While several contemporary Islamic movements emphasize reference to the early generations of Muslims (al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ, “the righteous predecessors”), the authority of these early Muslims is much older. A famous ḥadīṯ grants particular authority to the first three generations of believers, and the identification of the Salaf with the Companions, the Followers, and the Followers of the Followers became standard — despite the lack of consensus on when the age of the Salaf ends.

The authority attributed to the Salaf is elusive: little is known of their lives, and less of their thoughts. They left almost no direct writings, yet their authority developed nonetheless. They are often invoked as a collective (“the doctrine of the Salaf”), primarily as transmitters of prophetic memory; their very silence carries doctrinal weight, and allows later authors to enlist their authority in support of their own positions.

The history of the Salaf as a figure of authority remains largely unwritten. A seminar held at IDEO between 2022 and 2024 established preliminary markers: a gradual emergence from the 9th century, becoming widespread in the 11th. Reference to the Salaf was never confined to Hanbalite or traditionalist circles — different, sometimes competing, images circulated simultaneously. This conference aims to refine that work, from early Islam to the beginning of the Ottoman period.