سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 67
مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿67﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Ibrâhîm (Abraham) was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanîfa (Islâmic Monotheism - to worship none but Allâh Alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikûn (See V.2:105).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَا
mā
Not
كَانَ
kāna
was
إِبْرَٰهِيمُ
ib'rāhīmu
Ibrahim
يَهُودِيًّۭا
yahūdiyyan
a Jew
وَلَا
walā
and not
نَصْرَانِيًّۭا
naṣrāniyyan
a Christian
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
[and] but
كَانَ
kāna
he was
حَنِيفًۭا
ḥanīfan
a true
مُّسْلِمًۭا
mus'liman
Muslim
وَمَا
wamā
and not
كَانَ
kāna
he was
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
l-mush'rikīna
the polytheists
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 67) {مَا كَانَ اِبْرٰهِيْمُ يَهُوْدِيًّا وَّ لَا نَصْرَانِيًّا …:} In this verse, there is an indication that the Jews and Christians count Ibrahim (peace be upon him) among their own groups, even though they are polytheists, because they have made their elders and scholars as lords and their statements as the law, and have considered Uzair and Isa (peace be upon them) as the sons of Allah, and have made the graves of prophets and saints into mosques. Whereas Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was a Muslim who worshipped only Allah; he was not among the polytheists. The condition of this Ummah is somewhat similar, that every sect includes the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in its own group, even though all these groups were formed much later and they have declared the statements of their own leaders as law and given those leaders the status of Allah. Whereas the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was only a Muslim who followed {”مَا اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ“} (the religion revealed by Allah) and was by no means a polytheist.
