A Study of Authoritativeness of the Understanding of Early Muslim Scholars according to Salafism

The validity of predecessors' understanding is among the most important fundamentals of Salafism. According to Salafists, the understanding and perception of the predecessors or the early Muslim scholars is better and more precise than that of the modern and contemporary scholars, and it is, therefore, necessary to turn to them to see how they have understood every single creedal and jurisprudential issue. That is because they lived close to the age of the Prophet (S) and they understood the truths better.  Hence, preference should be given to their understanding. Salafism interprets the tenets and codes of the religion relying on the predecessors' understanding. They accept the authoritativeness of the book which corresponds with the understanding of the early Muslim scholars. Relying on some verses and narrations and due, mainly, to the fact that the early Muslim scholars lived close to the age of the Prophet (S), Salafists seek to substantiate the authority of early scholars' understanding. However, these arguments suffer from difficulties and flaws because some of their reasons do not signify in the least the authoritativeness of the early scholars' understanding. Some reasons are poor and some others are more particular and limited than the claim itself.