Ibrahim's inclination (Hanifan)

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

Abraham was neither one who holds to Judaism, nor a Nazorean, but was inclining to truth as one submitting; and he was not of the idolaters.
(3:67)

Arabic: yahūdī. Understood here as those thought of today as Jews by faith, but not necessarily of Israelite descent. See Notepad XIII.i.

Arabic: Nasrani. Lit. Nazarene (or Nazorean) is the name for an early Jewish Christian sect in first-century Judaism, led by Paul (Saul of Tarsus) The first use of the term is found in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 24:5) of the New Testament, where Paul the Apostle is accused of being a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes ("πρωτοστάτην τε τῆς τῶν Ναζωραίων αἱρέσεως"). Acts 24:5 "For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes." The Quran clarifies that Abraham was not a member of the Nazoreans i.e. those who follow the Pauline doctrine of Paul (Saul of Tarsus).

رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

“Our Lord: make Thou us submitting to Thee, and of our progeny a community submitting to Thee; and show Thou us our rites, and turn Thou towards us; Thou art the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful.
(2:128)

Arabic: muslim – muslimūn, etc. — (one) who yields, submits, is submitting. See Notepad XIII.iii

Arabic: manāsik. Occurring also at 2:200, 22:34 and 22:67, manāsik are taken by the Traditionalist to mean religious rites (the details of which he claims to know). Perhaps he really does. But if he does, he has no Qur’anic support for such claims; the fact is that the Qur’an leaves the case open. The injection of religious certitude drawn from other sources into matters which God left open has no validity in the methodology used here. Also of note is the fact that it says here manāsikanā (our rites). It does not say the rites for all time, or even your rites, but our rites (cf. 2:141). The only rite specifically given in the Qur’an is very simple and found at 22:34.

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِّيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّـهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ فَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ فَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلِمُوا۟ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُخْبِتِينَ

And for every community We appointed a rite: that they remember the name of God over what He has provided them of livestock cattle. And your God is One God; so submit to Him. And bear thou glad tidings to the humble:
(22:34)

The Traditionalist’s stock-in-trade is (what one might call sectarian) rite and dogma. As he himself acknowledges, the Qur’an is conspicuously lacking in both. Here, however, we are given a single rite with enough detail to allow us to implement it, and in a context which speaks of every community. On this basis we may reasonably assume that we are to keep this rite. This point is confirmed at 22:67. See also note to 22:30. Here, for the usual reasons, the Traditionalist frequently attempts to interpolate his required conclusions into the text; Saheeh International, for example, has: And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allāh over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. This is a deceit on at least three counts. Firstly, ummah is translated by him (usually) as community and not religion; secondly, he has inserted ‘sacrificial’ next to ‘rite’ where it does not exist; thirdly, he has inserted ‘sacrificial’ next to ‘animals’ where it does not exist. The word he translates animals here (Arabic: al anʿām) occurs 33 times in the text (3:14, 4:119, 5:1, 5:95, 6:136, 6:138, 6:138, 6:138, 6:139, 6:142, 7:179, 10:24, 16:5, 16:66, 16:80, 20:54, 22:28, 22:30, 22:34, 23:21, 25:44, 25:49, 26:133, 32:27, 35:28, 36:71, 39:6, 40:79, 42:11, 43:12, 47:12, 79:33, 80:32). In no other case does he claim the reference to be to ‘sacrificial’ animals.

It means he was a God-believing rationalist, he was likely from a home of patriarchal priests, and didn't learn his din from any book, he realized there can only be one God, as the righteous before him also believed.

إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ إِنَـٰثًا وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلَّا شَيْطَـٰنًا مَّرِيدًا ۝ لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّـهُ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضًا ۝ وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّـهِ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّـهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا ۝ يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا ۝ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ عَنْهَا مَحِيصًا ۝ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا وَعْدَ ٱللَّـهِ حَقًّا وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّـهِ قِيلًا ۝ لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَآ أَمَانِىِّ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوٓءًا يُجْزَ بِهِۦ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّـهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا ۝ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا ۝ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُۥ لِلَّـهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَٱتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّـهُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ خَلِيلًا ۝ وَلِلَّـهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَكَانَ ٱللَّـهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّحِيطًا ۝

They call besides to Him save to females; and they call save to a rebellious satan (4:117) Whom God cursed; and he (Iblīs) said: “I will take of Thy servants an appointed portion”; (4:118) And: “I will lead them astray”; and: “I will arouse desires in them”; and: “I will command them and they will slit the ears of cattle”; and: “I will command them and they will change the creation of God.” And whoso takes the satan for ally instead of God, he has suffered clear loss. (4:119) He promises them, and arouses desires in them; and the satan promises them only delusion. (4:120) Those: their shelter is Gehenna; and they will find therefrom no place of refuge. (4:121) But those who heed warning and do righteous deeds: We will make them enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, they abiding eternally therein forever. The promise of God is true; and who is more truthful than God in speech? (4:122) It is not according to your vain desires, nor the vain desires of the doctors of the Law; whoso does evil has the recompense thereof and will not find, besides God, ally or helper. (4:123) And whoso does any righteous deeds, whether male or female, and is a believer: those enter the Garden, and they are not wronged a speck on a date-stone. (4:124) And who is better in doctrine than he who submits his face to God, and is a doer of good, and follows the creed of Abraham, inclining to truth? And God took Abraham as a friend. (4:125) And to God belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and God encompasses all things. (4:126)

لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ ٱلنَّاسِ عَدَٰوَةً لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُم مَّوَدَّةً لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا نَصَـٰرَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

Thou wilt find the strongest of men in enmity to those who heed warning the Rabbinic Jews and the idolaters; and thou wilt find the nearest of them in love to those who heed warning those who say: “We are Helpers”; for it is that among them are priests and monks, and that they wax not proud! (5:82)

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّـهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّـهِ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

So set thou thy face¹ towards the doctrine,² inclining to truth:³ — the nature⁴ of God with which He created people — (there is no changing the creation of God) that is the right doctrine, (but most men know not)

(30:30)

1 - Or countenance.

2 - Arabic: dīn

3 - Arabic: ḥanīf — inclining to a right state or tendency; spurning falsehood. See note to 2:130.

رَبَّنَا وَٱبْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ۝ وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ وَلَقَدِ ٱصْطَفَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ۝ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥٓ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ۝

“Our Lord: raise Thou up among them a messenger from among them who will recite to them Thy proofs, and teach them the Writ and wisdom, and increase them in purity;³'¹ Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (2:129) And who is averse to the creed of Abraham³'² save he who befools himself? And We chose him in the World; and in the Hereafter he is among the righteous. (2:130) When his Lord said to him: “Submit thou,” he said: “I have submitted to the Lord of All Creation.”³'³ (2:131)

3.1 - Arabic: zakkā. This form II verb conveys two core ideas: that of increase or growth and that of purity. I render it in such a way as to embrace both senses. This verb form occurs at 2:129, 2:151, 2:174, 3:77, 3:164, 4:49, 4:49, 9:103, 24:21, 53:32, 62:2, 91:9.

3.2 - Any speculation on what constitutes the creed of Ibrāhim beyond what is found at the contexts in and surrounding 2:130, 2:135, 3:95, 4:125, 6:161,16:123 has no Qur’anic basis. At 2:131 we have the first instance: God told Ibrāhim to submit, and he did so; there is no mention of dogma, religion, priesthoods, specialist sects or anything of that kind. Whatever submit thou means, Ibrāhim knew enough to be able to act on that imperative.

3.3 - This was the means by which Ibrāhim entered into submission to God. It is preceded by a clear statement at 2:130. One may benefit by comparing 2:129-130 with what the Traditionalist requires for entry into what he calls Islam.

4 - The Traditionalist claims that the religion of ‘Islam’ (their pseudo-islam) is what is referenced here. No organised religion that I know of pre-exists in my nature. However, my soul recognises and responds to the truths contained in that doctrine which is implicit and explicit in the Qur’an. But these truths do not presuppose any sort of religion (if by religion we mean choosing to believe something one knows to be wholly or partially untrue, patching over the shortfall by drowning out experiential data on the basis of learned dogma). As we say in English: the devil is in the details. And, as the Traditionalist is so fond of pointing out, the Qur’an does not provide ‘the details’. The Traditionalist argues that the Qur’an is deficient (a condition which can be corrected by means of his preferred literature); for my part, I argue that the Qur’an does not envisage a religion in the sense that the Traditionalist means it (or at least in the sense that I think he means it given what I see him do with what he claims to believe). There is nothing wrong with choosing a particular implementation of those basic principles one finds in the Qur’an and creating a jurisprudence around them; there is everything wrong with insisting that the methods one chooses to employ are themselves ordained by God when they have no explicit basis in the Qur’an; cf. 12:40.

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّـهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّـهِ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

“You serve, besides Him, only names which you have named, you and your fathers; God sent not down for them any authority. Judgment is but for God. He commanded that you serve not save Him. That is the right doctrine; but most men⁴'¹ know not.

(12:40)

4.1 - The motif ‘most men’ is characteristic of this chapter and found at 12:21, 12:38, 12:40, 12:68, 12:103. See also note to 12:21. The motif ‘most men’ is characteristic of this chapter and found at 12:21, 12:38, 12:40, 12:68, 12:103. It occurs elsewhere in the Qur’an, but most densely in this chapter (see also: 2:243, 7:187, 11:17, 13:1, 16:38, 17:89, 25:50, 30:6, 30:30, 34:28, 34:36, 40:57, 40:59, 40:61, 45:26).

5 - Arabic: dīn. See Notepad V. This exact phrase occurs at 9:36, 12:40, 30:30.

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حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ إِلاَّ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ، كَمَا تُنْتَجُ الْبَهِيمَةُ بَهِيمَةً جَمْعَاءَ، هَلْ تُحِسُّونَ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ ‏"‏ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ ‏{‏فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ‏}‏

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "No child is born but that he is upon natural instinct. His parents make him a Jew, or a Christian, or Magian. As an animal delivers a child with limbs intact, do you detect any flaw?" Then, Abu Huraira recited the verse, "The nature of Allah upon which he has set people," (30:30).

Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4775

In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 297

USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 298

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وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏:‏ ‏"‏ كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ، كَمَا تُنَاتَجُ الإِبِلُ مِنْ بَهِيمَةٍ جَمْعَاءَ هَلْ تُحِسُّ فِيهَا مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا ‏:‏ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَمُوتُ وَهُوَ صَغِيرٌ قَالَ ‏:‏ ‏"‏ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Every child is born on the fitra and it is his parents who make him a jew or a christian. Just as a camel is born whole - do you perceive any defect?" They said, "Messenger of Allah, what happens to people who die when they are (very) young?" He said, "Allah knows best what they used to do."

USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 16, Hadith 53

Arabic reference : Book 16, Hadith 575

حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ إِلاَّ يُلِدَ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ وَيُنَصِّرَانِهِ وَيُشَرِّكَانِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ مَاتَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

No babe is born but upon Fitra. It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Polytheist. A person said: Allah's Messenger, what is your opinion if they were to die before that (before reaching the age of adolescence when they can distinguish between right and wrong)? He said: It is Allah alone Who knows what they would be doing.

Reference : Sahih Muslim 2658e

In-book reference : Book 46, Hadith 37

USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 33, Hadith 6426

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حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْقُطَعِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، قال: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ الْبُنَانِيُّ، قال: حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْمِلَّةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُشَرِّكَانِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ هَلَكَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ بِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، وَالْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ حُرَيْثٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ بِمَعْنَاهُ وَقَالَ ‏"‏ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏ وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ شُعْبَةُ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَعْنَاهُ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ سَرِيعٍ ‏.

'Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:

"Every child is born upon the Millah, then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or an idolater." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah! What about those who die before that?" He said: "Allah knows best what they would have done." [Another chain) with similar in meaning, and he said: "Born upon the Fiirah."

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2138

In-book reference : Book 32, Hadith 6

English translation : Vol. 4, Book 6, Hadith 2138