[WrinnaArraple]

brother,No difference between a salafi and wahabi. As far as the terminologies are concerned , the word salafi has been used to donate the blessed rightly guided group by many scholars of the past particularly Shaikh Ul Islam Ibn taymiyya Ra.The salafis are the result of an evolution in the strict hanbali school of thought which stands on more literal grounds of interpretation of Quran and hadith.The earlier hanbalies were mere scholars of high reputation but in the begining of the 12th century when the muslim world was under jolts from every side,Sheikh ul Islam Ibn taymiyya who was a hanbali, stood up against the oppression.He refuted the deviant groups of his time with pen and sword.The groups which he deemed as deviants were sufis,Wahdat al wajoodies,Asahari maturidies etc.U can say that this was the turning point of the hanbali school where it converted into a more vibrant salafi school.The salafis went into a movement of social and theological reformation of the arab land under the command of Imam Mohamad bin Abdul-Wahab in 18th century.Later they achieved achieved their goal and captured hijjaz , eliminating almost every sign of shirk and bidda'h from the holly land (castigating/eradicating shirk and Bidda' has always been the primary ambition of salafis) . After hijjaz was captured and the hanafi-sufi turks were repelled , salafi dominance was achieved but it also resulted into severe polarization with in the so called Ummah as the sufi-biddati deviant groups whose existence was in danger due to this salafi movement,started calling the salafis "wahabi" afte the name of their leader in their revival movement r Imam Mohamad bin Abdul Wahab ra. Salafi is what they call themselves and wahabi is what thier cretic would call them. The polarization i mentioned has escalated by thousands of folds due to the influential salafi dawah in the west and the marginalization of other sects in dawah so u hear the hatred oriented term "Wahabi" much often.
P.S , Salafi and deobandies are two different entities and differ on many matters of Aqeedah,usool and furu.

Well, that is one way to put it. Another way to put it is that the Salafis, or pseudo-salafis as I like to call them, are simpletons who do not understand why there are differences in our ummah. They reject the opinions of the salaf (which is why they are not true salafis), such as the sahaba, tabi'in, and the mujtahid imams. They attempt to do ijtihad for themselves, even on issues that were deemed closed, such as touching the Quran without wudu, doing masah on normal socks, etc. And yes, they are the worst type of blind followers, since they follow their scholars such as Albani, with diehard fanaticism that you will not find in muqallids when following their maddhabs.

What is the difference between a Wahhabi and a Salafi. I thought both terms were synonymous, but people are saying that they are somewhat different.

Please help...

Thank you...

Salafi is a very broad term, which means different things to different people. I myself classify someone a salafi (or pseudo-salafi) if they reject the following of maddhabs and reject the aqidah of ahlus sunnah wal jam'ah (i.e. Ash'ari/Maturidi). By such a definition, Wahhabi and Salafi is the same.

For some people, however, they trace the historical origins of salafism, from the time of Ibn Taymiyyah to Shawkani. Historically, two groups arose--the Ahl al Hadith of India, and a group in Najd under the leadership of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab. Ibn Abdul Wahhab was more interested in issues of aqa'id than fiqh, whereas the Ahl al Hadith of India were more interested in debunking the Hanafis in matters of fiqh. (As a result of the need to respond to the Ahl al Hadith of India, some of the Deobandi's greatest works, such as I'laa As Sunan were produced). Both have evolved somewhat. Albani came around somewhat later, and shifted the Najdi group to a more fiqh based approach, though they still focus heavily on aqidah, and criticizing the Ash'aris/Maturidis. The Ahl al Hadith of India were also affected by the Najdis, and began to focus more on aqidah as well, though fiqh is still their main focus.

So historically, the Wahhabis were only the group who followed Ibn Abdul wahhab. However, because of the evolution of the two groups, it is difficult to differentiate them anymore. In addition, many people use the term derogatorily for all salafis.

One difference that is sometimes mentioned is that the Wahhabis follow the Hanbali maddhab, and therefore are not opposed to following maddhabs, whereas the Ahl al Hadith of India are. That may have been the truth of Ibn Abdul Wahhab and his immediate followers, but is not true today. The Najdi Wahhabis reject following of maddhabs, considering it a bid'ah, derogatorily coining it "blind following." Many of their works show that they reject maddhabs, and their positions are not in accordance with the Hanbali maddhab.