (Mousalli,...

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...(denial of the Names and Attributes), takyeef (saying how they are), or tamztheel (making any resemblance with the creation) . However, the theological perspectives of most non-Wahhabi salafist groups are closer to the Sunni orthodoxy (Mousalli 2009).

Conclusion

In conclusion, although they are often used interchangeably as Islamic schools of thoughts and movements and despite the widespread opinion that they mean the same, Wahabism and Salafism do not mean the same thing. All Wahabis are Salafists, but not all Salafists are Wahhabis. They both relate to tawhid, and both have fundamentalist beliefs that the Quran and the first three generations of Islam are the reference and model for society. Their difference in priorities (politics, close to Sunna or not) and on their views of reformation or revolution, despite of being minor, remain significant and remarkable.