Full Definition
حَنِيفٌ
Inclining to a right state or tendency: or right, or having a right state or tendency; thus applied in like manner as أَعْوَرُ is applied to a crow: [and particularly] inclining, from one religion, to another: or inclining, from any false religion, to the true religion: or inclining in a perfect manner to El-Islám, and continuing firm therein: and any one who has performed the pilgrimage: so say I'Ab and El-Hasan and Es-Suddee; and Az says the like on the authority of Ed-Dahhák: or one who is of the religion of Abraham, in respect of making the Sacred House [of Mekkeh] his kibleh, and of the rite of circumcision: [and] a Muslim; because he inclines to the right religion: but in this last sense, it is a conventional term of the professors: [or,] accord. to AO, the worshipper of idols, in the Time of Ignorance, called himself thus; and when El-Islám came, they thus called the Muslim: accord. to Akh, it was applied in the Time of Ignorance to him who was circumcised, and who performed the pilgrimage to the [Sacred] House; because the Arabs in the Time of Ignorance held nothing of the religion of Abraham except circumcision and that pilgrimage: accord. to Ez-Zejjájee, it was applied in the Time of Ignorance to him who made the pilgrimage to the [Sacred] House and performed the ablution on account of
جَنَابَة
and was circumcised; and when El-Islám came, it was applied to the Muslim, because of his turning from the belief in a plurality of gods: also one who devotes himself to religious exercises; or applies himself to devotion: its predominant application is to Abraham: pl. حُنَفَآءُ.
2 [Hence,] حَسَبٌ حَنِيفٌ
Recent [grounds of pretension to respect or honour]; of the time of El-Islám; not old.
def.2 Short.
def.3 A maker of sandals.
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