The Shaykh’s comment on the mention in the speech of the Salafis’ adherence to the Book and the Sunnah, and his pointing out the necessity of qualifying that with the understanding of the righteous Salaf.

The Shaykh : The third issue, and in reality, as I said, it is an elaboration of some of what the brother mentioned. The Salafi call converges with all other calls, old and new, in that their callers all revolve within the circle of Islam. They all meet in a common word, which is that they return to the Book and the Sunnah. So, from this perspective, the Salafi call has no distinction over the other calls, especially those established in the present day. However, the Salafi call is distinguished in this area where everyone revolves around the Book and the Sunnah by calling for the understanding of the Book and the Sunnah according to the methodology of the righteous Salaf. They do not merely call Muslims to return to the Book and the Sunnah, but they add to that the return to the Book and the Sunnah according to the methodology of the righteous Salaf. This is because the many sects that the Messenger (peace be upon him) briefly referred to in the hadith of the seventy-three sects said about all of them: . They said: Who are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: . And in the other narration, which is more authentic, he said: . And in the other hadith: to the end of the hadith.
So we find here in the two hadiths a pointing out to this qualification that the Salafis hold onto among the other callers: the Book and the Sunnah, and understanding according to the methodology of the righteous Salaf. Because the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not say: "What I am upon" only, but rather he said: . He did not say: "Hold to my Sunnah" only, but rather he said: . And this is in reality a quotation from the Noble Qur'an, like the saying of the Lord of the Worlds: . So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: . Why did He add this phrase? This phrase is a very serious explanatory one. It would have been sufficient for Him to say: "And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has become clear to him, We will turn him to what he has turned to." But He added to the opposition of the Messenger His saying (Mighty and Majestic): for a profound wisdom, which is that the opposition of the Messenger only appears by contradicting the Sunnah of the believers and the methodology of the righteous Salaf, about which you heard the previous speech. Therefore, Ibn al-Qayyim says, in confirmation and a brief, quick reference to this qualification in understanding the Book and the Sunnah:
"Knowledge is: Allah said, His Messenger said, the Companions said"
Also, he did not suffice with his saying: "Knowledge is: Allah said, His Messenger said" as the majority of Muslims say, but rather he added to that:
"... ... ... *** The Companions said, not by deception
Is knowledge to set you up for foolish disagreement *** Between the Messenger and the opinion of a jurist?
Nor is it denying the attributes and negating them *** Out of fear of denial of the divine attributes and likening Allah to creation.”
I want to say briefly that the Salafi call revolves, among other things, around understanding the Book and the Sunnah according to the methodology of the righteous Salaf. And from here comes their protection from falling into the beliefs that the scholars of Islam have spoken about, which deviated from the straight path, such as the Mu'tazilah, the Murji'ah, the Jabriyyah, and the like. And among the modern ideas today that many Islamic writers speak of and write about in the name of Islam, which are not of Islam in any way, and no one from the people of knowledge can know that except if he is holding to the Book and the Sunnah and according to the methodology of the righteous Salaf.
This is a reminder, and the reminder benefits the believers, and this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.