We know that Shirk (associating partners with Allah) is contrary to the belief in Allah Almighty. Shirk is major and minor. Major Shirk contradicts the core of faith, while minor Shirk contradicts the perfect state of faith. Major Shirk is the worst wrongdoing. Allah, the Exalted, says: {When Luqmān said to his son, while advising him: "O my dear son, do not associate partners with Allah. Indeed, associating partners with Allah is the worst wrongdoing."} [Surat Luqmān: 13] Major Shirk renders all good deeds worthless. Allah Almighty says: {It has already been revealed to you and to those who came before you that if you associate others with Allah, your deeds will surely become worthless, and you will certainly be among the losers.} [Surat az-Zumar: 65] He Almighty also says: {This is Allah’s guidance with which He guides whom He wills of His slaves. If they were to associate others with Him, all their deeds would have been nullified.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 88]
If a person dies while engaged in major Shirk and does not repent, Allah Almighty does not forgive him. He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but forgives anything less than that for whom He wills. Whoever associates partners with Allah has indeed committed a grave sin.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 48] If a polytheist dies without repenting, Paradise will be forbidden for him, and Hellfire will be his abode wherein he will abide forever. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Whoever associates any partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and his abode will be the Fire.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 72]
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, what are the two imperatives?" He said: "Whoever dies while associating no partner with Allah will enter Paradise, and whoever dies while associating partners with Allah will enter Hellfire." [Narrated by Muslim (93)]
Allah Almighty nullifies Shirk and criticizes the polytheists for their Shirk and highlights the error of them taking equals to Him. He makes clear that those partners cannot do any good or harm. Sometimes He, Exalted be He, stresses that those partners do not hear, and even if they were to hear, they would not respond to those calling upon them. Allah Almighty says: {Whereas those whom you invoke besides Him do not own so much as the membrane of a date stone. If you call upon them, they cannot hear your call, and even if they were to hear, they could not respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection they will disown your associating them as partners with Allah.} [Surat Fātir: 13-14] So, the Almighty Lord points out that they do not possess anything and cannot hear the supplication of those who call upon them; and on the Day of Judgment, they will disown their polytheism.
At other times, Allah, the Exalted, makes clear that those partners cannot do any good or harm and cannot bring life or cause death. He, Glorified be He, says: {They have taken besides Him other gods who can create nothing but are themselves created. Nor do they have power to harm or benefit themselves, nor do they have power to cause death, give life or resurrect the dead.} [Surat al-Furqān: 3] He Almighty also says: {Do they hear you when you call upon them? Or can they benefit or harm you?} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 72-73]
And some other times, Allah Almighty states that those worshiped apart from Him are even lower than those who worship them, for they cannot walk, strike, hear, or see. "Thus, they are bereft of all these things with which one can do any good or harm." [Tafsīr At-Tabari (13/322)] Allah Almighty says: {Do they have feet to walk with? Or hands to grasp with? Or eyes to see with? Or ears to hear with? Say [O Prophet]: "Call your idols then conspire against me and give me no respite!"} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 195]
And in other verses, Allah Almighty highlights the incapacity and helplessness of these idols. He, Exalted be He, says: {O people, a similitude is set forth, so listen to it: those whom you invoke besides Allah can never create even a fly, even if they all come together for that. And if a fly snatches something away from them, they cannot retrieve it. How feeble is the invoker as well as the invoked!} [Surat al-Hajj: 73] He Almighty also says: {But those whom you supplicate besides Him cannot help you, nor can they help themselves.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 197]
And in other verses, Allah Almighty describes them as needy and lowly and points out that they do not even possess an atom's weight of authority in the heavens or on earth, nor do they have any share in either of them, and none of them is a helper to the Almighty Creator or acts as an intercessor with Him. {Say: "Call upon those whom you claim [to be gods] besides Allah. They do not have even an atom’s weight of authority in the heavens or on earth, nor do they have any share in either of them, nor is any of them a helper to Allah." No intercession will be of any benefit before Him, except for those whom He gave permission.} [Surat Saba’: 22-23]
At other times, Allah Almighty clarifies that the existence of other gods along with Him is contrary to reason, universally impossible, and religiously void. The Almighty Creator says: {If there had been gods besides Allah in the heavens and earth, both realms would have fallen in disorder. Glory be to Allah – Lord of the Throne – far above what they ascribe [to Him].} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 22] In another verse, Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, says: {Say: "If there were other gods besides Him – as they claim – they would have surely sought a way to the Lord of the Throne."} [Surat al-Isrā’: 42] And He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what he had created, and each would have tried to gain supremacy over the other. Glory be to Allah far above what they ascribe to Him!} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 91]
We know that major Shirk has numerous forms.
Among its forms is to associate partners with Allah Almighty in His lordship, creation, dominion, sustenance, and management of the universe. About such Shirk, Allah, the Exalted, says: {Or do they ascribe to Allah partners who created the like of His creation, so they are confused between two creations? Say: "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Subjugator."} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 16] Criticizing those who associate partners with Allah Almighty from among His creation, our Lord says: {This is Allah’s creation. So show Me what others beside Him have created. In fact, the wrongdoers are clearly misguided.} [Surat Luqmān: 11] Allah, Exalted be He, makes clear that to Him alone belong the creation and the command. He Almighty says: {Your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and earth in six days, and then rose over the Throne. He makes the night and day overlap in rapid succession. He made the sun, the moon, and the stars – all subservient to His command. Behold, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 54]
Another form of major Shirk is to ascribe a son to Allah, far exalted be He above that. He Almighty says: {The Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allah," and the Christians say: "The Messiah is the son of Allah." These are mere words that they utter, imitating the words of the disbelievers before them. May Allah ruin them; how can they be deluded?} [Surat at-Tawbah: 30] He Almighty also says: {They regard the jinn as partners of Allah, even though He created them, and they falsely attribute to Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Glorified and Exalted is He far above what they ascribe to Him.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 100] And Allah, the Exalted, says: {Yet they ascribe to Him some of His slaves as offspring. Indeed, man is clearly ungrateful. Has He taken for Himself daughters from what He has created, and favored you with sons?} [Surat az-Zukhruf: 15-16]
Another form of major Shirk is the belief in and worship of the stars. Relating about Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) and how he argued with his people regarding the worship of stars, Allah Almighty says: {Thus We showed Abraham the dominion of the heavens and earth, so that he would be of those who have certain faith. When the night grew dark upon him, he saw a star and said: "This is my Lord." But when it set, he said: "I do not like those that set." Then when he saw the moon rising, he said: "This is my Lord." But when it set, he said: "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the misguided people." Then when he saw the sun rising, he said: "This is my Lord; this is greater." But when it set, he said: "O my people, I disown all what you associate with Allah. I turn my face towards the One Who originated the heavens and earth, inclining to true faith, and I am not one of those who associate partners with Allah." His people argued with him. He said: "Do you argue with me concerning Allah, when He has guided me? I do not fear what you associate with Him, [none can harm me] except what my Lord wills. My Lord encompasses everything in His knowledge. Will you not then take heed? Why should I fear what you associate with Him, when you do not fear that you associate with Allah for which He has not sent down any authority? So which of the two parties has more right to feel secure, if you really know?"} [Surat al-An‘ām: 75-81]
Another form is to seek rain through the stars and believe that they bring sustenance. Allah, the Exalted, says: {And instead [of thanking Allah] for the provision you are given, you show ingratitude?} [Surat al-Wāqi‘ah: 82] Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: There was once a downpour during the Prophet's lifetime. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Some people entered the morning with gratitude and some with ingratitude. Those who entered with gratitude said: 'This is the mercy of Allah.' But those who entered with ingratitude said: 'Such and such asterism was right.'" It was upon this that this verse was revealed: {I do swear by the positions of the stars} [Surat al-Wāqi‘ah: 75]. He continued recitation until he reached the verse that says: {And instead [of thanking Allah] for the provision you are given, you show ingratitude?} [Surat al-Wāqi‘ah: 82] [Narrated by Muslim (73) and At-Tabari in At-Tafsīr (23/154)]
And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are four characteristics within my Ummah belonging to the jāhiliyyah, which they would not abandon: boasting of high rank, reviling other people’s genealogies, seeking rain by the stars, and wailing." [Narrated by Muslim (934) and Ibn Mājah (1581)]
Zayd ibn Khālid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Fajr prayer at Al-Hudaybiyah after it rained at night, and when he finished, he turned to the people and said: "Do you know what your Lord said?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "Some of My slaves have entered the morning as believers in Me and some as disbelievers. He who says 'We have had a rainfall due to Allah's grace and mercy' believes in Me and disbelieves in the stars; and he who says 'We have had a rainfall due to the rising of such and such star' disbelieves in Me and believes in the stars." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (846), Muslim (71), Abu Dāwūd (3906), and An-Nasā’i (1525)]
Another form is to associate a partner with Allah Almighty in His names and attributes, like claiming that someone knows the unseen. Commanding His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), Allah, the Exalted, says: {Say [O Prophet]: "I do not tell you that I have the treasuries of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me." Say: "Is the blind equal to the one who can see? Do you not then contemplate?"} [Surat al-An‘ām: 50] In another verse, Allah Almighty says: {The unseen belongs to Allah alone.} [Surat Yūnus: 20] Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes him in what he says, or has intercourse with his wife while she is menstruating or through her anus, he has nothing to do with what has been sent down to Muhammad." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (3904), At-Tirmidhi (135), Ibn Mājah (639), Al-Fadl ibn Dakīn in As-Salāh (15), Is'hāq ibn Rahwayh (482), and Ahmad (9536). And there is a stern warning against anyone who calls himself or someone else with one of Allah's names which befit none but Him, like the names: 'Allah' or 'the Most Compassionate'. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {Allah has the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who profane His Names. They will be recompensed for what they used to do.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 180] He Almighty also says: {Allah – none has the right to be worshiped except Him. He has the Most Beautiful Names.} [Surat Tāha: 8] And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most awful name in Allah's sight on the Day of Resurrection is a man calling himself 'the king of kings'." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6205), Muslim (2143), Abu Dāwūd (4961), and At-Tirmidhi (2837)]
Abu ‘Ubayd (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "Commenting on the term 'the king of kings', Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah said: 'This is like their saying 'Shahenshah', i.e. the king of kings.' Another one said: 'Rather, it is when a person is called with one of the names of Allah, like the Most Compassionate, the Subjugator, and the Mighty. Indeed, Allah is the King of kings. So, it is not permissible for anyone to be called with this name or the like.'" [Gharīb Al-Hadīth by Al-Qāsim ibn Sallām (2/18)]
Among its forms is to believe that a created being possesses the divine perfection or is able to do all things. Allah, the Exalted, says: {And there is none comparable to Him.} [Surat al-Ikhlās: 4] He Almighty also says: {Lord of the heavens and earth and all that is between them. So worship Him and be constant in worshiping Him. Do you know anyone equal to Him?} [Surat Maryam: 65] Telling about His absolute capability, He Almighty says: {Allah is Most Capable of all things.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 148] In another verse, He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah is not such that something can escape Him in the heavens or on earth. He is indeed All-Knowing, Most Capable.} [Surat Fātir: 44] Allah Almighty points out the helplessness of the worshipers and those worshiped apart from Him. He, Exalted be He, says: {O people, a similitude is set forth, so listen to it: those whom you invoke besides Allah can never create even a fly, even if they all come together for that. And if a fly snatches something away from them, they cannot retrieve it. How feeble is the invoker as well as the invoked!} [Surat al-Hajj: 73]
Another form is to take deities along with Allah Almighty. Informing about the people of Abraham (peace be upon him) and how they took idols as gods apart from Allah, our Lord says: {And [remember] when Abraham said to his father, Āzar: "Do you take idols as gods? I see that you and your people are clearly misguided."} [Surat al-An‘ām: 74] Allah Almighty speaks about the dwellers of the cave and informs that they stayed away from their people because they took gods other than Allah, Exalted be He. A verse reads: {These people of ours have taken besides Him other gods. Why do they not bring a clear proof about them? Who does greater wrong than one who fabricates lies against Allah?} [Surat al-Kahf: 15] About the people of Moses (peace be upon him), Allah Almighty states that they asked Moses to make for them a god as the polytheists had gods. Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, says: {We led the Children of Israel across the sea, then they came upon a people who were devoted to their idols. They said: "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said: "You are indeed an ignorant people. Indeed, what they follow is doomed to destruction and what they do is worthless."} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 138-139] Rejecting the worship of anyone other than Him, Allah, the Exalted, says: {Allah has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what he had created, and each would have tried to gain supremacy over the other. Glory be to Allah far above what they ascribe to Him!} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 91]
Another form is to devote worship or part of it to anyone other than Allah Almighty. Speaking about the condition of the polytheists, our Lord says: {They assign to Allah a portion of the crops and livestock He created, saying: "This is for Allah" – as they claim – "and this is for our partners [idols]." But that which is assigned for their partners does not reach Allah, while that which is assigned for Allah reaches their partners. How unfair is their judgment!} [Surat al-An‘ām: 136] And the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty said: 'I am the One Who is most free from want of partners. So, he who does something for the sake of someone else beside Me, I discard him and his polytheism.'" [Narrated by Muslim (2985)]
Its forms also include slaughtering a sacrifice to someone other than Allah Almighty, like an idol or a dead person, with aim of drawing closer to them. Making clear that sacrificial slaughter should only be devoted to Him, Allah, the Exalted, says: {Say: "Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are all for Allah, Lord of the worlds."} [Surat al-An‘ām: 162] He Almighty also says: {He has only forbidden to you carrion, blood, flesh of swine, and what is slaughtered to other than Allah. But if one is compelled by necessity – neither driven by desire nor exceeding the need – then Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [Surat an-Nahl: 115] Abu at-Tufayl related: We said to ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him): "Inform us about something which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) confided to you." He said: "He confided nothing to me which he concealed from people, but I heard him say: 'Allah cursed he who sacrifices for anyone besides Allah.'" [Narrated by Muslim (1978) and An-Nasā’i (4422)] Given the gravity of this sin, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from sacrificing in a place where sacrifices are offered to other than Allah Almighty. Thābit ibn ad-Dahhāk (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man took a vow during the Prophet's lifetime to slaughter camels at Buwāna. He came to the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him about that. Thereupon, the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Did the place contain any of the jāhiliyyah idols that used to be worshiped?" He replied in the negative. He further asked "Was any of their festivals observed there?" The man replied in the negative. So, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fulfill your vow, for a vow should not be fulfilled if it involves disobedience to Allah or pertains to something beyond one's control." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (3313)]
Among its forms is to make a vow to other than Allah Almighty. Indeed, a vow is an act of worship and may not be devoted to other than our Lord. Hence, Allah, the Exalted, praises the believers who fulfill their vows. He, Glorified be He, says: {They fulfill their vows and fear a Day whose evil will spread far and wide.} [Surat al-Insān: 7] Allah Almighty also says: {Whatever charity you give or vow you make, Allah surely knows it. But the wrongdoers have no helpers.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 270] And the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever makes a vow to obey Allah should obey Him, and whoever makes a vow to disobey Allah should not disobey Him." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6696), Abu Dāwūd (3289), At-Tirmidhi (1526), An-Nasā’i (3806), and Ibn Mājah (2126)]
Another form is to seek refuge with other than Allah Almighty. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "Some men from among human beings used to stay the night at the valley during jāhiliyyah and say: 'We seek refuge with the mighty one of this valley.' Yet, this increased them but in sinfulness." [Narrated by At-Tabari in At-Tafsīr (23/322)] About the condition of the people of jāhiliyyah, Allah, the Exalted, says: {And there were some men who used to seek refuge with some jinn, but they only increased them in burden.} [Surat al-Jinn: 6] And the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever lands somewhere and then says 'I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created', nothing will harm him until he leaves that place." [Narrated by Muslim (2708), At-Tirmidhi (3437), and Ibn Mājah (3547)]
Its forms also include seeking help from other than Allah Almighty for things that can only be done by our Lord, or supplicating other than Allah, Exalted be He. In a verse, He Almighty says: {The mosques are for Allah alone, so do not supplicate anyone along with Allah.} [Surat al-Jinn 18] Allah Almighty also says: {If you call upon them, they cannot hear your call, and even if they were to hear, they could not respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection they will disown your associating them as partners with Allah. And none can inform you like the All-Aware.} [Surat Fātir: 14] Allah Almighty points out that the polytheists, when suffering trouble, they seek refuge with Him, and then when He saves them, they revert to their polytheism. He, Exalted be He, says: {When they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, devoting their faith sincerely to Him. But as soon as He rescues them to the land, they associate partners with Him.} [Surat al-‘Ankabūt: 65] He Almighty also says: {Who is more astray than one who invokes besides Allah those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and are in fact unaware of their invocations?} [Surat al-Ahqāf: 5] Allah Almighty points out that He is the One Who responds to the distressed and relieves suffering. He, Exalted be He, says: {Is He [not better] Who responds to the distressed when he calls out to Him, and Who relieves suffering, and Who makes you successors on earth? Is there any god besides Allah? Little is it that you take heed!} [Surat an-Naml: 62]
Among its forms is polytheism in worship, by devoting it to other than Allah Almighty. Informing about the People of the Book and that they took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Him, legislating for them and declaring unlawful what Allah made lawful, our Lord says: {They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, even though they were commanded to worship only One God; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, glorified is He far above what they associate with Him.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 31] Allah Almighty also says: {Or do they have partners who have prescribed for them a religion that is not sanctioned by Allah?} [Surat ash-Shūra: 21] Allah Almighty commands His servants to believe in Him and refer to His Shariah for judgment, and He points out that Satan wants them to refer to false deities for judgment. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Have you not seen [O Prophet] those who claim that they believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you, yet they seek the judgment of Tāghūt [false deities], even though they were commanded to reject them? Satan wants to lead them far astray.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 60] ‘Adiyy ibn Hātim (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while I had a cross of gold around my neck. He said: "O ‘Adiyy, remove this idol from yourself!" And I heard him reciting from Surat Barā’ah (At-Tawbah): {They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah} [Surat at-Tawbah: 31]. He said: "As for them, they did not worship them, but when they made something lawful for them, they would consider it lawful, and when they made something unlawful for them, they would consider it unlawful." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (3095), Ibn Sa‘d (6/219), Ibn Aby Hātim in At-Tafsīr (10057), and At-Tabarāni in Al-Kabīr (17/92/218)]
Its forms also include polytheism in praying, bowing, prostrating, and performing Tawāf. This is because such acts of worship must not be devoted to anyone other than Allah Almighty, Who commanded His Prophet Ibrāhīm to purify His House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand up in prayer, and those who bow and prostrate; He says: {And [remember] when We showed to Abraham the site of the House [Ka‘bah]: "Do not associate anything with Me, and purify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand up in prayer, and those who bow and prostrate."} [Surat al-Hajj: 26] Allah, Glorified be He, commands that prostration should be offered to Him alone. In the Qur’an, He Almighty says: {Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you truly worship Him.} [Surat Fussilat: 37] Only the arrogant would disdain to worship Him. Allah Almighty says: {[Allah] said: "O Satan, what prevented you from prostrating to whom I created with My two Hands? Did you just become proud or have you always been arrogant?"} [Surat Sād: 75] Allah Almighty informs that all creatures prostrate to Him. He, Glorified be He, says: {To Allah prostrates all that is in the heavens and on earth of living things, and so do the angels; and they do not show arrogance.} [Surat an-Nahl: 49] Before he entered the place of Negus, Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I am your speaker today." So, they followed him until they entered the place of Negus, without prostrating to him. Thereupon, he wondered: "Why have not you prostrated to the king?" He replied: "Allah Almighty sent His Prophet to us and he commanded us not to prostrate except to Allah." [Narrated by At-Tayālsi (344), Sa‘īd ibn Mansūr (2481), Ahmad (4400), Luwayn in his Juz’ (4), and At-Tahāwi in Ahkām Al-Qur’an (418)]
One of its forms is not judging according to what Allah revealed and referring to other than Allah for judgment. Allah Almighty clarifies the ruling on those who do not judge by what He revealed. He, Glorified and Exalted be He, says: {Whoever does not judge according to what Allah has revealed, it is they who are the disbelievers.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 44] Allah Almighty also says: {Whoever does not judge according to what Allah has revealed, it is they who are the wrongdoers.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 45] And He, Exalted be He, says: {Whoever does not judge according to what Allah has revealed, it is they who are the rebellious.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 47] This is because the command entirely belongs to Allah, the Exalted, Who says: {Behold, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.} [Surat al-A‘raf: 54] Allah Almighty also says: {Those who associate partners with Allah say: "If Allah had willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshiped anything besides Him, nor would we have prohibited anything without His command." Those who came before them did the same. Is the duty of the messengers except to convey the message clearly?} [Surat an-Nahl: 35]
Allah Almighty criticizes the People of the Book for taking their rabbis and monks as lords who lay down legislation for them. He, Exalted be He, says: {They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, even though they were commanded to worship only One God; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, glorified is He far above what they associate with Him.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 31] Allah Almighty also says: {Or do they have partners who have prescribed for them a religion that is not sanctioned by Allah?} [Surat ash-Shūra: 21] ‘Adiyy ibn Hātim (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) while I had a cross of gold around my neck. He said: "O ‘Adiyy, remove this idol from yourself!" And I heard him reciting from Surat Barā'ah: {They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah} [Surat at-Tawbah: 31]. He said: "As for them, they did not worship them, but when they made something lawful for them, they would consider it lawful, and when they made something unlawful for them, they would consider it unlawful." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (3095), Ibn Sa‘d (6/219), Ibn Aby Hātim in At-Tafsīr (10057), and At-Tabarāni in Al-Kabīr (17/92/218)]
In doing so, the People of the Book emulate the polytheists about whom Allah Almighty says: {Those who associate partners with Allah say, “If Allah had willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshiped anything besides Him, nor would we have prohibited anything without His command.” Those who came before them did the same. Is the duty of the messengers except to convey the message clearly?} [Surat an-Nahl: 35]
Allah Almighty also says: {But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they accept you [O Prophet] as judge in their disputes, and find no discomfort within their hearts about your judgments, but accept them wholeheartedly.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 65] And He, Exalted be He, says: {Or do they have partners who have prescribed for them a religion that is not sanctioned by Allah?} [Surat ash-Shūra: 21] In another verse, Allah Almighty says: {Do they seek the judgment of the times of ignorance? Who could be better than Allah in judgment for people who are certain in faith?} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 50]
Another form is polytheism in love. This is to love a created being in a way that comprises humbleness, reverence, and submission. About the polytheists' love for their deities, Allah Almighty says: {And among people there are some who take others as equals to Allah: they love them as they should love Allah.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 165] ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): "Which sin is the gravest?" He replied: "That you take an equal to Allah while He created you." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4477), Muslim (86), Abu Dāwūd (2310), At-Tirmidhi (3182), and An-Nasā’i (4013)]
Another form is polytheism of fear. This is to fear a created being in a way that comprises submission, humbleness, and reverence, like fearing that he may cause an affliction or prevent something good, or committing something unlawful for his sake to win his approval. Allah, the Exalted, says: {It is Satan who frightens [you] through his allies. Do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are [true] believers.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 175] The polytheists believe that their gods can do good and cause harm. Hence, they thought that their deities inflicted harm upon Prophet Hūd (peace be upon him). They are quoted in the Qur'an as saying: {All we can say that some of our gods have afflicted you with harm. He said: "I take Allah as witness, and you too be witnesses, that I disown whatever you associate."} [Surat Hūd: 54] Mujāhid said: "{Our gods have afflicted you with harm}: The idols have afflicted you with madness." [Tafsīr At-Tabari (15/361)] The Prophet of hanīfiyyah (inclining to true faith), Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him), is quoted in the Qur'an as saying: {Why should I fear what you associate with Him, when you do not fear that you associate with Allah for which He has not sent down any authority? So which of the two parties has more right to feel secure, if you really know?} [Surat al-An‘ām: 81]
The people of time of ignorance used to seek refuge with the leaders of jinn out of fear from the fools among them. Allah Almighty says: {And there were some men who used to seek refuge with some jinn, but they only increased them in burden.} [Surat al-Jinn: 6]
Allah Almighty also says: {However, when fighting was ordained for them, a group of them feared people as one should fear Allah or even more.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 77] The Almighty Lord points out that His pious and close servants fear none but Him. He, Glorified be He, says: {Those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him, and they do not fear anyone except Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 39] He Almighty also says: {The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give Zakah and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be rightly guided.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 18] And Allah Almighty informs that the magicians, after they came to believe, did give precedence to the fear from Him over their fear from Pharaoh and his punishment. About their statement, Allah, the Exalted, says: {They said: "We will never choose you over the clear signs that have come to us, or over the One Who created us. So decide whatever you will. You can only make a decision about the life of this world. We surely believe in our Lord so that He may forgive us our sins and the magic that you have compelled us to practice, for Allah is best [in reward] and more lasting [in punishment]."} [Surat Tāha: 72-73]
Another form is polytheism of hope. This is to hope for something from a created being, alive and present or absent, while that thing can only be done by Allah Almighty - or to ask the dead to relieve distress, fulfill needs, or intercede on the Day of Judgment. Mentioning the reason behind their worship of the idols, the Qur'an relates that the polytheists said: {We only worship them so that they may bring us closer to Allah.} [Surat az-Zumar: 3] Allah Almighty also says: {If you call upon them, they cannot hear your call, and even if they were to hear, they could not respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection they will disown your associating them as partners with Allah. And none can inform you like the All-Aware.} [Surat Fātir: 14] Allah, Exalted be He, points out that those partners do not possess anything. He Almighty says: {Say: "Tell me about your associate-gods whom you supplicate besides Allah. Show me what they created on earth, or do they have a share in the heavens? Or have We given them a Book so they have a clear proof? No, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusion."} [Surat Fātir: 40] Allah, the Exalted, informs that the followers will be told on the Day of Judgment: {Call upon your [so-called] partners [for help]. They will call upon them, but will receive no response. They will see the punishment, wishing that they had followed guidance.} [Surat al-Qasas: 64] Mention is made in a number of Qur’anic verses of the polytheists calling upon their gods, and this points to their polytheism of hope. Allah, Glorified be He, says: {There is no doubt that those [gods] to whom you call me are not worthy of calling upon, neither in this world nor in the Hereafter. Our return is to Allah, and it is the transgressors who are the people of the Fire.} [Surat Ghāfir: 43] Had they not believed that they would respond to them, the believer of the people of Pharaoh would not have negated it.
One of its forms is magic. Allah, the Exalted, says: {But the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels Hārūt and Mārūt in Babylon. But these two angels did not teach anyone without telling them: "We are only a test, so do not disbelieve."} [Surat al-Baqarah: 102] Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Avoid the seven destructive sins." They said: "What are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Associating partners with Allah, practicing magic, killing the life which Allah made inviolable except for a just cause, consuming usury, devouring the orphan's wealth, fleeing from the battlefield, and slandering the unaware chaste believing women." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2766), Muslim (89), Abu Dāwūd (2874), and An-Nasā’i (3671)]
‘Amr ibn Dinār related that he heard Bajālah relate to ‘Amr ibn Aws and Abu ash-Sha‘thā’: I was a scribe for Mu‘āwiyah, the paternal uncle of Al-Ahnaf, as we received a letter from ‘Umar one year before his death, saying: "Kill every magician..." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (3043), ‘Abdur-Razzāq (9972), Sa‘īd ibn Mansūr (2180), and Ahmad (1657)]
And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever acquires any knowledge of astrology does acquire a branch of magic, of which he gets more as long as he continues to do so." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (3905), Ibn Mājah (3726), Ibn Abi Shaybah (26159), Ahmad (2000), and ‘Abd ibn Humayd (714)]
Its forms also include soothsaying and divination, for those who engage in them claim to know the unseen. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {[He is] Knower of the unseen, He does not reveal His unseen to anyone, except the messenger whom He chooses, then He appoints angel-guards before him and behind him.} [Surat al-Jinn: 26-27] Safiyyah related from some of the Prophet's wives that he said: “If anyone goes to a soothsayer and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights.” [Narrated by Muslim (2230)]
Abu Hurayrah and Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever goes to a fortuneteller or a soothsayer and believes him in what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad." [Narrated by Ahmad (9536) via Abu Hurayrah and Al-Hasan; narrated by Abu Dāwūd (3904), At-Tirmidhi (135), Ibn Mājah (639), Ibn Aby Shaybah (17077), Is'hāq ibn Rahwayh (482), and Ahmad (9290) via Abu Hurayrah]
We know that there is minor Shirk that does not take a person out of the fold of Islam nor cause him to dwell eternally in Hellfire, nor render all his good deeds worthless. Minor Shirk has numerous forms:
One of its form is Tiyarah (taking evil omens), and the criterion here is that it prompts a person to go ahead with his plan or cancel it. Allah Almighty says: {When prosperity came their way, they said, "This is what we deserve," but when adversity befell them, they ascribed it to the misfortune of Moses and those who were with him. Indeed, their misfortune is decreed by Allah, but most of them do not know.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 131] Allah Almighty also says: {The messengers said: "Your evil omen is with yourselves [because of your disbelief]. Is it because you are admonished? Rather, you are a people who transgress all bounds."} [Surat Yāsīn: 19] In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no infection, no evil omen, no hāmah (owl), and no safar (snake or a month)." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (5707), Muslim (2220), and Abu Dāwūd (3911)]
‘Urwah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Taking evil omens was mentioned in the Prophet's presence, and he said: "The best type is the good omen, and it does not turn back a Muslim. If one of you sees anything he dislikes, he should say: 'O Allah, no one brings good things except You, and no one averts evil things except You, and there is no power or strength except through You.'" [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (3919), Ibn Abi Shaybah in Al-Musannaf (26920) and Al-Adab (162), and by Al-Khallāl (1405)]
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever is deterred by an omen from doing something has committed Shirk." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the expiation for that?" He said: "One should say: O Allah, there is no goodness but Your goodness; there is no omen but Your omen; and there is no god but You." [Narrated by Ibn Wahb in Al-Jāmi‘ (658), Ahmad (7045), and this is his version, At-Tabarāni in Al-Kabīr (14622), and Ibn as-Sunni in ‘Amal Al-Yawm Wa Al-Laylah (292)]
Another form is hanging amulets. Abu Bashīr al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he was in the Prophet's company on some of his journeys. ‘Abdullāh, a sub-narrator, added: "I think that Abu Bashīr also said: "And the people were at their sleeping places." The Messenger of Allah sent a messenger with this order: "There should remain no necklace of string or any other kind of necklace around the necks of camels without being cut off." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3005), Muslim (2115), and Abu Dāwūd (2552)]
‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Indeed, spells, amulets, and love-potions are Shirk." [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd (3883), Ibn Mājah (3530), Mu‘ammar in Al-Jāmi‘ (20343), Ibn Abi Shaybah (23924), and Ahmad (3615)]
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "Whoever hangs up something (as an amulet) will be entrusted to it." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (2072), Ibn Abi Shaybah in Al-Musannaf (23923) and Al-Musnad (786), and Ahmad (18781)]
One of the forms is little riyā’ (show off). Yet, if a person's heart is filled with riyā’ and he begins to perform good deeds without a sincere intention, faith, or fear from Allah Almighty, this is a sheer hypocrite and his deeds are rendered worthless and rejected. Allah, the Exalted, says: {So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and associate none in the worship of his Lord.} [Surat al-Kahf: 110] And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty said: 'I am the One Who is most free from want of partners. So, he who does something for the sake of someone else beside Me, I discard him and his polytheism.'" [Narrated by Muslim (2985)]
In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The first person to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favors He bestowed upon him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask: 'What did you do to show gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: ‘I fought for Your cause till I was martyred.’ Allah will say: ‘You lied. You fought that people might call you courageous, and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hellfire. Next a man who has acquired knowledge and taught it and read the Qur’an will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favors He bestowed upon him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask: ‘What did you do to show gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: ‘I acquired knowledge and taught it and read the Qur’an for Your sake.’ Allah will say: 'You lied. You acquired knowledge that people might call you learned, and you read the Qur’an that they might call you a Qur’an reader, and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hellfire. Next a man whom Allah has made affluent and to whom He has given all kinds of property will be brought forward, and after Allah has reminded him of the favors He bestowed upon him and the man acknowledges it, He will ask: ‘What did you do to show gratitude for it?’ The man will reply: ‘I have not neglected to spend for Your sake in all causes approved by You.’ Allah will say: ‘You lied. You did it that people might call you generous, and they have done so.’ Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hellfire." [Narrated by Muslim (1905), At-Tirmidhi (2382), and An-Nasā’i (3137)]
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "He who intentionally lets people hear of his good deeds, Allah will let them know his real intention, and he who does good things to show off, Allah will disclose his real intention." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6499), Muslim (2987), and Ibn Mājah (4207)]
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever intentionally lets people hear about his good deeds, Allah will let them know his real intention and humiliate and belittle him." [Narrated by Ibn al-Mubārak in Az-Zuhd (141), Ibn Abi Shaybah (36448), Hannād in Az-Zuhd (872), and Ahmad (6509) and in Az-Zuhd (238)]
Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, what kind of fighting is in Allah’s cause? Some of us fight because of being enraged and angry and some out of zealotry." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head and said: 'Whoever fights so that the word of Allah be the uppermost fights in Allah's cause." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (123), Muslim (1904), Abu Dāwūd (2517), At-Tirmidhi (1646), An-Nasā’i (3136), and Ibn Mājah (2783)]
We know that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called this the hidden Shirk. Mahmūd ibn Labīd reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware, beware of the Shirk of the inner beings!" They said: "What is the Shirk of the inner beings?" He said: "When one of you stands to pray and strives to beautify his prayer so as to be seen by people. That is the Shirk of the inner beings." [Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah (8489), Ibn Khuzaymah (937), At-Tabarāni in Al-Kabīr (4301), and Al-Bayhaqi in As-Sunan Al-Kubra (3629) and in Ash-Shu‘ab (2872)]
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that riyā’ is so invisible, and that his fear for his Ummah from riyā’ was greater than his fear for them from the Anti-Christ. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I tell you of what I fear more for you than the Anti-Christ?" He said: 'We said: Yes.' He said: "The hidden Shirk! When a man stands to offer prayer and beautifies his prayer because he notices that someone is looking at him." [Narrated by Ibn Mājah (4204), Ahmad (11252), Hanbal in Is'hāq in Al-Fitan (30), and At-Tabari in Tahdhīb Al-Āthār (1117)]
One form of minor Shirk is seeking worldly gains by one's good deeds. Allah Almighty says: {Whoever seeks the harvest of the Hereafter, We will increase for him his harvest; and whoever seeks the harvest of this world, We will give him thereof, but in the Hereafter he will have no share.} [Surat ash-Shūra: 20] Allah, the Exalted, also says: {Those who seek the life of this world and its splendor, We will repay them in full in this life for their deeds, and nothing will be diminished from them therein.} [Surat Hūd: 15] This oscillates between major and minor Shirk, depending on the intention within one's heart. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Whoever desires this fleeting life, We hasten therein whatever We will to whoever We please. Then We prepare for him Hell, which he will enter, despised and rejected.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 18]
Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked: "A man fights for war booty, another fights for fame, and a third fights for showing off; which of them fights in Allah's cause?" The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever fights so that the word of Allah be the uppermost fights in Allah’s cause.'" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2810), Muslim (1904), Abu Dāwūd (2517), and An-Nasā’i (3136)]. In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) invoked against those whose chief concern and aim is the worldly life. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Miserable is the worshiper of the dinar and dirham, and the worshiper of the striped silk cloak. If he is given anything, he is satisfied; but if he is not given, he is unsatisfied.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2886) and Ibn Mājah (4135)]
Another form is saying "It is as Allah wills and you will" and any similar phrase. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "It is as Allah wills and you will." Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Have you equated me to Allah? Rather, it is as Allah alone wills." [Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah (27227), Ahmad (1839), Al-Bukhāri in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (783), Ibn Abi ad-Dunya in As-Samt (342), and Al-Baghandi in his Amāli (36)] Similar to this phrase is: "This is from Allah and from you"; "Were it not for Allah and so-and-so, such and such would not have happened".
Another form is swearing by other than Allah Almighty. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever swears, let him not swear by anything other than Allah." The Quraysh used to swear by their forefathers, and he said: "Do not swear by your forefathers." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3836), Muslim (1646), and An-Nasā’i (3764)] Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever swears by other than Allah has indeed committed disbelief, or polytheism." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (1535), Ahmad (6072), Abu ‘Uwānah (6401), and Al-Hākim (7895)]