وَقَالُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَٰرَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا۟ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
“And they say: Be Jews or Christians, then ye will be rightly guided. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Nay, but (we follow) the religion of Abraham, the upright, and he was not of the idolaters.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this text, the verse states that Abraham was neither Jewish nor Christian, but rather a Muslim monotheist (hanif) who stood apart from the polytheists. According to Taberî, when the Jews and Christians said to the Prophet and the believers, 'follow us so that you may be guided,' Allah revealed these verses to inform them that the true right path is to follow Abraham's community. Furthermore, it is explained that the word 'hanif' means being on the path of rectitude and straightness in all things, that the polytheists were helpers and friends to one another, and that Abraham was kept away from them.
قال عبد الله بن صوريا الأعور لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ما الهدى إلا ما نحن عليه، فاتبعنا يا محمد تهتد. وقالت النصارى مثل ذلك.
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zemahşerî, the meaning of this expression is that a person is commanded with Islam and forbidden from polytheism. The text interprets this verse within a framework of meaning that contains command and prohibition.
ومعناه : أمرت بالإسلام ونهيت عن الشرك
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Râzî, this verse contains a response to the claim of Jews and Christians that they belong to Abraham's religion: if the measure in religion is following tradition, then following Abraham's religion, on which there is agreement, is superior to the disputed Judaism or Christianity. Râzî shows that these claims are actually inconsistent, because Jews believe in anthropomorphism and Christians believe in the Trinity, and therefore they do not follow Abraham's religion of monotheism. The word hanif is also explained as meaning a person who follows Abraham's religion, that is, a monotheistic belief far from polytheism.
إن كان طريق الدين التقليد فالأولى في ذلك اتباع ملة إبراهيم ، لأن هؤلاء المختلفين قد اتفقوا على صحة دين إبراهيم والأخذ بالمتفق أولى من الأخذ بالمختلف إن كان المعول في الدين على التقليد
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, the expression 'bel millah' in the verse is the response given by the Prophet to the call of Jews and Christians to their own religions; that is, it means 'we follow Abraham's religion.' The nominative case (nasb) of the word 'millah' is explained through different grammatical interpretations (presumed verb, omission of the particle of attachment, being a circumstantial clause) and variant readings (nominative reading) are also mentioned. Furthermore, it is explained through linguistic analysis why the word 'hanîfen' is given as a descriptor to Abraham, and how the word hanif means 'inclination' or according to some, 'rectitude.'
قل يا محمد : بل نتبع ملة فلهذا نصب الملة وقيل : المعنى بل نهتدي بملة إبراهيم فلما حذف حرف الجر صار منصوبا
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kesîr transmits many views from the predecessors in the interpretation of the word 'hanîf': meanings such as upright, sincere, one who performs pilgrimage, one who turns toward the qibla and considers pilgrimage obligatory, one who follows, one who believes in all prophets and affirms monotheism are conveyed. According to Qatada, Hanifiyya is bearing witness that there is no god besides Allah, and to this are also included matters such as the forbidding of marriage with mothers, daughters, aunts and paternal aunts, and practices (sunnah).
أي مستقيما قاله محمد بن كعب القرظي وعيسى بن جارية وقال خصيف عن مجاهد مخلصا وروى علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس حاجا وكذا روي عن الحسن والضحاك وعطية والسدي
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this text, the hidden pronoun in the expression 'hûden aw nasârâ' belongs to the People of the Book, and the particle 'aw' (or) serves to diversify (tenvî'); that is, their claim is either Judaism or one of Christianity. In response, the answer 'qul bal millata Ibrâhîma' expresses following Abraham's religion or being among the people of his religion. The word 'hanîfen' is a circumstantial clause (hal) in the sense of inclining from falsehood to truth and can be a circumstantial clause from the annexed noun or the noun to which it is annexed; and the expression 've mâ kâne mine'l-mushrikîn' is a rebuke (kinaya) directed at the People of the Book and others, and points to the fact that despite claiming to follow Abraham, they are polytheists.
وما كان من المشركين تعريض بأهل الكتاب وغيرهم، فإنهم يدعون اتباعه وهم مشركون.
Comparison
Common ground
All the exegetes read the verse as a response to the call of Jews and Christians to the Prophet and the believers to follow their religions; the common emphasis is that Abraham's religion is a hanif path free from polytheism, based on monotheism, and that the true right path is to follow the Abraham's community, which there is agreement upon, not to disputed sects.
Differences
Taberî and Ibn Kesîr emphasize transmitted material and transmit different predecessor interpretations of the word 'hanif' (rectitude, sincerity, pilgrimage, affirmation of monotheism, etc.); Zemahşerî, Râzî, Kurtubî and Beydâvî focus more on linguistic, rhetorical and grammatical analysis (i'rab, variant readings, pronoun and particle examination). Râzî further distinguishes itself by addressing the verse within a logical reasoning framework demonstrating the theological inconsistency of Jews and Christians (anthropomorphism, trinity); Beydâvî gives special importance to the function of the particle 'aw' and the dimension of allusion (kinaya) in the sentence.
Historical context
While the early exegete Taberî employs a transmission-heavy method to present the reason for revelation and the basic meaning of the verse, in subsequent periods with Zemahşerî, Râzî, Kurtubî and Beydâvî, linguistic, grammatical and theological discussions became more prominent; Ibn Kesîr, meanwhile, continued the tradition of transmission by bringing together previous interpretations. The basic message—Abraham's hanif monotheistic religion—remained constant throughout the periods, only the method of explanation and the points of emphasis became enriched.
Modern connection
This comparative reading can remind us of the value of a stance based on a common criterion of truth (the spirit of sincerity and monotheism) rather than claims of superiority among followers of different religions and thoughts. In modern times, social relations and dialogue are possible when a person remains attached to their own values while demonstrating a constructive attitude toward others. In this context, the verse can be thought of as a reminder that encourages harmony between knowledge and faith and sincere seeking.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar