Polytheism

Contents > Disbelief and Polytheism > Polytheism

ash-Shirk - You must know not to associate anything with Allah. Indeed this is among the most important matters that we must be aware of in all of our Deen, because if we do not know about al-Shirk, we will fall into that even unknowingly. All of us should be afraid from committing Shirk as it could take many forms.

Shirk is the greatest crime and oppression that anybody can commit, unlike oppression to people, Shirk is taking the rights of almighty Allah and giving it to other than Him and nobody can share with Allah in his rights. Allah says,

“Do not make shirk in Allah; verily the Shirk is indeed a great Zulm (oppression).” al-Qur’an, Surah Luqmaan, 31: 13

This great crime is so severe that Allah has made it prohibited upon Himself to forgive, suspending His own attribute of forgiveness for anyone who commits this great crime, indeed no other crime has been treated as severely, Allah says,

“Allah does not forgive Shirk, but he will forgive anything less than that if he wishes. To set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed.” al-Qur’an, al-Nisaa’, Surah 4: 48

Shirk is to give the right of Allah to be worshipped, followed or obeyed exclusively to anybody else or to make them partner to Allah in that e.g. to worship with or other than Allah by prostrating or praying or supplicating or arbitrating etc to other than Him , to follow any other man or path or book with or instead of following what Allah revealed to us, to obey anybody or any law or constitution besides Allah.

Shirk can also be by attributing Allah’ (saw) own functions and attributes to other than Him , e.g. to claim that anyone besides Allah created or can create, or that they can forgive or guide the people, or to claim that they can legislate any law etc. All of this and His other functions, Names and Attributes are for Him exclusively without any partners.

Or to claim that there is anything similar to Allah, e.g. to claim He had offspring or parents. Or to deny the existence of Allah completely and so the person follows their own desires instead of Allah, these are among the greatest crimes and is the only sin (and any other sin that is of the same level i.e. Kufr Akbar, Nifaaq Akbar, Bid’ah Akbar) that will never be forgiven on the day of judgement, anyone who meets Allah with Shirk will be in the hellfire forever. Allah says:

“They have disbelieved, those who say: 'verily Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary.' But the Messiah said: 'O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.' He who associates anything with Allah, Allah has indeed forbidden Paradise to him, and his abode shall be in the Fire. The Zalimun shall have no helpers.” al-Qur’an, Surah al-Maa’idah, 5: 72

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