حَنِيف
Boy Arabic origin Ḥanīf
In the Quran“The pure believer”, who turns away from idolatry to Allah alone
The word as it is recited in the Quran: Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary, Ali ’Imran 3:67.
The word occurs twelve times in the Quran (twice in the plural, hunafaʾ), mostly for Ibrahim: “Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but a hanif, submitting to Allah” (3:67). The Quran also commands: “Set your face to the religion as a hanif, the natural disposition (fitra) Allah instilled in people” (30:30).
Hanif comes from the root h-n-f, “to incline, to turn away”: the hanif is one who turns away from polytheism and inclines towards the truth, a monotheist at heart. The Quran so describes Ibrahim and calls his religion the hanifiyya. A masculine name borne in South Asia, the Middle East and Turkey; Hanife is its Turkish feminine.
Yes: the word Hanif appears in the Quran 12 times, in 9 surahs.
مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ٦٧
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allāh]. And he was not of the polytheists.
فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٠
So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fiṭrah of Allāh upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allāh. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ١٢٠
Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allāh, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allāh.
وَقَالُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَٰرَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا۟ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ١٣٥
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."
All the words of the root ح ن ف in the Quran (12 occurrences)
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Hanif in particular: the general rules of Islam apply.
Read the rules for choosing a name
This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.
