Ash Shirk (POLYTHEISM)

Shirk is an Islamic term which implies ascribing partners to Allah or giving divine attributes to others except Allah. In a layman language, it means believing or worshipping another being or thing apart from Allah. This type of sin as been said by Allah to be the greatest sin a man can commit and has also been tagged the unforgivable sin by Allah himself.
Allah says in Q4:48 that “verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be ascribed to him in worship, but He forgives except that to whom He pleases, and whoever ascribes partners to Allah in worship, has indeed invented a tremendous sin”. He also said this in Q23:117 “and whoever invokes or worship anything else beside Allah, any other ilah (god), of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! Al-Kafirun (disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) will not be successful”

Seen we have been able to understand the meaning of Shirk, it is time to look at the types of Shirk that we have. Basically we have three types of Shirk and they are; Ash-Shirk-al-Akbar (The Major Shirk), Ash-Shirk-al-Asghar (The Minor Shirk) and lastly Ash-Shirk-al-Khafi (The Inconspicuous Shirk).

Ash-Shirk-al-Akbar (The Major Shirk)

This is the Major Shirk and a very serious form of polytheism and it is divided into four parts which are as follows;

    a)     Shirk-ad-Dua: This Shirk is talking about the invoking and praying to other deities except Allah. It is when you decide to pray and direct your prayers to another deity or after been protected by Allah you give your thanks to a deity.

    b)    Shirk-al-Niyyah wal-Iradah wal-Qasd: This aspect implies your intention, purpose and determination in acts of worship or religious deed not for the sake of Allah but directed towards others. “Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but fire, and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that they used to do (Q 11:15-16)

    c)     Shirk-at-Ta ah: This aspect implies rendering obedience to any other authority against the Order of Allah. This is one of the common mistakes we make as Muslims, we sometimes see our Alfa’s or Imam as demi-gods and we begin to take their words more serious than that of Allah. No authority should be obey or feared more than that of Allah. “they (Jews and Christians) took their Rabbis and their monk to be their lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah) and they also took the Messiah, son of Maryam as their lord while they were command in the book of Torah (the book of Moses) and the Gospel (the Bible) to worship none but llah (God), la ilaha illa huwa (none as the right to be worshipped but Him). Praise and Glory is to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they associate with him” (Q9:31).

    d)    Shirk-al-Mahabbah: this is when you show love to other deity expect from Allah. The love you are suppose to show Allah you show it to other deity. “And of mankind are some who take others except Allah as rivals to Allah. They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe love Allah more (than anything else). If only those who do wrong could see, when they will the torment, that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is Severe in punishment (Q2:165)

These are the four major aspect of the Major Shirk, may Almighty Allah guide us and protect us from these great mistakes (amen)

Ash-Shirk-al-Asghar (The Minor Shirk)

This is an act that is performed to show off. It is an act of worship or any religious deed that is done in other to get praise, fame or for worldly benefit and this is an act of Shirk. Allah says that “Say (O Muhammad) I am only a man like you, it has been revealed to me that your God is One. So whoever hopes for the meeting with his lord let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his lord” (Q18:110)

Ash-Shirk-al-Khafi (The Inconspicuous Shirk)

This type of unforgivable sin talks about being inwardly dissatisfied with the inevitable condition that has been ordained for on by Allah; conscientiously lamenting that had you done or not done such and such or had you approached such and such you would have had a better status. The Prophet said “Ash-Shirk-al-Khafi in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous than the creeping of a black ant on the black rock in the pitch-darkness of the night”.

There you have it people, the major sins that are unforgivable by Allah, I pray that as you all have read this, may Allah guide our part so as not to commit and any of these great sins and also ask that He forgives us if out of the lack of knowledge or out of ignorance we have committed any of these sins (AMEN).

Barika Jumat People!!!