“And when it is said to them: ‘Come toward what God sent down and toward the Prophet,’ they say: ‘What we found our fathers upon is sufficient for us!’ Even if their fathers knew nothing and were not guided?!” and said: ﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ﴾[1]; “And when it is said to them: ‘Follow what God sent down,’ they say: ‘But we follow what we found our fathers upon!’ Even if Satan invited them toward the flaring punishment?!” and said: ﴿وَإِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً قَالُوا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهَا آبَاءَنَا وَاللَّهُ أَمَرَنَا بِهَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾[2]; “And when they commit an indecency, they say: ‘We found our fathers upon it, and God has commanded us to (do) it!’ Say: ‘Undoubtedly, God does not command what is indecent, so do you say something upon God about which you have no knowledge?!’” Therefore, it is clear that the belief in the necessity of following the predecessors has no basis in Islam and is one of the polytheists’ beliefs, and it is considered an impediment to cognition because its advocates consider the truth as falsehood if it is contrary to the predecessors’ sayings or actions; considering that, in their opinion, if it was the true, it would not remain hidden from the predecessors, and whatever has remained hidden from the predecessors is an innovation; as God Almighty has informed of their words and said: ﴿مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي الْمِلَّةِ الْآخِرَةِ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقٌ﴾[3]; “We have not heard that in the previous religion! This is nothing but a fabrication!”

[Non-necessity of following the predecessors]

This sheds light on the incorrectness of the approach of the Salafists, who believe in the necessity of following the predecessors; because following the predecessors, if it is due to their following the intellect, the intellect exists for posterity as well, and with its existence, following the predecessors is meaningless, and if it is due to their following Sharia, Sharia exists for posterity as well, and with its existence, following it is more deserving than following the predecessors;