The Salafi movement invokes fear and dread in outsiders who treat Salafism as synonymous with religious extremism. For Salafis themselves, it’s a jealously guarded title, always in danger of dilution. Salafism has changed the face of Islam; its ideas reach far outside its own ranks. Yet popular portrayals never go beyond hackneyed stereotypes.

In Understanding Salafism, Dr Yasir Qadhi delves into the origins of the movement, from the earliest debates in Islam to Salafism today, in both the Western and Islamic worlds. In an analysis covering Salafism in the Middle East, Europe, the United States and Africa, he illuminates Salafism’s theological ideas, the debates within Salafism about political participation, and its relationship to other schools in Sunni Islam.

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Table of Contents

List of Figures

Preface

Conventions

1 Introduction: A Bird’s Eye View of Salafism

2 A Comprehensive History of Salafi Thought: From its Origins to Modernity

3 Wahhabism and Salafism

4 Salafism and Islamism: A Case Study of the Muslim Brotherhood

5 The Phenomenon of Jihadi-Salafism

6 Global Salafism in the Contemporary World

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

Index