Hanif
Definition
Hanif — one who inclines away from all falsehood toward pure monotheism — is the Quranic description of Ibrahim's theological orientation. He arrived at the worship of Allah alone through a process of honest intellectual reflection, rejecting the stars, the moon, and the sun as he tested each in turn, before declaring his face turned toward the Creator of everything. Ibn Kathir uses this to establish Ibrahim as the father of rational monotheism — not someone who inherited belief from his parents (his father was an idol-maker) but someone who reasoned his way to the truth. The Quran commands the Prophet ﷺ and the believers to follow 'the creed of Ibrahim the hanif,' making his intellectual journey the model of sincere monotheism.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Hanif.
-
"lord. Then Allah will take him to the best of abodes. Al-Siddiq will take over, fulfilling truthfulness. Then al-Hanif, a seasoned leader, will establish the truth. He mentioned Uthman and his murder, and what would occur during the Umayyads and Abbasids. He narrated the trials and tribulations in detail from Ibn Abbas. Previously, he had informed al-Rabiya ibn Nasr, the king of Yemen, about his vision and what would happen in Yemen until it returns to Saif ibn Diyazan. He was asked if this would continue or be cut off. He replied, A pure prophet will receive revelation from the Most High. When asked about the prophet's lineage, he said,"
— Ibn Kathir, Volume 2 — From the Israelite Prophets to Pre-Islamic Arabia
-
"informed him, you will not be upon our religion until you take your share of the wrath of Allah. Zayd replied, I flee only from the wrath of Allah and cannot bear any of it. Is there no other way? The scholar advised him to be a Hanif, explaining that it is the religion of Abraham, who was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and worshipped only Allah. Zayd, upon hearing this, declared, O Allah, I bear witness that I am upon the religion of Ibrahim. A laith reported from Asma bint Abi Bakr that she saw Zayd standing against the Kaaba, proclaiming to the people of Quraysh, by Allah, there is none of you upon the religion of Ibrahim"
— Ibn Kathir, Volume 2 — From the Israelite Prophets to Pre-Islamic Arabia
-
"A companion of al-Ahnaf ibn Qais shared an observation: "I accompanied him, and most of his nightly prayers were supplications. He would approach a lamp, place his finger near it until he felt the heat, and then say to himself, 'O Hanif, what drove you to act as you did on such a day?'" Explanation of the True Nature of Post-action Accountability Just as a servant begins the day with intentions to adhere to truth, he should also end the day by holding himself accountable for all his actions, much like merchants do with their partners to ensure their worldly affairs are in order."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 38: The Book of Self-Examination and Self-Reckoning
Appears in
1 book in the library
Hear the term in context.
Every book above uses Hanif the way the classical scholars meant it. Listen with the full Study Kit in the app.