Boy · Arabic (Urdu usage) · Muslim
Hanif
حنیفSay it ha-NEEF
- Meaning today
- True believer, upright
- Original meaning
- "one inclining to the right religion; a true monotheist" Lane, p. 658
- Say it
- ha-NEEF
- Written
- حنیف
- Other spellings
- Haneef
Hanif
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Hanif meaning
Hanif (حنیف) is a Muslim boy's name of Arabic origin (Urdu usage).
One inclining to the right religion; a true monotheist
Also used to mean: true believer, upright
Hanif (حنیف) is Arabic ḥanīf, from the root ḥ-n-f, "to incline". Lane's lexicon defines it as one who inclines towards a right state, and in Islamic usage one who turns away from false religion to the true faith. The Quran uses it above all for the prophet Ibrahim, who "was not a Jew nor a Christian, but was ḥanīf, a muslim" (3:67), and in Islamic history the word also describes pre-Islamic Arabs who held to one God. Name lists give "true believer" or "upright", which matches the dictionary.
Source: Lane, An Arabic–English Lexicon (1863–93), Book I, Part 2 (1865), p. 658 · entry ḥanīf (حَنِيفٌ), root ḥ-n-f · See the entry
In the Quran: 3:67 (ḥanīfan (حَنِيفًا)) · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lane, Arabic–English Lexicon, ḥanīf, Book I p. 658 · Quran 3:67
Spellings
Hanif · Haneef