Surah Nahl ayat 120 Tafsir Quran 16:120

﴿إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾
[ النحل: 120]

16:120 Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah.

Truly Abraham was a community a leader imām a good example comprising in his character all the good traits obedient to God a hanīf inclining towards the upright religion and he was not of the idolaters;

Ibrahim (Abraham) was indeed a perfect example of excellence, submissive to the will of Allah and an Orthodox Muslim. He never incorporated with Allah other deities

He selected him, as Allah says : وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَـلِمِينَ ( And before, We indeed gave Ibrahim his integrity, and We were indeed most knowledgeable about him )( 21:51 ).
Then Allah says: وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ( and guided him to a straight path. ) which means to worship Allah alone, without partners or associate, in the manner that He prescribed and which pleases Him. وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ( And We gave him good in this world, ) meaning, `We granted him all that a believer may require for a good and complete life in this world.' وَإِنَّهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ ( and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous. ) Concerning the Ayah: وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ( And We gave him good in this world, ) Mujahid said: "This means a truthful tongue." ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ( Then, We have sent the revelation to you: "Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a ) Hanif.
..) meaning, `because of his perfection, greatness, and the soundness of his Tawhid and his way, We revealed to you, O Seal of the Messengers and Leader of the Prophets ,' أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ( Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a ) Hanif and he was not of the idolators.) This is like the Ayah in Surat Al-An`am: قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَانِى رَبِّى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ( Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, (he was a ) Hanif and he was not of the idolators.") ( 6:161 ).
Then Allah rebukes the Jews,

(16:120) The fact is that Abraham was a community in himself : *119 he was obedient to Allah and had turned to Him exclusively. He was never a mushrik.

Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly meaning

*119) " Abraham was a community in himself " for at that time he was the only Muslim in the whole world who was upholding the banner of Islam, while the rest of the world was upholding the banner of unbelief.
As that servant of Allah performed the Mission which is ordinarily carried out by a whole community, he was not one person but an institution in himself.

 

He selected him, as Allah says : وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَـلِمِينَ ( And before, We indeed gave Ibrahim his integrity, and We were indeed most knowledgeable about him )( 21:51 ).
Then Allah says: وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ( and guided him to a straight path. ) which means to worship Allah alone, without partners or associate, in the manner that He prescribed and which pleases Him. وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ( And We gave him good in this world, ) meaning, `We granted him all that a believer may require for a good and complete life in this world.' وَإِنَّهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ ( and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous. ) Concerning the Ayah: وَءاتَيْنَـهُ فِى الْدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ( And We gave him good in this world, ) Mujahid said: "This means a truthful tongue." ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ( Then, We have sent the revelation to you: "Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a ) Hanif.
..) meaning, `because of his perfection, greatness, and the soundness of his Tawhid and his way, We revealed to you, O Seal of the Messengers and Leader of the Prophets ,' أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ( Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a ) Hanif and he was not of the idolators.) This is like the Ayah in Surat Al-An`am: قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَانِى رَبِّى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ( Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, (he was a ) Hanif and he was not of the idolators.") ( 6:161 ).
Then Allah rebukes the Jews,

( Lo! Abraham was a nation ) a leader who was emulated ( obedient to Allah, by nature upright ) sincerely surrendered to Allah, ( and he was not of the idolaters ) he did not follow the idolaters in their religion;

Verily, Ibrahim (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leader having all the good righteous qualities), or a nation, obedient to Allah, Hanifa (i.e. to worship none but Allah), and he was not one of those who were Al-Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, and those who joined partners with Allah).

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