SECTION 2 - SHIRK

The Greater Shirk:

Q1. What is the worst crime according to Allaah?

A1. The worst crime is to associate partners with Allaah, and the proof is the statement of Allaah the Exalted:

"O my son! Do not associate partners with Allaah. Verily shirk is the worst type of oppression." [Sooratul Luqmaan]

When the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was asked: 'Which of the sins is the worst?' He said: "That you appoint for Allaah an associate while He is your Creator." [Agreed Upon]

Q2. What is the greater shirk?

A2. Th greater shirk is to direct worship to other than Allaah, or to seek help from the dead, or the living who are absent. Allaah the Exalted said:

"And worship Allaah, and do not associate anything with Him." [Sooratun Nisaa]

His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "From the worst of all matters is Shirk with Allaah." [Bukhaaree]

Q3. Is shirk present in this Ummah?

A3. Yes it is present, and the proof is the statement of Allaah the Exalted:

"And most of them do not believe in Allaah, except that they are associators with Allaah." [Soorah Yoosuf]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "The Hour will not come until tribes from my nation (Muslims) overtake the idolators, and until they too worship idols. [Tirmidthee, authentic]

Q4. What is the Islaamic ruling upon supplicating to the dead or absent?

A4. Supplicating to the dead or absent is from greater shirk. Allaah the Exalted said:

"Do not call upon other than Allaah, it is of no avail for you, and do not harm yourself, for verily you will if you are from amongst the oppressors." (meaning: idolaters) [Soorah Yoonus]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever dies and he is calling upon other than Allaah as an equal, then he enters the Fire." [Bukhaaree]

Q5. Is supplication worship?

A5. Yes supplication is worship. Allaah the Exalted said:

"And your Lord says: Call upon me, I will accept from you. Verily those who are two proud for my worship, I will enter them into Hell despised." [Sooratul Ghaafir]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Supplication is worship." [Ahmad, and Tirmidthee who said it is a good authentic narration]

Q6. Do the dead hear supplications?

A6. They do not hear. Allaah the Exalted said:

"Verily your dead do not hear."[Sooratun Naml]

"And you are not heard by those in the graves." [Sooratul Faatir]

Types of Greater Shirk:

Q7. Are we allowed to seek aid from the dead or absent?

A7. You are not allowed to seek aid from them. Allaah the Exalted said:

"And those who call upon other than Allaah create nothing, and they are themsleves created. Dead, not living, and they do not know when they will be ressurected." [Sooratun Nahl]

"If you seek aid from your Lord, He will accept your plea." [Sooratul Anfaal]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "O Ever-Living, the Eternal! Aid me with your Mercy." [Tirmidthee, good]

Q8. Is it permissible to ask for help from other than Allaah?

A8. It is not permissible, and the proof is the Statement of Allaah:

"Only You do we worship, and only You do we ask for help." [Sooratul Faatihah]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "If you ask, ask of Allaah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allaah." [Tirmidthee, good and authentic]

Q9. Can we seek help with the living?

A9. Yes, but only in that which they have the ability to do. Allaah the Exalted says:

"And cooperate upon piety and righteousness." [Sooratul Maa'idah]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Allaah helps the slave in that which the slave helps his brother." [Saheeh Muslim]

Q10. Is it permissible to swear by other than Allaah?

A10. It is not permissible to swear, except by Allaah, for Allaah said:

"By the Lord of my father, my souls is set free." [Soorah Aali 'Imraan]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever swears that he will obey Allaah, then let him obey Him, and whoever swears that he will disobey Allaah, then let him not disobey Him." [Saheehul Bukhaaree]

Q11. Is it permissible to sacrifice for other than Allaah?

A11. It is not permissible, and the proof is the Statement of Allaah:

"So pray to your Lord, and sacrifice." [Sooratul Kawthar] {sacrifice: to slaughter for the sake of Allaah}

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "The curse of Allaah is upon whoever sacrifices for other than Him." [Saheeh Muslim]

Q12. Can we circumambulate around other than the ka'abah for the purpose of getting closer to Allaah?

A12. We do not circumambulate, except around the ka'abah. Allaah the Exalted said:

"And let them circumambulate around the Ancient House." [Sooratul Hajj]

The Prophet(sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: Whoever circumambulates around the House seven times, and prays two units, it is as if he has freed a neck." [Ibn Maajah, authentic]

Q13. What is the ruling on magic?

A13. Magic is from disbelief. Allaah the Exalted said:

"But the satans committed disbelief by teaching the people magic." [Sooratul Baqarah]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Avoid seven grave offenses: associating partners with Allaah, and magic..." [Saheeh Muslim]

Q14. Can we trust the fortuneteller, and the soothsayer regarding the knowledge of the Unseen?

A14. We do not trust them because of the knowledge of Allaah the Exalted:

"Say: no one knows what is in the Heavens and the earth except Allaah." [Sooratun Naml]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever comes to a fortunereller or a soothsayer, then trusts him in what is said, then verily he disbelieves in what was revealed to Muhammad." [Ahmad, authentic]

Q15. Does anyone know the Unseen?

A15. No one knows the Unseen except those who are shown by Allaah, like the messengers. Allaah the Exalted said:

"Knower of the Unseen, so He does not disclose the Unseen to anyone." [Sooratul Jinn]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "No one knows the Unseen except Allaah." [Tirmidthee, good]

Q16. Can we wear a thread or a ring for the purpose of intercession?

A16. Do not wear these. Allaah the Exalted said:

"And keep to Allaah in the face of harm, for none can remove it from you except Him." [Sooratul An'aam]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "As for this, it does not increase you except in weakness. Distance it from yourself, for verily the one who uses it will never succeed." [Related by al-Haakim, authenticated and affirmed by adh-Dhahabee.]

Q17. Can one rely upon beads and seashells, and their like (for worship)?

A17. We cannot rely upon them for anything. Allaah the Exalted says:

"And keep to Allaah in the face of harm, for none can remove it from you except Him." [Sooratul An'aam]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever relies upon an amulet, then he has indeed associated partners with Allaah." [Related by Ahmad, authentic]

[Amulet: beads or seashells relied upon for anything.]

Q18. What is the ruling on working with the authorities who oppose Islaam?

A18. Working with the authorities who oppose Islaam is disbelief if he permits it, or believes in its correctness. Allaah the Exalted said:

"And whoever does not judge by what Allaah revealed, these are the disbelievers." [Sooratul Maa`idah]

The Prophet(sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "There are no leaders of a people who do not judge by the Book of Allaah, and see it as being better than what Allaah revealed, except that Allaah places an evil between them." [good, Related by Ibn Maajah and other than him]

Q19. How do we refute the question of the devil, 'Who created Allaah'?

A19. If the devil whispers this question to any of you, then seek refuge with Allaah. Allaah the Exalted says:

"And if you are insinuated with the insinuations of Satan, then seek refuge with Allaah. Verily He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing." [Sooratul Fussilat]

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) taught us to refute the deceptions of Satan by saying: 'I believe in Allaah and His messenger. Allaah is One, Allaah is the Ever-Living. He does not beget, nor is He begotten, and no one is a co-equal to Him.'

Then let him spit towards his left three times and seek Allaah's refuge against Satan. So verily it will leave him. [These are excerpts from authentic hadeeths mentioned in Bukhaaree, Muslim, Ahmad, and Abu Daawood]

Q20. What is the harm of greater shirk?

A20. Greater shirk is a reason for abiding in the Fire. Allaah the Exalted said:

"Whoever associates partners with Allaah, indeed Allaah has forbidden paradise for him. His accomodation will be in the Fire, and the transgressors do not have any helpers."

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever meets Allaah while associating anything with Him, he enters the Fire."

Q21. Do good deeds benefit the one who is committing shirk?

A21. No actions benefit the one who associates partners with Allaah. Allaah the Exalted says:

"If you associate partners with Allaah, nothing you do will be of benefit to you."

The Prophet said: "Allaah the Exalted said: 'I am far above the association of the associators who perform deeds in which (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) they associate partners along with Me. They are left to their association. [Muslim]

The Lesser Shirk

Q1. What is lesser shirk?

A1. Lesser shirk is showing off [riyaa']. Allaah the Exalted says:

"So whoever wishes to meet his Lord, then let him perform righteous deeds, and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord." [Sooratul Kahf]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Verily what I fear for you most is lesser shirk: showing off." [Related by Ahmad, authentic]

From lesser shirk is the statement of a man, 'If it were not for Allaah, and for so and so.' or 'What Allaah wishes, and what you wish.'

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Do not say, 'What Allaah wishes and what so and so wishes.', rather say: Whatever Allaah wishes, then what so and so wishes." [Related by Abu Daawood, authentic]

Q2. Is it permissible to take an oath by other than Allaah?

A2. It is not permissible to take an oath by other than Allaah. Allaah the Exalted says:

"Yes, by my Lord you will surely be ressurected." [Sooratut Taghaabun]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever takes an oath by other than Allaah, then he has indeed associated partners." [Related by Ahmad, authentic]

The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever wishes to take an oath, then let him take an oath by Allaah, or be disgraced." [Agreed Upon]