Quran Universe
16:123

ثُمَّ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ أَنِ ٱتَّبِعۡ مِلَّةَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفٗاۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

Thumma awhayna ilayka ani ittabiAA millata ibraheema haneefan wama kana mina almushrikeena

Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with Allah.

Word by word
  1. ثُمَّThen
  2. أَوۡحَيۡنَآWe revealed
  3. إِلَيۡكَto you
  4. أَنِthat
  5. ٱتَّبِعۡYou follow
  6. مِلَّةَ(the) religion
  7. إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ(of) Ibrahim
  8. حَنِيفٗاۖupright
  9. وَمَاand not
  10. كَانَhe was
  11. مِنَof
  12. ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَthe polytheists
An-Nahl · 16:123Makkah

The Prophet ﷺ was told: follow the way of Ibrahim.

The final Messenger follows the upright father

The chain
IbrahimHanif, no shirk
followed by
Muhammad ﷺSeal of the Messengers
followed by
youthe same path
Whose way it is
a new religioncut off from before
Ibrahim's waypure Tawhid

Ibn Kathir says because of Ibrahim's perfection, greatness, and the soundness of his Tawhid, Allah revealed to the Seal of the Messengers ﷺ to follow his way. He links it to the verse: a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, a Hanif.

When you pray, you send blessings on Ibrahim and his family in the final sitting, by name. You're standing in a line that goes all the way back.

My faith is just what my family happens to do.

My faith is the path of Ibrahim, carried by the Prophet ﷺ to me.

Try this

In your next prayer, pay attention to Ibrahim's name in the salawat and thank Allah for the line you're in.

Related6:161
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 16:120)

Verily, Ibrahim was (himself) an Ummah, obedient to Allah, a Hanif (monotheist), and he was not one of the idolators (120)(He was) thankful for His favors. He (Allah) chose him and guided him to a straight path (121)And We gave him good in this world, and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous (122)Then, We have sent the revelation to you: "Follow the religion of Ibrahim (he was a) Hanif, and he was not one of the idolators. (123)

The Khalil (Close Friend) of Allah

Allah praises His servant, Messenger and close friend Ibrahim, the Imam of the Hanifs the father of the Prophets, and Allah declares Ibrahim's innocence of the idolators, Jews or Christians. Allah says:

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا

(Verily, Ibrahim was (himself) an Ummah, obedient to Allah, a Hanif (monotheist))[16:120]

Ummah here means the leader who is followed. Qanit (obedient to Allah) means humble and obedient. Hanif means one who deliberately steers clear of Shirk in favor of Tawhid. Hence Allah says:

وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(and he was not one of the idolators.)

Mujahid said: "Ummah (here) means that he was a nation on his own."

شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ

((He was) thankful for His favors.)

means, he gave thanks for the blessings that Allah gave him. As Allah says:

وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ

(And of Ibrahim the one who fulfilled.)[53:37]

which means that he did everything that Allah commanded him to do.

اجْتَبَاهُ 

(He (Allah) chose him) means, He selected him, as Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَالِمِينَ

(And before, We indeed gave Ibrahim his integrity, and We were indeed most knowledgeable about him)(21:51). Then Allah says:

وَهَدَاهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ 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.

وَآتَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا 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 فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

(and in the Hereafter he shall be of the righteous.) Concerning the Ayah:

وَآتَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً

(And We gave him good in this world,) Mujahid said: "This means a truthful tongue."

ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ 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 ﷺ,'

أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ 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 إِنَّنِي هَدَانِي رَبِّي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ 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,