What is the ruling on one who says that the term Salafi is a new designation

The questioner : Returning to, or rather, going back to the discussion about the Salafis

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : The brother says that in your speech about the Salafis, you mentioned that it is a new designation. What is meant by that? It is known that the term Salafi is well-known in the words of al-Sam'ani, Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Dhahabi, and others from eight centuries ago.

The Shaykh : In which century were they? In the early centuries? Of course, they were not in the early centuries. There is no difference between what happened a hundred, two hundred, or five hundred years after them. We consider the reality of the Salaf al-Salih (the earliest generations); we belong to them. They did not belong to themselves in the sense that they did not use this terminology that we use today, just as we use many things that the Salaf did not use, because the interest of clarification and explanation necessitated that the scholars use certain terms. Therefore, they said, "There is no dispute over terminology." And we say with them, "This is on the condition that the terminology does not contain what the Shari'ah forbids." I had spoken in a previous session about naming some of the voluntary prayers as sunnah (recommended practice), and I suggested that they be called "voluntary acts," because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that:The questioner : When he was shown what Allah had made obligatory upon him of the five prayers every day and night, he asked him: "Is there anything else upon me?" He (peace be upon him) said: So I said, if I had the power to do anything, I would place the word "voluntary" as a substitute for "sunnah," because the sunnah there is a long lecture. The sunnah in the language of the Shari'ah is broader than the sunnah in the language of the jurists. The sunnah in the language of the jurists is what is below the obligatory, whereas the sunnah in the language of the Messenger (peace be upon him) includes the entire Shari'ah. Therefore, some of the later Hanafis err when they narrate a hadith that has no basis, and praise be to Allah, in the authentic sunnah. This hadith has no basis, and although it has no basis, they want it to encourage holding fast to the rawatib (the regular voluntary prayers attached to the obligatory ones), which are the additions to the obligatory acts. If this hadith were authentic, it would be like the authentic hadith: And the hadith was said on the occasion of the Prophet's answer to that group. Their story is well known in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim. So the point is: whoever turns away from my sunnah, meaning my general methodology and way that includes the entire Shari'ah. But there is no dispute over terminology, as long as they have agreed to call the sunnah what is not an obligation, and they do not intend by that to oppose the sunnah in the language of the Messenger (peace be upon him), then there is no harm in that. Now, as for the rest.