سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 120
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿120﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, Ibrâhîm (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leader having all the good righteous qualities), or a nation, obedient to Allâh, Hanîf (i.e. to worship none but Allâh), and he was not one of those who were Al-Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh, and those who joined partners with Allâh).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
إِبْرَٰهِيمَ
ib'rāhīma
Ibrahim
كَانَ
kāna
was
أُمَّةًۭ
ummatan
a nation
قَانِتًۭا
qānitan
obedient
لِّلَّهِ
lillahi
to Allah
حَنِيفًۭا
ḥanīfan
upright
وَلَمْ
walam
and not
يَكُ
yaku
he was
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
l-mush'rikīna
the polytheists
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
120. 1. The meaning of اُ مَّۃٌ is also leader and guide, as is clear from the translation, and ummah also means community; in this regard, the existence of Hazrat Ibrahim ؑ was equal to a whole community. (For the meanings of 'ummah', (وَلَىِٕنْ اَخَّرْنَا عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابَ اِلٰٓى اُمَّةٍ مَّعْدُوْدَةٍ لَّيَقُوْلُنَّ مَا يَحْبِسُهٗ ۭ اَلَا يَوْمَ يَاْتِيْهِمْ لَيْسَ مَصْرُوْفًا عَنْهُمْ وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا بِهٖ يَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ) 11. Hud:8) see the footnote)
