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mā kāna ʾibrāhīmu yahūdiyyan wa-lā naṣrāniyyan wa-lākin kāna ḥanīfan musliman wa-mā kāna mina l-mushrikīna
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. Rather, he was a Hanif, a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists.
— Ali Quli Qarai
3Āl ʿImrānآل عمرانVerse 67 of 200
The Family of Imran3. Āl ʿImrānآل عمران
Āl ‘Imrān
Family of Imran
MedinanVerse 67 of 200
Surah 'Ali-Imran, Verse 67
67. "Abraham was neither (as) Jew nor (as) Christian but he was an upright Muslim, and he was not (one) of polytheists."
The Arabic term /hanafa/ means: 'tending to the Truth', while its opposite Arabic term is /janafa/ which means: ' deviation or swerving to falsehood? The term / hanif / is applied for a person who is on the path of Truth. But this very word was one of the perverted words which the idolators used to employ about themselves. Therefore, the pagans were also called /hunafa/ which is the plural form of this word. With the occurrence of the term /musliman/ 'a muslim' in this verse and beside the term /hanafan/, the Qur'an has purified both Abraham, from the dirt of polytheism, and this holy word from the misusers.