حنف

حَنِيفٌ حنيف Inclining to a right state or tendency: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or right, or having a right state or tendency; (Akh, S, TA;) thus applied in like manner as أَعْوَرُ is applied to a crow: (S:) [and particularly] inclining, from one religion, to another: (Ham p. 358:) or inclining, from any false religion, to the true religion: (Mgh:) or inclining in a perfect manner to El-Islám, and continuing firm therein: (K:) and any one who has performed the pilgrimage: (As, K, TA:) so say I'Ab and El-Hasan and Es-Suddee; and Az says the like on the authority of Ed-Dahhák: (TA:) or one who is of the religion of Abraham, (K, TA,) in respect of making the Sacred House [ of Mekkeh ] his kibleh, and of the rite of circumcision: (TA:) [and] a Muslim; (S, Mgh, Msb;) because he inclines to the right religion: (Msb:) but in this last sense, it is a conventional term of the professors: (Mgh:) [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: (TA:) also one who devotes himself to religious exercises; or applies himself to devotion: (Msb:) its predominant application is to Abraham: (Mgh:) pl. حُنَفَاآءُ. (AO, TA.) ― -b2- [Hence,] حَسَبٌ حَنِيفٌ Recent [ grounds of pretension to respect or honour ]; of the time of El-Islám; not old. (TA.) -A2- Short. (K.) -A3- A maker of sandals. (K.)