The theological opinions of the Salimiyya and its criticism

The first four centuries are of great importance for the formation of Islamic thought. For the emergence of some Islamic sciences such as Hadith, Islamic Law and Kalam all occurred in this era. It is believed that the Salimiyya came to existence in the third/ninth century AH. Since Salimiyya had disposition towards Islamic mysticism it showed ist presence in this field as well and influenced several important Sufis. This study aims to point out and determine the theological opinions of Salimiyya and its criticism. The study consists of an introduction and two sections. In the introduction, there is information on the topic of the research, its importance, purpose, method, and its sources. The first section gives information about the geography where the Salimiyya has been formed and then about the pioneers of the movement. Here, the information found in classic and modern sources about Salimiyya is analyzed. The second section deals with the theological opinions of the Salimiyya. Since Salimī writings have not reached today, however, their opinions are studied through the sources of their opponents. This situation poses a hardship on learning the exact views of Salimiyya. After evaluating the alleged opinions of Salimiyya these were compared to the views of Sahl b. Abd Allah al-Tustarī, one of its founders, to detect the similarities and differences. The section also mentions Salimiyya's placement in the concept of "Islamic Sects".