How is the distinction made between shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the means leading to shirk?

Question:
We say: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, how is the distinction made between shirk and the means leading to shirk?

Answer:
Shirk is clear; it is explicit shirk, such as worshipping other than Allah through supplication, calling for aid, slaughtering, and vows. As for the means, such as supplication at graves—supplicating to Allah at graves, meaning one does not supplicate to the graves but to Allah, yet does so at the grave because he thinks it is a cause for the acceptance of the supplication—this is one of the means of shirk.
Initially, he thinks that supplication at his grave has a special merit, and eventually, he directs the supplication to the deceased, making this a cause of shirk. Therefore, praying at graves is prohibited, even if the one praying only prays to Allah. Writing on graves, plastering graves, and building over graves are also prohibited, because all these are means that are not shirk in themselves, but are among the means of shirk. Yes.