Question: What are the types of shirk (associating partners with Allah)? Answer: Shirk is directing any type of worship to other than Allah, such as slaughtering for other than Allah, making vows for other than Allah, supplicating to other than Allah, and calling for aid from other than Allah, as some grave-worshippers do today at the shrines, calling upon the dead to fulfill needs and relieve distress, circumambulating their shrines, and slaughtering sacrifices at them to draw near to them, making vows to them, and the like. This is major shirk, because it is directing worship to other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوا لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." [Al-Kahf 18:110] [al-Kahf: 110] , And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him [An-Nisa 4:36] [al-Nisa: 36] , And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion. [Al-Bayyinah 98:5] [al-Bayyinah: 5] , and there are many verses on this topic. And shirk has types: The first type: Major shirk takes one out of the religion, and it is what we mentioned: directing any type of worship to other than Allah, such as slaughtering for other than Allah, making vows for other than Allah, supplicating to other than Allah, or calling for aid from other than Allah. This is major shirk, which takes one out of the religion, and its perpetrator will remain eternally in the Fire of Hell if he dies upon it and does not repent to Allah. As Allah the Exalted said: إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire [Al-Ma'idah 5:72] [al-Ma'idah: 72] . And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not forgive this. As Allah the Exalted said: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills [An-Nisa 4:48] [al-Nisa: 116] . And the second type: Minor shirk does not take one out of the religion, but its danger is great, and it is also not forgiven except through repentance. because of His saying, the Exalted: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills [An-Nisa 4:48] [al-Nisa: 116] , so this includes major shirk and minor shirk. And minor shirk: For example: swearing by other than Allah. And for example: Saying: "What Allah willed and you willed," by linking the will of the created to the will of the Creator with the conjunction "and." And the correct thing to say is: "What Allah willed, then you willed." And for example: Saying: "If not for Allah and you," and the like. So this is shirk in words and is called minor shirk. Likewise, showing off in worship (riya') is minor shirk, and it is hidden shirk because it is among the actions of the hearts and is not spoken, nor does it appear in the actions of the limbs or on the tongue; it is only something in the hearts that no one knows except Allah. So shirk is of three types: Major shirk, minor shirk, and hidden shirk. And it is showing off in worship (riya'), and what is in the hearts of intentions and purposes for other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). And the meaning of showing off in worship (riya') is: That one performs an act whose appearance is that it is for Allah, but he intends by it other than Allah, intending that people praise him, or that people speak well of him, and he intends by it praise or intends by it a desire from the desires of this world. Its form is that it is for Allah, but it is for other than Allah (the Exalted). As Allah the Exalted said: مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يُبْخَسُونَ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (15) Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. (16) Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do. [Hud 11:15-16] [Hud: 15, 16] , so the one who, for example, performs Hajj or seeks knowledge, or performs any act of worship, but intends by it a desire from the desires of this world, this is considered showing off in worship (riya'), and showing off in worship (riya') nullifies the deed. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الأصغر فسئل عنه فقال: الرياء The thing I fear most for you is the lesser shirk (polytheism), showing-off (of good deeds). Bulugh al-Maram 16:48 . And he said, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him: الشرك في هذه الأمة أخفى من دبيب النملة السوداء على صفاة سوداء في ظلمة الليل، وكفارته أن يقول: اللهم إني أعوذ بك أن أشرك بك شيئًا وأنا أعلم، وأستغفرك من الذنب الذي لا أعلم Shirk in this Ummah is more hidden than the crawling of a black ant on a black stone in the darkness of the night, and its expiation is to say: O Allah, I seek refuge in You that I associate with You anything that I know, and I seek Your forgiveness for the sin that I do not know. . So it is obligatory for the Muslim to be sincere to Allah in his actions, his words, and his intentions, so that his deed is righteous and acceptable to Allah (Mighty and Majestic).

Types of Shirk

Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan

Machine translationRead the Arabic original

Question: What are the types of shirk (associating partners with Allah)?

Answer: Shirk is directing any type of worship to other than Allah, such as slaughtering for other than Allah, making vows for other than Allah, supplicating to other than Allah, and calling for aid from other than Allah, as some grave-worshippers do today at the shrines, calling upon the dead to fulfill needs and relieve distress, circumambulating their shrines, and slaughtering sacrifices at them to draw near to them, making vows to them, and the like.
This is major shirk, because it is directing worship to other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:

So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."

فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوا لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

[al-Kahf: 110],And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:

Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا

[al-Nisa: 36],And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

[al-Bayyinah: 5], and there are many verses on this topic.

And shirk has types:

The first type: Major shirk takes one out of the religion, and it is what we mentioned: directing any type of worship to other than Allah, such as slaughtering for other than Allah, making vows for other than Allah, supplicating to other than Allah, or calling for aid from other than Allah. This is major shirk, which takes one out of the religion, and its perpetrator will remain eternally in the Fire of Hell if he dies upon it and does not repent to Allah.As Allah the Exalted said:

Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire

إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ

[al-Ma'idah: 72].
And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not forgive this.As Allah the Exalted said:

Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ

[al-Nisa: 116].

And the second type: Minor shirk does not take one out of the religion, but its danger is great, and it is also not forgiven except through repentance.because of His saying, the Exalted:

Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ

[al-Nisa: 116], so this includes major shirk and minor shirk.

And minor shirk: For example: swearing by other than Allah.And for example: Saying: "What Allah willed and you willed," by linking the will of the created to the will of the Creator with the conjunction "and."And the correct thing to say is: "What Allah willed, then you willed."And for example: Saying: "If not for Allah and you," and the like.
So this is shirk in words and is called minor shirk.
Likewise, showing off in worship (riya') is minor shirk, and it is hidden shirk because it is among the actions of the hearts and is not spoken, nor does it appear in the actions of the limbs or on the tongue; it is only something in the hearts that no one knows except Allah.

So shirk is of three types: Major shirk, minor shirk, and hidden shirk.
And it is showing off in worship (riya'), and what is in the hearts of intentions and purposes for other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).

And the meaning of showing off in worship (riya') is: That one performs an act whose appearance is that it is for Allah, but he intends by it other than Allah, intending that people praise him, or that people speak well of him, and he intends by it praise or intends by it a desire from the desires of this world. Its form is that it is for Allah, but it is for other than Allah (the Exalted).As Allah the Exalted said:

⁽¹⁵⁾ Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. ⁽¹⁶⁾ Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do.

مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يُبْخَسُونَ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

[Hud: 15, 16], so the one who, for example, performs Hajj or seeks knowledge, or performs any act of worship, but intends by it a desire from the desires of this world, this is considered showing off in worship (riya'), and showing off in worship (riya') nullifies the deed.

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

The thing I fear most for you is the lesser shirk (polytheism), showing-off (of good deeds).

أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الأصغر فسئل عنه فقال: الرياء

Bulugh al-Maram 16:48

.

And he said, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him:

Shirk in this Ummah is more hidden than the crawling of a black ant on a black stone in the darkness of the night, and its expiation is to say: O Allah, I seek refuge in You that I associate with You anything that I know, and I seek Your forgiveness for the sin that I do not know.

الشرك في هذه الأمة أخفى من دبيب النملة السوداء على صفاة سوداء في ظلمة الليل، وكفارته أن يقول: اللهم إني أعوذ بك أن أشرك بك شيئًا وأنا أعلم، وأستغفرك من الذنب الذي لا أعلم

.
So it is obligatory for the Muslim to be sincere to Allah in his actions, his words, and his intentions, so that his deed is righteous and acceptable to Allah (Mighty and Majestic).

Source shamela.ws

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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