Waraqah ibn Nawfal

Arab ascetic

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July 15, 2026

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Waraqah ibn Nawfal was an Arab ascetic and a cousin of Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad. He is recognized as a hanif, a term used in the Qur'an to describe true monotheists who were not Jewish or Christian. While there's no evidence of a formal hanif cult in pre-Islamic Arabia, individuals like Waraqah rejected idol worship and embraced monotheism, paving the way for Islam. His asceticism aligns with a tradition of contemplative and moralistic poetry in Arabic literature, which often reflects on the ephemerality of life and the pursuit of a transcendent existence.12

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Muhammad
Biography according to the Islamic tradition
…by Khadījah and her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a learned Christian who confirms Muhammad’s prophetic status. Muhammad continues to receive revelations but for three years limits himself to speaking about them in private. When God finally commands him to take up public preaching, he initially encounters no opposition. However, after…
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…by Khadījah and her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a learned Christian who confirms Muhammad’s prophetic status. Muhammad continues to receive revelations but for three years limits himself to speaking about them in private. When God finally commands him to take up public preaching, he initially encounters no opposition. However, after…
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hanif
, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a cousin of the Prophet’s first wife, Khadījah, and Umayyah ibn Abī aṣ-Ṣalt, an early 7th-century Arab poet.
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, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a cousin of the Prophet’s first wife, Khadījah, and Umayyah ibn Abī aṣ-Ṣalt, an early 7th-century Arab poet.
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