Islam is the Hanifiyyah – A Polytheist is not a Hanif
As previously mentioned, those known as hunafa' adhered to the monotheistic teachings of Abraham, which is why Islam is also known as al-hanifiyyah.
One of these hunafa' has already been mentioned: Zayd ibnu 'Amr ibni Nufayl, who proclaimed his conviction on various occasions and through poetry.
Several narrations report how Zayd ibnu 'Amr set out in search of the true religion and, on his journey, encountered a Jewish and a Christian priest. When he asked each of them about the true religion, both ultimately referred him to the hanifiyyah, whereupon Zayd asked:
قَالَ زَيْدٌ وَمَا الْحَنِيفُ قَالَ دِينُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَا يَعْبُدُ إِلَّا اللَّهَ
Zayd said: “And what is a hanif?” He [the Jewish or Christian priest] said: “The din of Ibrahim. He was neither Jewish nor Christian and worshiped none but Allah.”94
The hanif is therefore someone who worships only Allah, in contrast to the mushrik. Just as there cannot be a “hanif mushrik”, there likewise cannot be a “Muslim mushrik” or a “mukhlis mushrik.”
In numerous verses in the Qur'an, it is clearly shown that Islam is hanifiyyah, and that every Muslim is a hanif:
﴿وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ﴾
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, purifying their din for Him as hunafa', and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.
[sura al-Bayyinah, 98:5]
Explanation of this Verse:
- This verse explicitly states that people were commanded nothing but to establish monotheism in worship.
At the beginning of this book, it was already explained in a separate chapter that the acts of worship prescribed in Islam, such as prayer and zakat, are built upon tawhid and cannot exist without it.
If someone who does not fulfil tawhid were to perform a prayer solely for Allah, this prayer would not be accepted by Allah, according to the consensus of the Muslims. This is further clarified by the fact that the pre-Islamic idolaters outwardly identified with the religion of Abraham and even performed certain 'ibadat exclusively for Allah, thus being “mukhlisina”95 in these specific acts. However, this did not make them Muslims.
- After this, the same verse reaffirms once again what this means, namely: “To worship Allah”, that is, “purifying their din for Him.” Here, the word “mukhlisina” is used, which once again demonstrates that Islam is ikhlas, and that every Muslim must be a mukhlis.
- Then follows another confirmation of this meaning: “To worship Allah, purifying their din for Him”, that is, “as hunafa'.”
- Finally, it concludes with the statement that what has just been described is “the straight and upright religion (din).”
This Qur'an verse also contradicts multiple times the notion of a Muslim who, in a polytheistic manner, worships others alongside the one Creator.
In another verse, it is stated:
﴿مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِنْ كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a hanif, a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the mushrikin.
[sura Ali 'Imran, 3:67]
This verse also reflects exactly what was stated above. Once again, three things are mentioned, with each term explaining and reinforcing the other. “Muslim”, “hanif”, and “not from the mushrikin” are three equivalent concepts.