The Criterion for Distinguishing Major Shirk from Minor Shirk
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Shaykh al-Islam says: Whoever directs any part of worship to other than Allah is a disbeliever.
For example: Seeking religious knowledge for other than the sake of Allah,Question: What is the criterion for knowing whether a matter is major shirk or minor shirk? Is it by induction?
First, do you know what acts of worship are?You will say: Yes, I know the acts of worship, such as prayer, vows, and slaughter. If you do these to draw near to or seek closeness with a human being, that is major shirk. But if you do them for Allah, yet so that the human being sees you and praises you, that is showing off (riya'), which is minor shirk.
Seeking knowledge for other than Allah: if the knowledge is of a type that is not sought for the sake of Allah, such as worldly knowledge: like mathematics, geometry, and physics, then there is no blame on the person for intending worldly gain with it, because he does not draw near to Allah with it. But if it is knowledge of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), hadith, and the like, it is not permissible to seek worldly gain with it. However, it does not become shirk, even if a person seeks knowledge to obtain a position, for example. He does not become a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) in the shirk that takes one out of the religion, but it is said to him: You are in error; seek knowledge for Allah the Exalted.
For example: Seeking religious knowledge for other than the sake of Allah,Question: What is the criterion for knowing whether a matter is major shirk or minor shirk? Is it by induction?
First, do you know what acts of worship are?You will say: Yes, I know the acts of worship, such as prayer, vows, and slaughter. If you do these to draw near to or seek closeness with a human being, that is major shirk. But if you do them for Allah, yet so that the human being sees you and praises you, that is showing off (riya'), which is minor shirk.
Seeking knowledge for other than Allah: if the knowledge is of a type that is not sought for the sake of Allah, such as worldly knowledge: like mathematics, geometry, and physics, then there is no blame on the person for intending worldly gain with it, because he does not draw near to Allah with it. But if it is knowledge of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), hadith, and the like, it is not permissible to seek worldly gain with it. However, it does not become shirk, even if a person seeks knowledge to obtain a position, for example. He does not become a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) in the shirk that takes one out of the religion, but it is said to him: You are in error; seek knowledge for Allah the Exalted.