Al Baqarah, 2:135
Translation:
Yusuf Ali: They say: "Become Jews or Christians if ye would be guided (to salvation)." Say thou: "Nay! (I would rather) the Religion of Abraham is True, and he joined not gods with Allah."
Dr. Mohsin: And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided." Say (to them, O Muhammad Peace be upon him ), "Nay, (We follow) only the religion of Ibrâhim (Abraham), Hanifa [Islâmic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allâh (Alone)], and he was not of Al-Mushrikûn (those who worshipped others along with Allâh - see V.2:105)."
Arabic:
Transliteration:
Wa Qālū Kūnū Hūdāan 'Aw Naşārá Tahtadū Qul Bal Millata 'Ibrāhīma Ĥanīfāan Wa Mā Kāna Mina Al-Mushrikīna
Tafsir al-Jalalayn:
And they say, ‘Be Jews or Christians (the particle aw is for detail; the first of these is the saying of the Medinan Jews, while the second is that of the Christians of Najrān), and you shall be guided’. Say, to them: ‘Nay, we follow, rather the creed of Abraham, a hanīf (hanīfan is a circumstantial qualifier referring to Ibrāhīma, that is to say, one that inclines away from all other religions to the upright religion); and he was not of the idolaters’.
Tafsir ibn Kathir:
(135. And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided.'' Say (to them O Muhammad ), "Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif (Islamic Monotheism), and he was not of Al-Mushrikin (those who worshipped others along with Allah. )
Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas said that `Abdullah bin Suriya Al-A`war said to the Messenger of Allah, "The guidance is only what we (Jews) follow. Therefore, follow us, O Muhammad, and you will be rightly guided.'' Also, the Christians said similarly, so Allah revealed,
﴿وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَـرَى تَهْتَدُواْ﴾
(And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided.'') Allah's statement,
﴿قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا﴾
(Say (to them O Muhammad ), "Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) means, "We do not need the Judaism or Christianity that you call us to, rather,
﴿مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفاً﴾
((we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) meaning, on the straight path, as Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi and `Isa bin Jariyah stated. Also, Abu Qilabah said, "The Hanif is what the Messengers, from beginning to end, believed in.'')
Translation:
Yusuf Ali: They say: "Become Jews or Christians if ye would be guided (to salvation)." Say thou: "Nay! (I would rather) the Religion of Abraham is True, and he joined not gods with Allah."
Dr. Mohsin: And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided." Say (to them, O Muhammad Peace be upon him ), "Nay, (We follow) only the religion of Ibrâhim (Abraham), Hanifa [Islâmic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allâh (Alone)], and he was not of Al-Mushrikûn (those who worshipped others along with Allâh - see V.2:105)."
Arabic:
وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُوداً أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ تَهْتَدُواْ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفاً وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Transliteration:
Wa Qālū Kūnū Hūdāan 'Aw Naşārá Tahtadū Qul Bal Millata 'Ibrāhīma Ĥanīfāan Wa Mā Kāna Mina Al-Mushrikīna
Tafsir al-Jalalayn:
And they say, ‘Be Jews or Christians (the particle aw is for detail; the first of these is the saying of the Medinan Jews, while the second is that of the Christians of Najrān), and you shall be guided’. Say, to them: ‘Nay, we follow, rather the creed of Abraham, a hanīf (hanīfan is a circumstantial qualifier referring to Ibrāhīma, that is to say, one that inclines away from all other religions to the upright religion); and he was not of the idolaters’.
Tafsir ibn Kathir:
(135. And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided.'' Say (to them O Muhammad ), "Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif (Islamic Monotheism), and he was not of Al-Mushrikin (those who worshipped others along with Allah. )
Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas said that `Abdullah bin Suriya Al-A`war said to the Messenger of Allah, "The guidance is only what we (Jews) follow. Therefore, follow us, O Muhammad, and you will be rightly guided.'' Also, the Christians said similarly, so Allah revealed,
﴿وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَـرَى تَهْتَدُواْ﴾
(And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided.'') Allah's statement,
﴿قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا﴾
(Say (to them O Muhammad ), "Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) means, "We do not need the Judaism or Christianity that you call us to, rather,
﴿مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفاً﴾
((we follow) only the religion of Ibrahim, Hanif) meaning, on the straight path, as Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi and `Isa bin Jariyah stated. Also, Abu Qilabah said, "The Hanif is what the Messengers, from beginning to end, believed in.'')