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The term ḥunafāʾ, in its original sense, applies to all who upheld the religion of Abraham. They are the monotheist Sabeans—for example, the descendants of Ishmael before polytheism arose among them. At that time they followed the religion of Abraham, upright and devoted to God, and they are included among the Sabeans whom Allah praised in His words (1): “Indeed, those who believe and those who were Jews…” (Qur’an 2:62).
These Sabeans belong to the circle of sincere ḥunafāʾ, whereas the polytheist Sabeans among them resemble those former ḥunafāʾ who later fell into idolatry, as mentioned earlier (2).
As for the Magians, they possessed none of the remnants of prophetic guidance; rather, they were
(1) The printed edition has the reading “yaqulu” (he says), which is incorrect.
(2) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah states in Al-Radd ‘ala al-Mantiqiyyin, 1:288: “The Sabeans (al-sabiʾa) are of two kinds: Hanif monotheists and polytheists. The first group are those whom God praised in His words: ‘Indeed, those who believed, the Jews, the Christians and the Sabeans—whoever believes in God and the Last Day and acts righteously—will have their reward with their Lord; no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve’ (Quran 2:62). God thus commended all who believe in Him, the Last Day, and perform righteous deeds among these four communities—the believers, the Jews, the Christians and the Sabeans. The Sabeans referred to here are those who lived before these groups, following the religion of Abraham, leader of the Hanifs. This differs from the Magians and other polytheists, among whom no true believer is found.”
فَاسْمُ الحُنَفَاءِ فِي الأَصْلِ: لَمِنْ كَانَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ إبْرَاهِيم، وَهُمْ الصَّابِئُونَ الحُنَفَاءُ، مِثْل: أَولَادِ إسماعيل قَبْلَ أَنْ يَحْدُثَ فِيهِمُ الشِّرْكَ، كَانُوا عَلَى مِلَّةِ إبْرَاهِيم حُنَفَاءَ مُخْلِصِينَ، وَهُمْ مِنَ الصَّابِئِينَ الَّذِين أثْنَى اللهُ عَلَيهِمْ بِقَولِهِ (١) ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا﴾ الآية.
فَهَؤُلَاءِ الصَّابِئَةُ مِنَ الحُنَفَاءِ المُخْلِصِينَ، وَالصَّابِئُونَ المُشْرِكُونَ فَيهِمْ كَالَّذِين أَشْرَكُوا مِنَ الحُنَفَاء، كَمَا تَقَدَّمِ (٢).
وَأَمَّا المَجُوسُ: فَلَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَهُمْ شَيءٌ مِنْ آثَارِ الأَنْبِيَاء، بَلْ كَانُوا
(١) في المطبوعة: (يقول) وهو خطأ.
(٢) قال شيخ الإسلام في الرد على المنطقيين (١/ ٢٨٨): (فإن الصابئة نوعان: صابئة حنفاء موحدون، وصابئة مشركون، فالأولون هم الذين أثنى الله عليهم بقوله تعالى: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَومِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوفٌ عَلَيهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾، فأثنى على من آمن بالله واليوم الاخر وعمل صالحا من هذه الملل الاربع المؤمنين واليهود والنصارى والصابئين .. والصابئون الذين كانوا قبل هؤلاء كالمتبعين لملة إبراهيم امام الحنفاء، وهذا بخلاف المجوس والمشركين فإنه ليس فيهم مؤمن).