أهل الحديث
Salafis consider the hadith that quotes Muhammad saying, "The best of my community are my generation, the ones who follow them and the ones who follow them." as a call to Muslims to follow the example of those first three generations, known collectively as the "salaf," or "pious Predecessors" ( "as-Salaf as-Ṣāliḥ"). The salaf are believed to include Muhammad himself, the "Companions" ("Sahabah"), the "Followers" ("Tabi‘un"), and the "Followers of the Followers" ("Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in"). Historically, the term "Salafi" as a proper noun and adjective had been used during the classical era to refer to the early theological school of "Ahl al-Hadith".