What is the difference between Sufiyah and Salafiyah?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Salafiyyah is an affiliation to the good predecessors who were the Companions of the Prophet , and the righteous people who followed them. So anyone (person or group) who follows the Quran and the Sunnah as understood by these good predecessors is a Salafi. This is indeed the true Salafiyyah because the Prophet described his generation and the two generations that followed it as the best generations. He said: “The best people are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and then those coming after them.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Allaah Says (what means): {You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allaah.}[Quran 3:110] Ad-Dahhaak said, “These are the Companions of the Prophet and the callers to Islam whom Allaah has ordered us to follow.”

Thus, the Salafi is any person who follows the Companions of the Prophet in their understanding of the Quran and the Sunnah and in forbidding what is wrong, thereby seeking safety for himself and for his religion.

But whoever claims to be Salafi and yet does not follow the creed of the pious predecessor's is not a Salafi and should not be called by this name. As mentioned earlier the Salafis are known for their good righteous creed and their fair path, unlike the innovators such as the Khawaarij, Mu'tazilah and the extremist Sufis who are known for their false and misleading opinions. The innovators have undoubtedly deviated from the right path. As for what is Soofiyyah, then we have already answered that. Please refer to Fatwa 82017.

Allaah Knows best.