Quran Universe
2:135

وَقَالُواْ كُونُواْ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَٰرَىٰ تَهۡتَدُواْۗ قُلۡ بَلۡ مِلَّةَ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ حَنِيفٗاۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

Waqaloo koonoo hoodan aw nasara tahtadoo qul bal millata ibraheema haneefan wama kana mina almushrikeena

They say, "Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided." Say, "Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth, and he was not of the polytheists."

Word by word
  1. وَقَالُواْAnd they said
  2. كُونُواْBe
  3. هُودًاJews
  4. أَوۡor
  5. نَصَٰرَىٰChristians
  6. تَهۡتَدُواْۗ(then) you will be guided
  7. قُلۡSay
  8. بَلۡNay
  9. مِلَّةَ(the) religion
  10. إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ(of) Ibrahim
  11. حَنِيفٗاۖ(the) upright
  12. وَمَاand not
  13. كَانَhe was
  14. مِنَof
  15. ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَthose who associated partners (with Allah)
Al-Baqarah · 2:135Madinah

Join our label to be guided? No: the upright way of Ibrahim.

Guidance is not a club membership

The invitation
be one of usthen you are guided
the answer
Ibrahim's wayupright, hanif
not a polytheist
What guidance is
joining the right group
turning straight to Allah

Ibn Abbas said Abdullah bin Suriya told the Prophet ﷺ: guidance is only what we follow, so follow us. Some Christians said the same. The answer: the religion of Ibrahim, hanif. Abu Qilabah said hanif is what all the messengers believed, first to last.

Every group says: come to our circle, our sheikh, our method, and you will be guided. Some of it helps. But guidance is turning your face to Allah alone, not wearing a badge. Ibrahim had no group but the truth.

If I join the right group, I am guided.

Guidance is the upright way of Ibrahim: Allah alone, whatever group I sit with.

Try this

Ask yourself honestly: do I follow my circle because it is true, or because it is mine?

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided." Say (to them O Muhammad ﷺ), "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 (135)

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,

وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا

(And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided.") Allah's statement,

قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا

(Say (to them O Muhammad ﷺ), "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 إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا

((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.")