No, we are not another form of Salafis; the following are the major differences between Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen and the Salafis:

• Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen invites towards the name ‘Muslim’ and doesn’t associate itself with any sectarian name. While the Salafis invite towards the name ‘Salafi’. Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen has challenged all sects to give proof from Quran and Sunnah for any sectarian name employed by them, e.g., Salafi, Ahle Hadith, Ahlus Sunnah, Shia, Sunni or Wahabi etc or otherwise accept the name ‘Muslim’ and disassociate themselves from all sectarian names.

Further more there was no Salafi Jamaah at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam), there was only one Jamaah at the time of the Prophet (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam), i.e., Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen, anything beside it is an innovation.

• Members of Jamaat ul Muslimeen live their lives in unity, and acknowledge only one Emir for the entire Jamaah, worldwide. While Salafis are divided into groups and subgroups, and still acknowledge each other as correct, this attitude of theirs clearly demonstrates that they have no issue with sectarianism.
• Salafis claim to follow Islam as interpreted by the pious predecessors, and cite numerous scholars in support of their arguments, while we only adhere to Quran and Sunnah. We do acknowledge that what the companions followed collectively is the right path and should be followed, besides that, to cite scholars as evidence leads towards blind adherence to their verdicts, which is a form of shirk, so we refrain from such practices.                               
• Salafis claim to follow the Madhab of the Salaf, while Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen only believes in Islam and doesn’t acknowledge any Madhab, school of thought or Muslak etc. Our pious predecessors didn’t have any madhabs but it was the people after them who invented the madhabs.Why do we need madhabs when we have Deen Islam?

The companions of the Prophet followed Islam not madhabs, so we in a way are following them by following Islam only and nothing else. We believe in the following ayah strictly:

Follow that which has been revealed upon you from Allah and do not follow any other friends besides it little do you recollect.
(Surah Al-Araf: Ayah 3)

While a branch of the salafis in Pakistan has acknowledged that they consider Qiyas and Ijtehad part of Deen, Moinuddin Lukvi, Emir of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith said in the ‘All Pakistan Ahle Hadith conference’ held in Lahore-Pakistan:

“Muslak e Ahle Hadiths is also based on what the Imams declared as bases for Islam meaning Kitab Allah, Allah’s Prophet (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-Wa-Sallam’s) Sunnah, after that consensus of Sahaba and Tabeen and after that the mujtahadeen’s Ijtehadaat and Fiqhi Fauz which is known as qiyas by books of Principles”
(Translation of an Urdu paragraph from Al Ethesaam Lahore, pg 8, dated 20th and 27th April 1979)

It is clear from the above statement that the salafis consider personal opinions and judicial rulings as part of Deen. If the Salafis are to say that this is what only one group has to say and they reject it, then we would ask the Salafis to condemn this group and stop offering salaah behind them, otherwise all of them would be considered one, which is what they are. We are puzzled and question when Deen Islam was replaced with a muslak or madhab?

The Salafis are no more than a sect as even their own scholar has acknowledged this, Aziz Zubedi states:

“The situation of Jamaat Ahle Hadith is that instead of being a movement has become a sect”
(Translation of an Urdu quote from the Monthly Muhaddiths, Jamadi-ul-Awwal and Akhir 1400 Hijri, pg. 226)

Differences of opinion arise in practices but this doesn’t justify sectarianism, we invite all the people of the ummah towards unadulterated Islam, which doesn’t allow sectarianism and compels us to live our lives in unity under one Emir. We hope that no one will mistake Jamaat ul Muslimeen as salafis after reading this article.