The Etymological Meanings of “Hanafiyyah”, Synonym of “Islam”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is adapted from a paper by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghafur ‘Abd ar-Rahim.  One of the factors which stand against change and reform of Islamic law is the current rigid conceptualisation of some basic terms.  The development of fiqh led to the construing of the terms “diyn”, “islam”, and “shari’ah” in concrete fiqhi terms.  The underlying ethical principles which the concrete fiqhi values embodied became insignificant or of secondary importance.  Consciously or not, this in turn led to the equation of forms and principles, thereby making change extremely difficult.  Any proposed change came to be conceived as undermining the principles themselves embodied in the fiqhi forms. 

Now we address synonyms of the term, “islam”.  By synonyms, it is meant those terms which were used during the time of the Prophet (s.a.w.) as having the same meaning as islam.  Such terms include hanafiyyah, tazakki, and swirath al-mustaqim will be examined 

The terms, “hanafiyyah”, and “islam” were used synonymously.  Sayyidina Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (r.a.), for instance, had the variant, “hanafiyyah” for islam here: 

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمُ‌ۗ وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡ‌ۗ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ (١٩) 

The religion before Allah is islam (submission to His will): nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them.  But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is Swift in Calling to account. (Surah Ali ‘Imran:19) 

Sayyidina ibn Mas’ud (r.a.) read this verse as “The diyn in the Sight of God is al-hanafiyyah”.  Similarly, a hadits conveys the same, and reads, “The most beloved diyn in the Sight of God is the simple hanafiyyah”. 

“Hanafiyyah” originates from “hanafah”, meaning “he inclined to a right state or tendency”.  Accordingly, a person having such an inclination is called a hanif.  The term, “hanif” in pre-Islamic times was applied to the unitarian God seekers of pagan Makkah who abstained from shirk, and were righteous and otherworldly.  Shaykh Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham al-Baswri (r.a.), in his account of four hunafah, stated that they had distinguished themselves from the rest of their people by abandoning some of their common practices such as idol worship, eating carrion and drinking blood.  Condemning the practice of infanticide common in pre-Islamic Arabia, they tried to stop people from killing their daughters.  The pre-Islamic poetry also contains references to “hanif” and “mutahannif”.  For instance, the poet, Jiran al-‘Iwagh, spoke in some of his poetry of the mutahannif worshipper, and the hanif  who spent months in solitary worship. 

The Qur’anic meaning of hanif is similar to its pre-Islamic meaning having a monotheistic as well as a righteous sense.  The monotheistic sense is seen in the Qur’anic Usage of hanif, as opposed to shirk.  In all but one of the twelve instances of “hanif” in the Qur’an, the term is juxtaposed to shirk as having a contrary meaning to “hanif”. 

Here, for instance, the Qur’an States that being a hanif involves being ghayr mushrikin, not being a mushrik.  In many instances of “hanif” in the Qur’an, there lies an appeal to the pagan Makkans to abandon their shirk.  The Qur’an Repeatedly Points out to them that Abraham (a.s.), whom they revered and acknowledged as their biological and spiritual ancestor, was not a mushrik, but a hanif. 

سُوۡرَةُ الحَجّ

حُنَفَآءَ لِلَّهِ غَيۡرَ مُشۡرِكِينَ بِهِۦ‌ۚ وَمَن يُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتَخۡطَفُهُ ٱلطَّيۡرُ أَوۡ تَهۡوِى بِهِ ٱلرِّيحُ فِى مَكَانٍ۬ سَحِيقٍ۬ (٣١) 

Hunafah Allah and ghayr mushrikin: if anyone assigns partners to Allah, he is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds or the wind had swooped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a far-distant place. (Surah al-Haj:31) 

The sense of righteousness associated with hanif, is seen in the Qur’an’s Rejection that Divine Guidance and Salvation depended on belonging to a particular community. 

سُوۡرَةُ النِّسَاء

وَأَخۡذِهِمُ ٱلرِّبَوٰاْ وَقَدۡ نُہُواْ عَنۡهُ وَأَكۡلِهِمۡ أَمۡوَٲلَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ‌ۚ وَأَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ مِنۡہُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمً۬ا (١٦١) 

That they took usury, though they were forbidden; and that they devoured men’s substance wrongfully; ― We have Prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment. (Surah an-Nisa’:161) 

سُوۡرَةُ الرُّوم

فَأَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفً۬ا‌ۚ فِطۡرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيۡہَا‌ۚ لَا تَبۡدِيلَ لِخَلۡقِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلۡقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَڪۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ (٣٠) ۞ مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيۡهِ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَلَا تَكُونُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِڪِينَ (٣١) 

So set you your face steadily and truly hanifah: (establish) Allah’s Handiwork according to the pattern on which He has Made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (Wrought) by Allah: that is the standard religion: but most among mankind understand not.  Turn you back in repentance to Him, and fear Him: establish regular prayers and be not you among those who join gods with Allah, ― (Surah ar-Rum:30, 31) 

سُوۡرَةُ البَیّنَة

وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓاْ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ حُنَفَآءَ وَيُقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ‌ۚ وَذَٲلِكَ دِينُ ٱلۡقَيِّمَةِ (٥) 

And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being hunafah; to establish regular prayer; and to practise regular charity; and that is the religion right and straight. (Surah al-Bayyinah:5) 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

وَقَالُواْ ڪُونُواْ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَـٰرَىٰ تَہۡتَدُواْ‌ۗ قُلۡ بَلۡ مِلَّةَ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ حَنِيفً۬ا‌ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ (١٣٥) قُولُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسۡحَـٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوبَ وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ ٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ أَحَدٍ۬ مِّنۡهُمۡ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُ ۥ مُسۡلِمُونَ (١٣٦) 

They say, “Become Jews or Christians if you would be guided (to Salvation).”  Say you: “Nay!  (I would rather) the Religion of Abraham hanifah, and he joined not gods with Allah.”  Say you: “We believe, in Allah and the Revelation Given to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that Given to Moses and Jesus and that Given to (all) prophets from their Lord.  We make no difference between one and another of them and we are muslimin.” (Surah al-Baqarah:135, 136) 

After Rejecting this claim, the Qur’an Explains that being guided is not a matter of mere belonging to this or that religious denomination but rather following the hanif way of Abraham (a.s.).  This way, as the Qur’an further elaborates, is self-surrender to God and being muhsin. 

سُوۡرَةُ النِّسَاء

وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ دِينً۬ا مِّمَّنۡ أَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهُ ۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ۬ وَٱتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ حَنِيفً۬ا‌ۗ وَٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ خَلِيلاً۬ (١٢٥) 

Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah, os muhsinun, and follows the way of Abraham the hanifah?  For Allah did Take Abraham for a friend. (Surah an-Nisa’:125) 

The Qur’an also suggests that some contemporaries of the Prophet (s.a.w.) from the People of the Book claimed that Salvation depended on belonging to their community. 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

وَقَالُواْ لَن يَدۡخُلَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَـٰرَىٰ‌ۗ تِلۡكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمۡ‌ۗ قُلۡ هَاتُواْ بُرۡهَـٰنَڪُمۡ إِن ڪُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِينَ (١١١) 

And they say, “None shall enter paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.” Those are their (vain) desires.  Say: “Produce your proof if you are truthful.” (Surah al-Baqarah:111) 

They argued that even Abraham, on whom God Bestowed His favours, was one of them. 

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

يَـٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِىٓ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَتِ ٱلتَّوۡرَٮٰةُ وَٱلۡإِنجِيلُ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦۤ‌ۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ (٦٥) هَـٰٓأَنتُمۡ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ حَـٰجَجۡتُمۡ فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ۬ فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيۡسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ۬‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ (٦٦) 

You People of the Book!  Why dispute you about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not Revealed until after him?  Have you no understanding? Ah! You are those who fell to disputing (even) in matters of which you had some knowledge!  But why dispute you in matters of which you have no knowledge?  It is Allah Who Knows, and ye who know not! (Surah Ali ‘Imran:65, 66) 

The Qur’an Rejects their claim, Saying that Salvation is open to any person who believes in God and acts righteously, and that the reason why Abraham attained God’s Favours was not because of his religious affiliation but because he was a hanif, a righteous person who had surrendered his self to God. 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

بَلَىٰ مَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهُ ۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ۬ فَلَهُ ۥۤ أَجۡرُهُ ۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (١١٢) 

Nay, whoever submits his whole self to Allah and is a doer of good ― he will get his Reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Surah al-Baqarah:112) 

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

مَا كَانَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمُ يَہُودِيًّ۬ا وَلَا نَصۡرَانِيًّ۬ا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفً۬ا مُّسۡلِمً۬ا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ (٦٧) 

Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian, but he was hunafa and bowed his will to Allah’s and he joined not gods with Allah. (Surah Ali ‘Imran:67) 

Thus, according to the pre-Islamic as well as the Qur’anic Usages, the term, “hanif” was applied to a person who believed in God and acted in a righteous manner.  This seems to explain why Sayyidina ibn Mas’ud (r.a.) chose to use “hanafiyyah” for islam, in Surah Ali ‘Imran:19, as both terms denoted belief in God and righteousness.