Deviations from aqeedah of Salafs and Four Great Imams of Islam

The deviations from the Aqedah of salafs has stared in later generations and can be summarized below:

The main points of difference is in the following four topics:

1️⃣Tawhid al-Asma' wa-Sifat (Allah’s Names & Attributes)

Salafi Position: Salafis affirm all of Allah’s names and attributes as mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, without Tahreef (distortion), Ta’teel (denial), Takyeef (speculation on ‘how’), or Tamtheel (resemblance to creation).

Deviant Views:

a). Mu’tazilah: Deny Allah’s attributes, claiming they imply resemblance to creation. Affirm attributes without tashbih (likening to creation). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmu' al-Fatawa, 3/17

b). Ash‘ariyah: Accept some attributes but reinterpret others metaphorically (Ta’wil).Reject ta’wil, affirm attributes as they are. (Ibn Qayyim, Ijtima' al-Juyush al-Islamiyyah, p. 173)

c). Jahmiyyah: Deny all attributes, claiming they contradict Tawhid. Considered extreme negation (ta’teel). (Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Radd 'ala al-Jahmiyyah, p. 34)

📌 Reference: Ibn Taymiyyah states: "The path of the Salaf is the safest, strongest, and most knowledgeable. They affirm what Allah affirmed for Himself without distortion or resemblance to creation." (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 5/26)

2️⃣Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah (Directing Worship to Allah Alone)

Salafi Position:

Worship (Ibadah) belongs solely to Allah.
Seeking intercession through saints (tawassul), visiting graves for blessings (tabarruk), or supplicating to anyone besides Allah is shirk.

Deviant Views:

a) Shia: Invoke Imams, believing they have divine authority. (Tawassul to dead saints is shirk. Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab, Kitab al-Tawhid, ch. 7)

b) Sufi-Kuboories (Grave Worshippers): Seek blessings (barakah) from graves of saints. (Major shirk-Ibn Qayyim, Kitab al-Ruh, p. 89)

📌 Reference: Ibn Taymiyyah states: "Whoever calls upon the dead, seeking help, has taken a partner with Allah, which is major shirk." (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 27/79)

3️⃣Iman & Takfir (Faith and Declaring Someone a Non-Muslim)

Salafi Position:

Iman includes belief, speech, and actions.
Sins do not remove a Muslim from Islam unless they involve clear disbelief (kufr akbar).

Deviant Views:

a) Khawarij. Declare major sinners as disbelievers (Takfir).Iman increases/decreases, sins alone do not expel from Islam. (Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Siyasah al-Shar'iyyah, p. 121)

b) Murji’ah. "Murji’ah say that Iman is merely belief in the heart and does not include actions. This is false according to Ahlus-Sunnah, as the Quran, Sunnah, and consensus of the Sahabah prove that actions are part of Iman." (Majmu' al-Fatawa 7/209)

c). Mu'tazilah: Claim sinners are in a state between belief & disbelief. No middle ground in Iman. (Ibn Taymiyyah, Dar' Ta'arud al-Aql wa al-Naql, 8/306)

📌 Reference: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal states: "Iman is speech and action, it increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience." (Usul al-Sunnah, p. 12)

4️⃣Hakimiyyah (Allah’s Sovereignty in Rulership)

Salafi Position:

Ruling by non-Shari'ah laws is a major sin but does not always constitute Kufr Akbar unless the ruler believes Allah’s laws are unnecessary.
Rebelling against rulers is forbidden unless they commit clear Kufr.

Deviant Views:

a) Takfiris: (Neo-Khawarij) Declare rulers disbelievers for ruling with man-made laws. Kufr occurs only if they reject Shari'ah. (Ibn Taymiyyah, Minhaj al-Sunnah, 5/131)

b) Secularists: Separate religion from politics. Islam governs all aspects of life. (Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab, Kashf al-Shubuhat, p. 42)

📌 Reference: Shaykh Ibn Baz states: "Ruling by other than Allah’s law is not always Kufr Akbar unless the ruler makes Halal what Allah made Haram." (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 1/274)

Did the Four Imams Differ in Aqeedah?

No, the four great Imams—Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal—did not differ in fundamental Aqeedah (creed). They were all upon the belief of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah and agreed on the core principles of Tawhid, the attributes of Allah, the status of the Prophet ﷺ, the authority of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the understanding of faith (Iman).

However, differences can be found in minor details of terminology or emphasis rather than in fundamental beliefs.

1️⃣ Unity in Core Aqeedah

📌 Ibn Taymiyyah states: "The Imams of the Muslims, their scholars, and their jurists, such as Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi’i, Ahmad, and others, never disagreed on the fundamental principles of the religion (Usul al-Din)." (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 5/256)

✅Key Point: They all followed the Aqeedah of the Salaf (early Muslims) without philosophical speculation.

2️⃣ Differences in Terminology & Approach

While the four Imams agreed on core Aqeedah, slight variations existed in their approach to certain theological discussions:

Imam View on Aqeedah - Key Contributions

Abu Hanifa (d. 150H) Emphasized logical reasoning to defend Aqeedah against deviant groupsWrote al-Fiqh al-Akbar, defending Allah’s attributes and refuting Jahmiyyah

Malik (d. 179H) Stressed acceptance of Aqeedah without questioningFamous for saying "Istiwa is known, but its reality is unknown."

Shafi’i (d. 204H) Strongly rejected Kalam (theological rhetoric)Warned against excessive philosophical debates in Aqeedah

Ahmad (d. 241H) Most vocal against innovations in Aqeedah, especially during the Mihna (trial of the Qur'an’s creation) Defended that the Qur’an is uncreated (Kalamullah Ghayr Makhluq)

📌 Example of a minor difference in terminology:

Imam Abu Hanifa sometimes referred to Iman as belief (Tasdiq) only - without actions, while Imam Ahmad and others insisted that Iman includes actions. However, both agreed that faith increases and decreases, in contrast to the Murji’ah.

✅ Key Point: These differences are not in belief itself but in the way it was explained.

3️⃣ Consensus on Refuting Deviant Groups

The Four Imams were united in refuting groups that deviated from the beliefs of the Salaf, such as:

Jahmiyyah (who denied Allah’s attributes)
Mu‘tazilah (who claimed the Qur'an was created)
Murji’ah (who said actions are not part of Iman)
Khawarij (who declared sinners as disbelievers)

📌 Ibn Taymiyyah confirms their unity: "The Four Imams agreed on the belief in Allah’s Names and Attributes, the Unseen, and refuting those who opposed the Salaf." (Dar' Ta’arud al-Aql wal-Naql, 2/9)

✅ Key Point: The Four Imams consistently defended the Aqeedah of the Prophet ﷺ and the Sahabah.

Conclusion: No Fundamental Differences: The Four Imams did not differ in Aqeedah, only in wording or emphasis. Their beliefs were in line with Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, and they all rejected speculative theology (Ilm al-Kalam) in favor of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the understanding of the Salaf.

Why Salafiyyah is the Authentic Path

Its Creed (Aqeedah) Aligns with the Prophet & His Companions:
- Ibn Taymiyyah states: "There is no path safer than that of the Salaf." (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 4/20)
It Rejects Innovations in Faith & Worship:
- Imam Malik: "Whoever introduces something new into Islam, claiming it to be good, has accused the Prophet of treachery." (Al-I'tisam, 1/49)
It Maintains Balance in Takfir & Rulership:
- Neither extreme rebellion (Khawarij) nor blind acceptance (Murji'ah).
It is Rooted in Quran & Sunnah Without Philosophical Speculation:
- Ibn Qayyim: "The Salaf held on to revelation, while others were lost in philosophy." (Madarij al-Salikin, 1/230)

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