Why do Muslims give themselves titles such as Salafi, Sufi and Hanafi?

[Anas_L]

I made a thread about this before but apparently it was deleted.

Why, just why, just why do Muslims give themselves titles such as Salafi, Sufi, Hanafi and all that?

I see noooooooooooo point in it and it's clearly an innovation. So why?

Can someone reply to this thread without deleting it?

 

[zaman-gm]

Salam,
It's oky brother take it easy. this world is for struggling. we have to gather our knowledge as well as our Iman
and our Iman will held/grow with following Al-Quran and Hadith/Sunah the touchstone.
It's all easy what ever come to me, when it will approved by those touchstone.

(Why, just why, just why do Muslims give themselves titles such as Salafi, Sufi, Hanafi and all that?)

It will be happened till end of the world as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ say we found a lot of Hadith in this regard. We need to griped the fundamental of Islam. then step foreword carefully with the wing.

(Salafi, Sufi, Hanafi and all that) they are the interpreter/expositor. some time they make some mistake as they are a Human. But there is no mistake in Al-Quran and Hadith/Sunah. If we found problem in specific point we can leave it.

This is better to not blaming other because i have full of it.
Allah is enough for me. He is my creator, he is my sustainer, he is the one who loves the muhsisnin.

 

[MehmetHilmi]

Selamun Aleykum,

I'm actually going to give my own opinion on this. The differences between the 4 major Sunni Madhhabs (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Hanbali, Maliki) aren't huge differences. In fact, I was raised with the belief that they are all righteously guided sects. The differences are actually good. They show the diversity within our religion and the flexibility that Allah has given us. Sufis are not a completely different sect. Sufis can be Hanafi, Shafi'i, Hanbali, Maliki. In fact well known Sufi mystic Rumi was actually a Hanafi jurist. As with Salafis, I don't know too much about them but I assume that they completely reject the concept of the four madhhabs (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Now, why do people label themselves? Well I assume that they belong in one of the groups i mentioned above. If someone follows the teachings of Imam Shafi'i, he is a Shafi'i. Of course this person is Muslim, we know that already, he just follows a specific creed.

In the end i don't think you should worry too much. Muslims don't go to other Muslims and say, "nice to meet you, I'm Salafi". Only after you meet a Muslim and engage in deep conversation, you can learn more specifically about what they follow. And even then, why would it matter so much. The differences are nothing to fight over.

 

[zaman-gm]

Selamun Aleykum,

I'm actually going to give my own opinion on this. The differences between the 4 major Sunni Madhhabs (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Hanbali, Maliki) aren't huge differences. In fact, I was raised with the belief that they are all righteously guided sects. The differences are actually good. They show the diversity within our religion and the flexibility that Allah has given us. Sufis are not a completely different sect. Sufis can be Hanafi, Shafi'i, Hanbali, Maliki. In fact well known Sufi mystic Rumi was actually a Hanafi jurist. As with Salafis, I don't know too much about them but I assume that they completely reject the concept of the four madhhabs (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Now, why do people label themselves? Well I assume that they belong in one of the groups i mentioned above. If someone follows the teachings of Imam Shafi'i, he is a Shafi'i. Of course this person is Muslim, we know that already, he just follows a specific creed.

In the end i don't think you should worry too much. Muslims don't go to other Muslims and say, "nice to meet you, I'm Salafi". Only after you meet a Muslim and engage in deep conversation, you can learn more specifically about what they follow. And even then, why would it matter so much. The differences are nothing to fight over.

MehmetHilmi
Brother good saying ma sha Allah.