Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 135 and 136

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*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 135:*

وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be guided." Say (to them, O Muhammad Peace be upon him), "Nay, (We follow) only the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham), Hanifa [Islamic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allāh (Alone)], and he was not of Al-Mushrikun (those who worshipped others along with Allāh - see V. 2:105)."

*COMMENTARY*

Hanīf: inclined to right opinion, orthodox (in the literal meaning of the Greek words), firm in faith, sound and well-balanced, true. Perhaps the last word, True, sums up most of the other shades.

The Jews, though taught Unity, went after false gods, and the Christians invented the Trinity or borrowed it from Paganism. We go back to the pure, hanīf doctrine of Abraham, to live and die in faith in the One True God.
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*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 136:*

قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

Say (O Muslims), "We believe in Allāh and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Is'hāq (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat [the twelve sons of Ya'qub (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)."


*COMMENTARY*

Here we have the  Creed of Islam: to believe in:

1. The one Universal God.

2. The Message to us through Prophet Muhammad (Blessings and Peace be upon him) and the Signs (āyāt) as interpreted on the basis of personal responsibility.

3. The Message delivered by other Teachers in the past. These are mentioned in three groups:

i. Abraham, Ismā'īl, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes: of these Abraham had apparently a Book (Qur'an chapter lxxxvii, verse 19) and the others followed his traditions:

ii. Moses and Jesus, who each left a scripture: these scriptures are still extant, though not in their pristine form; and

iii. Other scriptures, Prophets, or Messengers of Allāh not specifically mentioned in the Glorious Qur-ān (chapter xi, verse 78). We make no difference between any of these. Their Message (in essentials) was one, and that is the basis of Islam.