| Summary: | This article offers a reconceptualization of the movement that came to be known as Salafism in the twentieth century. Existing theories of Salafism seek to characterize it either as a modern sociological movement or a term denoting (neo-)Ḥanbalite belief. This article argues for a reconceptualization of Salafism as a hermeneutical stance grounded in an explicit affirmation of the text in the absence of a countervailing indication (qarīna). While the abstract noun "Salafism" (salafiyya) is a neologism, it is argued that its antecedents derived from its root word previously denoted a claim space for religious authenticity in the form of the literal interpretation of scripture. An analysis of these related terms from the fourth century AH/tenth century CE onward reveals the use of the concept to denote the literal affirmation, belief, and implementation of Qurʾanic verses and prophetic traditions. Furthermore, an analysis of these terms by contemporary Salafīs shows that they too define Salafism as an affirmation of this hermeneutical stance. This study comprehensively traces the historical usage of the term Salafī and its derivations, which it is argued remains central to understanding contemporary Salafism. The findings of this article also inform debates concerning what constitutes Islamic meaning creation, including Asad's conception of Islam as a discursive tradition and Shahab Ahmed's classification of interpretive complexes. It argues that Salafism constitutes a hermeneutical complex that pervades Islamic meaning construction across spatial and temporal boundaries.
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