Explaining how some Muslims fall into shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah (Mighty and Majestic).

The Shaykh : The research into this is truly vast and extremely vast. All of it is an application by the Messenger (peace be upon him) in dozens of details in every chapter and section of the Shari'ah. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) revolves around the preservation of the Muslims' customs, traditions, and attire. Let no Muslim today be surprised by this weakness that has settled upon the Muslims, for there are many, many reasons for it. It is like a sick body that may be afflicted with many ailments, and the doctors are unable to treat them: first, because of their number, and second, because treating them takes a long, very long time. This is the state of the Muslims' illness and weakness today, which has enabled the enemies to gain power over them and dominate them.
One of these reasons is their abandonment of the customs they inherited from their fathers and grandfathers on the basis that they are Islamic customs. This is what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) aimed at in these hadiths, some of which are a general rule: , and some of which... for this rule. Some relate to ordinary matters, like this sidr tree, and some relate to acts of worship. Between these are many, many matters, the most important of which is deviation in 'aqidah (creed). The most important of which is deviation in 'aqidah and falling into shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), which the Jews and the Christians both fell into.
Today, regarding 'aqidah, you find Muslims associating partners with Allah without realizing it, and they fall into what those before them fell into, in fulfillment of the previous hadith: to the end of the hadith. What did those before us do? Our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) informed us in His Book, saying regarding the Christians: . It is clear here from the verse that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) described the Christians with two types of shirk (associating partners with Allah). One of them is understood by every listener, and it is the second: . As for the first, it may be hidden from many, even from the pure Arabs in their Arabness. This is what happened in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) when this noble verse was revealed: This is the first shirk, the second shirk. A Muslim may know that this second shirk is shirk, and that the shirk of the Christians is their worship of Jesus (peace be upon him), but the masses, even today, do not understand a clear, apparent, distinct meaning of the first shirk: .
Indeed, as I said earlier, one of the Companions did not understand the intended meaning of this verse until the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified it for him; that is 'Adi ibn Hatim al-Tai (may Allah be pleased with him). Hatim al-Tai is too famous to be mentioned for his generosity and nobility, which is used as a proverb. And as you all know, he died in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and did not reach the Prophetic mission. As for his son 'Adi, he reached the message and believed in the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but before that he had become a Christian; because he was one of the few Arabs who were, as they say today, cultured and educated, and he was not from the masses of the unlettered, who are the Arabs, as He (Mighty and Majestic) said: . So he was one of the few, individual Arabs who learned and became cultured, and he had some knowledge of the previous laws, such as Christianity and Judaism. So his culture led him to choose religion through Christianity over the polytheism he found his people upon. There is no doubt that this was better for him. When Allah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) as a Prophet and Messenger, and the news of him reached him, he came to him with a cross on his neck. The Messenger (peace be upon him) denied that for him and reminded him of what 'Isa (peace be upon him) was upon: tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and worshipping Allah alone, with no partner for Him. He ordered him to embrace Islam, so he embraced Islam and became one of the noble Companions, attending the gatherings of the Messenger (peace be upon him). While he was with him one day, this verse was revealed to him: . The first part of the verse was difficult for him; therefore he said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we did not take them as lords besides Allah." What came to the mind of 'Adi ibn Hatim was that they did to their monks and priests what they did to 'Isa; just as they made him a Lord, they also made them lords besides Allah. So here the Messenger (peace be upon him) clarified to him what he was upon... before. He said to him—and this is a method of making people understand through question and answer—he said: . He said: "As for this, it was indeed so."
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