Is there a difference between the phrases "from the sayings of the People of the Salaf" and "from the sayings of the Salaf"?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Linguistically, the "Salaf" are the preceding group.
In Islamic terminology, "Salaf" refers to the people of the first three blessed generations: the Companions, the Tabi'un (followers), and the Tabi' at-Tabi'in (followers of the followers) who followed them in righteousness.
The more correct phrase is "As-Salaf As-Salih" (the Righteous Predecessors). The other phrase, "Ahl As-Salaf As-Salih" (People of the Righteous Predecessors), is not commonly used and contains a redundancy, as the word "Ahl" (people) is superfluous.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/148338
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