Hanif

The Arabic word Hanif, plural Hunafa ʾ (Arabic حنيف, حنفاء, DMG Hanif, Hunafa ʾ ) denotes pre-Islamic monotheists who were neither Jews nor Christians. This religious movement in the Arabian Peninsula is called in Islamic literature al - hanīfiyya / الحنيفية / al - Hanifiya. The Arabic verb from the root h -nf taḥannafa تحنف means depending on the context a) " Hanif will," that is, the Hanīfiyya, follow the religion of Abraham - as in the remarks of Ibn Hajar al - ʿ Asqalani, b ) the accept Islam. In this sense, the term in Sura 22, 31 Hunafa ʾ li - llahi حنفاء لله / Hunafa ʾ a li - llahi uses: " devoted as God hanife " that the only God not associate anything. In theological writings is Hanif and al - hanīfiyya often used as a synonym for Muslim or to Islam.

The term is not to be confused with the Abu Hanifa founded by Sunni Hanafi school of.

State of research

In research, the term that is also present außerkoranisch been differently understood and represented:

• The hanife or Ḥanīfiyya were neither Jewish nor Christian sects.
• The hanife in Arabia presented a motion under Christian or Jewish influence is; Muslims regarded themselves as successors of the Hanif.
• The hanife were an independent, Arab embossed monotheistic movement.
• The hanife has also been associated with the Sabians of Harran.

In Harran, there were some followers of a late Hellenistic star religion of the Christians there as pagans, Syriac: ḥanpē were considered. According to inventory and significance of the Syrian ḥanpē have fallen apart Hanif compared to term. The Syrian meaning of the term has become established despite the Qur'anic meaning of Hanif, also in Islamic literature: al- Biruni (d. around 1050 ) describes the pagan Harranier both as Hunafa ʾ as well as idolaters. Even in the pre-Islamic poetry, the term appears to refer to pagans and idolaters.

The Christian apologist ʿ Abd al - Masih al -Kindi in the early Abbasid period and other Syrian apologists use the term in its double meaning. al -Kindi - according to the unknown narrators of his correspondence with his Muslim interlocutor - argues as follows:

"With his fathers, grandfathers and the people of his land Abraham worshiped the idols by the name of al - ʿ Uzza in Harran as a hanif, as you admit it. O You, Hanif! He (Abraham ) said from the Ḥanīfiyya going on, what idolatry means, and was a monotheist, a believer. Because we find al - ḥanīfiyya in the scriptures revealed by God as a term for idolatry "

The Hunafa ʾ were, in the opinion of Muhammad the " worshipers of the one true God, whose most prominent representative was just been Abraham "; at the time of Muhammad was thought so in Mecca and its surroundings, and also in the Arab- Jewish dominated Yathrib ( Medina), the followers of the anerschaffenen, original religion in contrast to the Arab paganism and - according to Islamic belief - corrupted font religions.

The monotheistic religion of Abraham ( Ibrahim din ) is already known before the onset of Muhammad among the Arabs. The church historian Sozomen (d. 450 against ) in the Eastern Roman Empire, which deals with the period 324-439 in his Historia Ecclesiatica, reported in the 6th (in: Patrologia Graecia, Vol LXVI, 1411-1412 ) on Arab groups that have been understood as the descendants of Isma'il, distanced themselves from their pagan surroundings and sought the original monotheism.

General acceptance is the description of the hanife by the German orientalist Johann Fück who says in the consideration of Islamic Literature:

" The tradition has indeed preserved for us the names of such seekers of God, of which the one studied in the Jewish or Christian salvation, while others who did not want to give up their national identity, from the older religions, the one took what seemed to them useful: faith in the unifying God, the rejection of all polytheism and the requirement of a moral standard of living "

To place Koran 2:135 noticed Rudi Paret:

" The Quranic expression has Hanif about the importance of ' Muslim monotheist '. At many points will be added in addition, that the one who is called Hanif, ' does not belong to the Gentiles ' (where by ' Gentiles ', mušrikūn, meant in particular the representatives of the ancient Arabian paganism are ). Often the term including this supplement to Abraham is applied, the alleged representatives of the pure original Islam, the Millat Ibrāhīm. "

Hanif in the Quran

The term Hanif / Pl Hunafa Abraham in the Quran is ʾ thus often associated with religion used. In the polemics with Christians and Jews it says in Sura 2:135:

"And they (ie the people of the Scripture ) say: ' You have to be Jews or Christians, then ye are rightly guided. ' Say: No: ( For us there is only) the religion of Abraham, a Hanif - he was not a heathen. "

Similarly, in Surah 3:67:

" Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. He was rather a (God) devoted Hanif and no heathen. "

And in Surah 3:95:

"Say: God has told the truth. Therefore follows the religion of Abraham, a Hanif - he was not a heathen. "

See also 4:125; 6:79 and 161; 16:120; 22:31.

According to God's command is issued in Revelation also to Mohammed; in Sura 10:105 says:

" And ( I was told ): turn your face to the ( only true ) religion! ( Behave so ) as Hanif. And be not a heathen. "

The same idea is expressed, the Koran, also made ​​in the form of an imperative to Mohammed, in Sura 30:30. It reads:

"Fix now thy face to the ( only true ) religion! ( Behave so ) as Hanif! ( The (ie such religious behavior ) is ) the natural way in which God has created human beings. The way in which God ( the people ) has created (or: should ) you do not modify ( w. ( for something else ) exchange ). That is the right religion. But most people do not know. "

The " natural way " ( in the original: fitrata ' llahi ) interpret the oldest exegetes, such as Mujahid ibn Dschabr, in a word: al- islam. Thus, the Islamic doctrine assumes that the fitrah, the " natural disposition of man" since the beginning of creation lies in Islam as a religion. For Adam was the first Hanif.

This equating Islam and Hanifiyya was attested directly in the Quran copy of the Prophet's companions, Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud. The canonical place in Sura 3:19 reads:

"When ( the only true ) religion with God is true Islam "

In his copy, she served as

"When ( the only true ) religion with God is considered the Hanīfiyya "

Recorded.

Thus understood Muhammad and his community as the representative of the true monotheism, which was identical neither with Christianity nor with Judaism and are therefore also excluded from paganism, polytheism ( shirk ) - idolatry in the Arabian Peninsula - from. Mohammed was thus already in pagan Mecca - and after his emigration in Medina - the true herald of the original religion of Abraham, the Hanīfiyya. The order to follow the religion of Abraham, he just gets by the revelation in the Koran quotations listed above. This commonality between the one God devoted Hanif Abraham / Ibrahim and Mohammed comes in an old Arabic inscription from the year 735 from the Negev desert clearly expressed in the called the only God as Lord of Muhammad and Ibrahim ( Rabbinic Muḥammad Ibrāhīm - wa ) will.

Ibrahim was following the conviction of Mohammed - expressed in the above verses of the Quran - one of the largest among the messengers of God. Both Ibrahim and Mohammed runner " in a polytheistic environment for the religion of monotheism. " Use of the term Hanif in the Meccan suras 6 and 10 show - even if both contain suras Medinan Bays - that Mohammed the already prior to his confrontation with Jews of Medina saw his religion in connection with the Hanif Ibrahim.

In addition to this Millat Ibrahim, the religion of the one God devoted ( muslim ) Hanif Abraham, there is the outside world that Mohammed designated differently during the historical development of his prophecy in the Quran:

• Al - mušrikūn: the pagans (of Mecca ) that even " unclean" are according to Sura 9:28. Furthermore, those whom God the same time, other gods ascribe partners (eg in Sura 12:106 ).
• Allaḏīna fī qulūbihim maraḍun: those who have a disease in their hearts.
• Allaḏīna kafarū: those who disbelieve.
• Allaḏīna ẓalamū: those who do or do wrong, the wrong.
• Kafir / Plural: kafirun, or kuffaar are the unbelievers.

Depending on the Qur'anic context, these terms refer to both the " book owner " - ie the Jews and Christians - as well as the polytheistic Arabs at the time of Mohammed

Hanif and Hanīfiyya in außerkoranischen literature

The presentation of the hanife and Hanīfiyya is außerkoranischen literature, that is, in the biography of the Prophet, Quran exegesis and ancient poetry also detectable. They describe the tension that existed in the pagan environment of Mecca and Medina between Muhammad and the Hanif.

The idea of ​​Hanīfiyya is not Koranic origin. She was in the Meccan and Medinan society existed before the appearance of Mohammed and contained elements that were also in the revelation to the content of religious doctrine later. The central importance of the Meccan sanctuary with the pre-Islamic pilgrimage rituals belonged equally to Hanifiyya as the orientation of a original monotheism, the true religion of Abraham.

Muhammad's polemic, both in the form of revelation as Quran text as well as in everyday life, illustrated in the biography of the Prophet, directed against the Meccan polytheists. The connection between Hanifiya and proclaimed by Muhammad Islam have been rejected vigorously by the Meccans. The resulting already in the Islamic spirit biography of the Prophet by Ibn Ishaq can report on it; there allowed to Ibn ʿ Ubayy, one of the most famous opponent of Muhammad, speak as follows:

The loyal followers of the Medinan community of Muslims during the Ridda wars considered themselves hanife and thus related to an old Arabic term. A member of the Banu Asad breakaway began to talk - in verse - to his fellow tribesmen:

In pre-Islamic Mecca

Ibn Ishaq reports in his biography of the Prophet ( Sira ) about some of those as hanife rejected the idolatry of Mecca and were looking for the true monotheism.

• Zaid ibn ʿ Amr ibn Nufail زيد بن عمرو بن نفيل; in the poems attributed to him is his negative attitude towards the Meccan polytheism expressed. He also considered himself among the Quraish as the only one who so followed the religion of Abraham ( Ibrahim din ), the Hanīfiyya. He prayed in the direction of Ka ʿ ba as the Qiblah of Ibrahim and Ismā ʿ īl, but did not sacrifice animals dar. others outside of the biography of the Prophet handed according to reports, he threw himself into the jahiliyyah towards Ka'ba down, " the Ibrahim has built ." Ibn ʿ Asaakir dedicated to him in his Damascus city story a detailed biography of twenty-three pages. He describes there to old sources of Maghazi and Sira literature his encounter with Mohammed in the vorprophetischen time and his resignation from the sacrificial meat that was offering Mohammed to the idols to eat. The grave of Zaid ibn ʿ Amr is supposed to be at the foot of the mountain of Hira or in Syria, according to Islamic traditions.
• Waraqa ibn Nawfal ورقة بن نوفل; he is in Ibn Ishaq's biography of the Prophet mentioned in the chapter on the four Hanif who searched for on the search for the true monotheism and pagan rites at the Ka'ba - the worship of the ancient Arabian gods - have rejected. Waraqa was after studying the scriptures in Syria Christian and either died there or in Mecca - but even before the start of Muhammad's activities before the Meccan public as a prophet. After Muhammad's first revelation to Waraqa experience - as a Christian - however, have recognized the signs of prophecy in Muhammad.
• ʿ Ubayd Allāh ibn Jahsh عبيد الله بن جحش / ʿ Ubayd Allāh b. Ǧaḥš and ʿ Uthmān ibn Huwairith عثمان بن حويرث / ʿ Uthman b. Ḥuwairiṯ, two more hanife from Mecca, on their activities in the sources is nothing more to learn, have become Christians; the first in Abyssinia, the second in Byzantium. These four people called Ibn Ishaq, the " have gone their separate ways in the countries in search of the Hanīfiyya, religion of Ibrahim ."

In Medina, after the emigration

• Abū ʿ Aamir, ʿ Abd ʿ Amr b. Saifi أبو عامر عبد عمرو بن صيفي / Abū ʿ ʿ Abd ʿ Amr b Āmir. Saifi was one of the most well-known enemies of the tribe of Medinan Muhammad Ibn Amr on, fought at Uhud in 625 against the Muslims, allied with the Quraish of Mecca after the expulsion of Jewish Banu 'n - Nadir after Khaybar and fled after the conquest of Mecca in the year 630 after Tā ʾ if. He told the members of the ʿ Amr ibn ʿ on, to follow Muhammad as a prophet. He emigrated and died in Syria.

What significance did the Meccan sanctuary for Hanif Abū ʿ Aamir and his allies, after which the research pointed out recently, the Maghaziautor al - Waqidi portrays impressive. "Let us," Abū ʿ Aamir and his followers to Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, " we and you, through the curtains, the Ka ʿ ba enter, so we press there our body against ( their ) walls and then we all swear by God (Allah ) that no one leaves the other down and that as long as one of us is alive, with a tongue against this man (ie Muhammad ) speak. - How they did it; they have committed themselves by oath and entered into a contract. "

Despite his hostility towards Islam and Mohammed, he is represented in the Islamic historiography as Hanif; al - Baladhuri even mentions that Abū ʿ Aamir " was preparing to take the prophecy claim for themselves ." In his discussion with Mohammed, handed down to Ibn Ishaq, he introduced himself as the true representatives of the Hanīfiyya and accused his opponents to have added items to the Hanīfiyya that did not belong to her. His surname ar - Rahib - " Monk " / " ascetic " - has been preserved in the Islamic history. With regard to Ibn Hisham and al - Waqidi, it is believed that he may have been a Christian monk ( Rahib ). Mohammed called his rival as a wicked wicked ( transgressors ).

• Abū Qais ibn al - Aslat أبو قيس بن الأسلت was a poet and head of the Banū from Allah of the tribe of Off, which also Abū ʿ Aamir belonged. Still, the acting in the 9th century Ibn Sa ʿ d (d. 845), a disciple of al - Waqidi, reported that Abu Qais thoroughly dealt with the Hanīfiyya and to have said, " the religion of Abraham " to follow up to his death. In his poems monotheistic elements connected with the pilgrimage to Mecca and are the sacrificial rituals obtained. As head of the Banū from Allāh and Hanif as he could his tribesmen to the grave battle in 627, five years after the emigration, a disincentive to follow Muhammad. The reasons for this can be seen in the narrow, reaching back to the pre-Islamic period Banu from the contacts to the Jews of Yathrib. Abū Qais has not become Muslim.
• Umayya ibn Abī s- Salt أمية بن أبي الصلت / Umayya b. Abī ʾ s- Salt was a poet in Tā ʾ if; he died to 631-632. He should have read the books of the pre-Islamic monotheists. His poems with monotheistic elements of Hanīfiyya his time have been collected in the early 8th century in anthologies and repeatedly discussed and controversial in research. Since he had also visited Syria, dedicated to him Ibn ʿ Asaakir in his scholarly biography of Damascus 33 pages and cites numerous verses from his poems. The poet brought clearly expressed that the Hanīfiyya representing the true doctrine, but added that he was Muhammad's mission in doubt; this statement attributed to him has yet been discussed in detail by Ibn Hajar al - Asqalani in his ʿ al -Bukhari and Hadithkommentar to be complemented by the reaction of Muhammad about Umayya: " his poetry has faith, his heart ( against) remains in disbelief ". Style, content and vocabulary of his poems have in common with the language of the Koran. Other fragments of his poetry can be understood in the research as a later forgery.

The Koran place

" And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our ​​signs, and then got rid of her! Since Satan took him in his followers (or: So Satan him was after him ( and caught up with him ?)). And so he was one of those who have gone astray. "

Is controversially discussed by the Koranexegeten, since it remains unclear who is meant here that the character of God " took off " after he had received previously. The authorities of the Tafsirliteratur name next to the Old Testament Balaam - in Islamic literature Bal ʿ at ibn Ba ʿ ūr ( a) - even the poet Umayya ibn Abī -s- Salt and Abū ʿ Aamir. For both are known to have studied the writings of the monotheists, the ahl al- kitab, in Islamic literature. Thus one has understood the Koran place also as a polemic against the Hanīfiyya, which of Abraham's monotheism - have removed - after Muhammad's opinion.

Male first name

Hanif is only in modern Arabic a male first name in the signification of " the true believers ". The female form is Hanifa / Hanife. In classical Arabic this name does not exist, there is only Hunaif before, such as: Hunaif ibn Sa'id and Hunaif ibn ' Umair, both contemporaries of Muhammad, also Hunaif ibn Rustam, a muezzin from Kufa, Sahl ibn Hunaif a well known prophet companion and Hunaif ibn Malik in the second generation after Muhammad. The Arabic lexicography understands the name Hunaif but not as diminutive to Hanif, but as one of them independent naming.