Salafism is a transnational Islamic movement that has spread worldwide, including
in Indonesia. Etymologically, the term ”salaf” refers to the past or what occurred in
previous times (Ma’luf 1986: 346). In addition to ”salaf,” the words ”salafiah” and ”salafi”
(plural: ”salafiyun”) are widely used by scholars. ”Salafiah” refers to the teachings of the
pious ancestors (”salaf al saleh”), while ”salafi” refers to the followers of these teachings
(al-Thalibi 2006: 8). Currently, Salafism has evolved into an Islamic school of thought
that regards true Islam as being attained only through imitating the interpretations and
practices of the pious predecessors (salaf al salih) (al Bouty 1998: 9). The salaf al salih
is considered an exemplary model of Islam. The spread of Salafism with the aim of
purifying Islamic teachings and practices is referred to as the Salafi movement. Some
scholars argue that Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia is another name for Salafism, as it can
be traced genealogically from the salaf al salih—Ibn Taymiyya—Muhammad ibn Abd al
Wahhab—and some prominent scholars from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. This research
will focus on various aspects of Salafism, including its spread, da’wah strategies,
and how its beliefs are presented in a manner that is appealing and accepted by
people. The study follows an interpretive paradigm and utilizes the phenomenological
approach to address the research problem. The data for this study will be collected
from key figures and members of the Salafi movement in Wakatobi, as well as from
local clerics, government officials, and relevant documents related to the research
problem. There are at least three methods for collecting the data that we use in this
study.