My Salafi Journey from Controversy to Humanity | Yasir Qadhi

In this in-depth interview, Dr. Emad Hamdeh sits down with Dr. Yasir Qadhi to discuss his latest book Understanding Salafism and why he ultimately moved beyond the Salafi movement. This is one of Yasir Qadhi’s most detailed public reflections on Salafism, Qur'anic interpretation, Islamic reform, and contemporary controversies.

Having both written on Salafism, Dr. Qadhi and Dr. Hamdeh have a rich conversation where they explore the origins and slogans of Salafism, how Qur’an and hadith are interpreted through the Salafi lens, why Salafi identity is both empowering and limiting, and how Dr. Qadhi remains influenced by Salafism even after distancing himself from it.

Chapters:
0:00 - 3:27 - Intro
3:28 - 8:18 Will Salafis See This as Critique?
8:19 - 12:10 What Academics Miss About Salafism
12:11 - 15:10 The Power and Problem of Salafi Slogans
15:11 - 17:30 Madhhab Issue That Made YQ Rethink Salafism
17:31 - 20:33 The Appeal of "Just Follow Quran and Sunnah"
20:34 - 24:08 Who Gets to Interpret the Qur’an and Sunnah?
24:09 - 26:33 Why Did Salafism Become So Influential?
26:34 - 37:20 How Albani Spread Salafism Worldwide
37:20 - 41:00 Everyone Does Taqlid — Even If They Deny It
41:01 - 44:15 Albani and the Revival of Hadith Studies
44:16 - 52:40 North American Salafism: From MSA to Post-Salafism

52:41 - 55:15 The Disconnect Between Scholars and Real-World Problems
55:16 - 58:29 How All Movements Failed Gaza
58:30 - 1:08:14 Two Scholars Yasir Qadhi Admires the Most
1:08:15 - 110:10 Why One Mentor Won’t Talk to Yasir Qadhi
1:10:11 - 1:15:44 What Yasir Qadhi Held On To — And Let Go
1:15:45 - 1:29:02 Yasir Qadhi Gets Personal: Advice to Salafis & Non-Salafis

We also talk about:
- The legacy of Shaykh al-Albānī and textualism
- The shift from Salafi literalism to contextual understanding
- Dr. Qadhi’s reflections on Yusuf al-Qaradawi
- What it means to “leave” a movement but not reject it entirely

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED:
- Understanding Salafism by Yasir Qadhi → https://www.amazon.com/Salafism-Between-Fact-Fiction-Oneworld/dp/1786078481/
- Salafism and Traditionalism: Scholarly Authority in Modern Islam by Emad Hamdeh → https://www.amazon.com/Salafism-Traditionalism-Scholarly-Authority-Modern/dp/1108706908/

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