مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّۭا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّۭا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًۭا مُّسْلِمًۭا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Maa kaana Ibraaheemu Yahoodiyyanw wa laa Nasraa niyyanw wa laakin kaana Haneefam Muslimanw wa maa kaana minal mushrikeen
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists.
Themes in this ayah
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3:67Ayah 1200
10 ayahs in Aal-i-Imraan are strongly about the oneness of Allah. This is one of them.
Tafsir
Scholars largely agree on this ayah
God in order to dissociate Abraham from their claims said No; Abraham in truth was not a Jew neither a Christian but he was a Muslim professing the Oneness of God and a hanīf who inclined away from all other religions towards the upright one; and he was never of the idolaters.
Related Hadiths
Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail went to Sham, inquiring about a true religion to follow. He met a Jewish religious scholar and asked him about their religion. He said, "I intend to embrace your religion, so tell me some thing about it." The Jew said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you receive your share of Allah's Anger." Zaid said, "'I do not run except from Allah's Anger, and I will never bear a bit of it if I have the power to avoid it. Can you tell me of some other religion?" He said, "I do not know any other religion except the Hanif." Zaid enquired, "What is Hanif?" He said, "Hanif is the religion of (the prophet) Abraham who was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and he used to worship None but Allah (Alone)" Then Zaid went out and met a Christian religious scholar and told him the same as before. The Christian said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you get a share of Allah's Curse." Zaid replied, "I do not run except from Allah's Curse, and I will never bear any of Allah's Curse and His Anger if I have the power to avoid them. Will you tell me of some other religion?" He replied, "I do not know any other religion except Hanif." Zaid enquired, "What is Hanif?" He replied, Hanif is the religion of (the prophet) Abraham who was neither a Jew nor a Christian and he used to worship None but Allah (Alone)" When Zaid heard their Statement about (the religion of) Abraham, he left that place, and when he came out, he raised both his hands and said, "O Allah! I make You my Witness that I am on the religion of Abraham."
A Jewish boy used to serve the Prophet (ﷺ) and became ill. The Prophet (ﷺ) went to pay him a visit and said
to him, "Embrace Islam," and he did embrace Islam. Al-Musaiyab said: When Abu Talib was on his
deathbed, the Prophet (ﷺ) visited him.
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