Understanding Salafism

‘Understanding Salafism meets a daunting challenge: tracing a vibrant and influential genealogy of ideas and practice, as protean as it is influential, across twelve centuries. The author, both an insider and outsider to this tradition, lays it out in full, from abstruse but still vital theological debates in medieval Baghdad to the very worldly politics of extremist movements today. This is a one-stop shop for those who want to know what Salafism is, where it came from, and how it’s contested.’ Jonathan A. C. Brown, author of Misquoting Muhammad

‘Yasir Qadhi’s Understanding Salafism is a true gem. Once the leading voice of Salafism in the Anglosphere but having moved on from its sectarian impulses, Qadhi provides an academically robust and comprehensive account of Salafism that displays intimate knowledge of its theology and social networks and profound sensitivity to its historical contingency.’ Jon Hoover, author of Ibn Taymiyya

‘There is no better person to write this book than Yasir Qadhi. A leading scholar once immersed in Salafi circles, he combines intimate insights with academic rigor. This long-awaited contribution fills a critical void, offering much-needed clarity on a movement often misunderstood. A must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Salafism.’ Emad Hamdeh, author of Salafism and Traditionalism

Yasir Qadhi is a resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center in Texas, and dean of the Islamic Seminary of America. He is one of the few people who has combined a traditional Eastern Islamic seminary education with Western academic training in the study of Islam. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Islamic University of Madinah, a master’s from the College of Dawah, and a PhD in Religious Studies from Yale University. He lives in Dallas, Texas.