Hanif

In Islam, the terms ḥanīf (SING; Arabic: حنيف, lit. 'a renunciate [of idolatry]') and ḥunafā' (PLUR; حنفاء) are primarily used to refer to pre-Islamic Arabians who were Abrahamic monotheists. Muslims regard these people favorably for shunning Arabian polytheism and instead solely worshipping the God of Abraham,^[1] thus setting themselves apart from what is called jahiliyyah. However, they were not associated with Judaism or Christianity; instead exemplifying what they perceived as the unaltered beliefs and morals of Abraham.

The form hanīf appears 10 times in the Quran, and the form ḥunafā' twice.^[2] According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad himself was a ḥanīf (before he met the angel Gabriel) and a direct descendant of Abraham's eldest son Ishmael.^[3] Likewise, Islam regards all Islamic prophets and messengers before Muhammad — that is, those affiliated with Judaism and/or Christianity, such as Moses and Jesus — as ḥunafā', underscoring their God-given infallibility.^[3]