A Critical Assessment of the Authoritativeness of Predecessors' Understanding

There is a difference of opinion among Sunni Muslims with regards to the definition of "Salaf" but it can be said that in the point of view of the Salafists, the "Salaf's understanding" (understanding of predecessors) refers to something the companions of the Prophet and their successors have inferred and deduced from explicit texts and religious issues. The "authority of predecessors' understanding" is one of the issues which Salafists especially the Wahabis rely upon considering it as one of their intellectual foundations. They associate their thoughts and beliefs with verses, narrations and consensus. In fact, it must be said that what they consider as the foundation and basis of their thoughts do not support or corroborate their claims and their beliefs. Moreover, there are objections raised against their beliefs, objections which hold good such as the fact that the predecessors were not all good; they had differences among themselves over different issues and that the very claim is opposed to the conduct of the predecessors, not to mention the fact that all the Salafists do not stick to this principles in every point.