Note 284 — Chapter IV
Reading edition
Sir Charles Lyall, The Words 'Ḥaníf' and 'Muslim,' J.R.A.S. for 1903, p. 772. The original meaning of ḥaniacute;f is no longer traceable, but it may be connected with the Hebrew ḥánéf, 'profane.' In the Koran it generally refers to the religion of Abraham, and sometimes appears to be nearly synonymous with Muslim. Further information concerning the Ḥanífs will be found in Sir Charles Lyall's article cited above; Sprenger, Das Leben und die Lehre des Moḥammed, vol. i, pp. 45-134; Wellhausen, Reste Arab. Heid., p. 238 sqq.; Caetani, Annali dell' Islam, vol. i, pp. 181-192.