وَقَالُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَـٰرَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا۟ ۗ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ 135
Translations
They say, "Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided." Say, "Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth, and he was not of the polytheists."
Transliteration
Wa qāloo koonoo hūdan aw nasārā tahtadoo. Qul bal millata Ibrāhīma hanīfan wa mā kāna mina al-mushrikīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Jews and Christians claim that following their respective religions is the path to guidance, but Allah commands the Prophet to reject this claim and instead call people to the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham), which was monotheistic submission to Allah alone. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that Ibrahim's path predated both Judaism and Christianity, making it the original, pure monotheism (hanīf) that rejected all forms of polytheism and religious innovation.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a broader Medinan passage addressing interfaith disputes in Medina, where the Muslim community interacted with Jewish and Christian communities. The context reflects the Prophet's interactions with these groups who attempted to convert Muslims to their faiths, prompting this clarification that Islam represents a return to the authentic Abrahamic monotheism rather than a new religion.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'I have been commanded to follow the religion of Ibrahim, the Hanif' (Sunan An-Nasa'i). Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet emphasizes that he is closest to Ibrahim among all people.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true guidance lies in pure monotheism and sincere submission to Allah alone, not in following religious traditions merely because of ancestry or cultural inheritance; it calls believers to examine the roots of faith and distinguish between human innovations and divine guidance.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلًّى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَـٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ
And [mention] when We made the House [i.e., the Kaʿbah] a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], "Purify My House for those who perform ṭawāf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer]."
وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَٰجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَٰضَوْا۟ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ مِنكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۗ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And when you divorce women and they have fulfilled their term, do not prevent them from remarrying their [former] husbands if they [i.e., all parties] agree among themselves on an acceptable basis. That is instructed to whoever of you believes in Allāh and the Last Day. That is better for you and purer, and Allāh knows and you know not.
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًا ۗ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ ۖ بَل لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ كُلٌّ لَّهُۥ قَـٰنِتُونَ
They say, "Allāh has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him,
ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allāh. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.