Hanif
Sign in to saveAlso known as Ahnaf, Haneef
In Islam, the terms ' (; , ) and ' (; ) are primarily used to refer to pre-Islamic Arabians who were Abrahamic monotheists. Muslims regard these people favorably for shunning Arabian polytheism and instead solely worshipping the God of Abraham, thus setting themselves apart from what is called . However, they were not associated with Judaism or Christianity; instead exemplifying what they perceived as the unaltered beliefs and morals of Abraham.
~6 min read
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Historicity
- List of Arabian monotheists
- See also
- Notes
- References
In Islam, the terms ' (; , ) and ' (; ) are primarily used to refer to pre-Islamic Arabians who were Abrahamic monotheists. Muslims regard these people favorably for shunning Arabian polytheism and instead solely worshipping the God of Abraham, thus setting themselves apart from what is called . However, they were not associated with Judaism or Christianity; instead exemplifying what they perceived as the unaltered beliefs and morals of Abraham.
The form appears 10 times in the Quran, and the form twice. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad himself was a (before he met the angel Gabriel) and was a direct descent from Abraham's first son Ishmael. Likewise, Islam regards all Islamic prophets and messengers before Muhammad — that is, those affiliated with Judaism and/or Christianity, such as Moses and Jesus — as , underscoring their God-given infallibility.