The meaning of ” hanif” in Arabic is to have a bent foot, to step out of line, to turn back on feet.
From this it comes to be meant for a person who turns back to Allah, who turns away from a wrong religion to the right one i.e. Islam. And this is the meaning mostly used in Quran especially in relation to monotheism and Prophet Ibrahim.
إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿النحل: ١٢٠﴾
As you notice this verse is in Surah Nahl and ” nahl” means to be in abundance. Now whenever people have abundance of Allah bounty they forget and disobey Allah commands. Ibrahim and those who follow him are found in these times and down the history they are counted as one ummat ( nation). Such people , hence are prevalent in times of progress and modernization.
The main characteristic of these followers of Ibrahim are there freedom from new world order and there turning back to monotheistic way of life. They appear to be out of line, unorthodox, offbeat, eccentric or idiosyncratic. They do not confirm to the way of life prevalent in their times and keep on acting on the true religion.
At the same time these people are the creative one, bring new ideas, open new doors, and produce radical and revolutionary changes in the way of thinking and living, prevalent at that time.
It is interesting to note that the same one characteristic of being a ” hanif” produce two different reactions. One is called heretic when he stops them from deviant and sinful life and other is praised as great thinker, philosopher and scientist when he opens a new avenue of change bringing more comfort to life.
People forget that both are ” hanif” and through these Allah remind people of His Mercy. One by stopping them from sin and other by giving them more so that they may be thankful.
As a ” hanif” is usually out of his time he appears to be slow and lagging behind others in worldly affairs initially and this is his test of patience to stand by Allah order and later he is given in abundance also, but not by the ways of sinful people but from the ways of righteousness and good work as all the bounty belongs to Allah only.
And so ” hanif” becomes an example, a verse made by Allah for all the people of his times to see that if everyone obeys Allah they all will get the reward in this life and afterlife.
Are you ready to be one who belongs to the religion of ” Hanif” , the Prophetic and the Islamic way?
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