Many people know, that praying to someone other than to Allah is shirk. So they think praying, fasting, performing hajj to anybody or to anythingy beside Allah ta’ala is shirk. But they are not aware, that being judged, seeking judgment by someone beside Allah falls into the same category and is shirk too.
Shirk in Arabic means taking a partner, i.e., regarding someone as the partner of another. It is said [in Arabic]: ashraka baynahuma (he joined them together) when he regarded them as two of equal status; or ashraka fi amrihi ghayrahu (he introduced another into his affair) when he made two people involved in it.
In terms of sharee’ah or Islamic terminology, shirk means ascribing a partner or rival to Allah ta’ala in Lordship, worship or in His names and attributes. ash-Shirk is the opposite of at-Tawhid.
The origin of the Shirk which is made Haraam (prohibited) is having belief that Allah Ta’ala has a partner in Ilahiyyah (divinity). It is the severest Shirk and it was the Shirk of the Jahiliyyah. Believing that Allah Ta’ala has a partner in His acts, follows this in degree (i.e. severest of Shirk). It is the statement of those who say that there exists something other than Allah Ta’ala which creates and invents an act; even if they do not believe that it is an Ilah.
If a man verifies the meaning of the term Ilah and learns that it means the Ma’bud (the one who is worshiped) to which Ibadah (worship) is directed and to be aware of the reality of Ibadah will clearly see that; the one who directs any type of Ibadah to other than Allah Ta’ala is worshiping it - (therefore) appoints it to be an Ilah for himself. Whether this person refrains to call it as Ma’bud or Ilah and names the act that he commits as having one as Shafa’ah (intermediary), Tawassul (means), seeking refuge etc., (the Hukm is the same).
The Mushrik is a Mushrik whether he wants (to have this attribute) or not. As the usurer is called an usurer whether he wants (to have this attribute) or not; or as the drunken even if he calls Khamr (alcohol) as something else, it is still alcohol. It is stated in the Hadith that which was narrated from Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
As the change in the name does not change the reality of the Musamma (thing that named) it will also not lift its Hukm. As the Bedouin’s wrongfully named Baatil (falsehood) business (stealing etc.,) as Haqq or the oppressor called the things that they devoured men's substance, that does not change its reality.
There are three types of shirk:
1- ash-Shirk al-Akbar (Major Shirk)
This means ascribing to someone other than Allah something that which belongs only to Allah, such as Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (uloohiyyah) and the divine names and attributes (al-asma’ wa’l-sifaat).
This kind of shirk may sometimes be outward:
Such as the shirk of those who worship idols and graves, or the dead or absent.
Or it may sometimes be hidden, such as those who put their trust in other gods besides Allah, or the shirk and kufr of the hypocrites. For even though their (hypocrites’) shirk puts them beyond the pale of Islam and means that they will abide forever in Hell, it is a hidden shirk, because they make an outward display of Islam and conceal their kufr and shirk, so they are inwardly mushriks but not outwardly.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of beliefs:
Such as the belief that there is someone else who creates, gives life and death, reigns or controls the affairs of the universe along with Allah.
Or the belief that there is someone else who must be obeyed absolutely besides Allah, so they follow him in regarding as permissible or forbidden whatever he wants, even if that goes against the deen of the Messengers.
Or they may associate others with Allah in love and veneration, by loving a created being as they love Allah. This is the kind of shirk that Allah does not forgive, and it is the shirk of which Allah ta’ala says:
Or the belief that there are those who know the Unseen as well as Allah. It is also shirk to believe that there is someone who bestows mercy in a manner that is befitting only for Allah, so he shows mercy as Allah does and forgives sins and overlooks the bad deeds of his worshippers.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of words:
Such as those who make du’a or pray to someone other than Allah, or seek his help or seek refuge with him with regard to matters over which no one has control except Allah, whether the person called upon is a Prophet, a wali (“saint”), an angel or a jinn, or some other created being. This is a kind of major shirk which puts one beyond the pale of Islam.
Or such as those who liken Allah to His creation, or say that there is another creator, provider, or controller besides Allah. All of these are major shirk and a grave sin that is not forgiven.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of actions:
Such as one who sacrifices, prays, or prostrates to something other than Allah, or who promulgates laws to replace the rulings of Allah and makes that the law to which people are obliged to refer for judgment.
The evidence for ash-Shirk al-Akbar is the statement of Allah Ta’ala:
And the statement of Allah Ta’ala:
ash-Shirk al-Akbar has four types:
The first type is Shirk ad Du'a (invocation, supplication, or praying to other deities besides Allah)
And the evidence for this is the statement of Allah Ta’ala:
The second type is Shirk al-Niyyah (intentions) w’al Iraadah (purpose) wa'l Qasd (determination), (directed towards other than Allah)
The evidence is the statement of Allah Ta’ala:
The third type is Shirk at-Ta'at (rendering obedience to any authority against the Order of Allah)
The evidence for this is the statement of Allah Ta’ala:
The fourth type is Shirk al-Mahabbah (showing the love which is due to Allah Alone, to others than Him)
The evidence for this is the statement of Allah Ta’ala:
2- Shirk al-Asghar which is ar-Riya (the Minor Shirk, acts performed to show off)
Minor shirk also includes everything that may lead to major shirk, or which is described in the texts as being shirk, but does not reach the extent of being major shirk.
This is usually of two types:
1 – Being emotionally attached to some means which have no basis and for which Allah has not given permission, such as hanging up “hands”, turquoise beads etc. on the grounds that they offer protection or that they ward off the evil eye. But Allah has not made them the means of such protection, either according to sharee’ah or according to the laws of the universe. If someone believes, that these things can protect with Allah's help, this is minor shirk. But if someone believes, that these things are able to protect themselves, this is major shirk.
2 – Venerating some people or things in a way that does not go so far as ascribing lordship to them, such as swearing by something other than Allah, or saying, “Were it not for Allah and So and so,” etc.
Minor shirk may sometimes take the form of outward actions, such as wearing talismans, strings, amulets, and the like, and other words and deeds. And sometimes it may be hidden, like a little bit of showing off.
It may also take the form of beliefs:
Such as the belief that something may be a cause of bringing benefit or warding off harm, when Allah has not made it so; or believing that there is barakah (blessing) in a thing, when Allah has not made it so.
It sometimes takes the form of words:
Such as when they said, “We have been given rain by such and such a star,” without believing that the stars could independently cause rain to fall; or swearing by something other than Allah, without believing in venerating the thing sworn by or regarding it as equal with Allah; or saying, “Whatever Allah wills and you will,” and so on.
It sometimes takes the form of actions:
Such as hanging up amulets or wearing a talisman or string to dispel or ward off calamity, because everyone who attributes powers to a thing when Allah has not made it so either according to sharee’ah or according to the laws of the universe, has associated something with Allah. This also applies to one who touches a thing seeking its barakah (blessing), when Allah has not created any barakah in it, such as kissing the doors of the mosques, touching their thresholds, seeking healing from their dust, and other such actions.
3- Shirk al-Khafi (the Inconspicuous Shirk)
The third type of Shirk is Shirk al-Khafi (the Inconspicuous Shirk).
This type implies being inwardly dissatisfied with the inevitable condition that has been ordained for one 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, etc.
The evidence for this is the statement of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
According to some scholars, minor shirk and hidden shirk is one type of shirk.
Their evidence is this hadeeth:
