What is the criterion for major and minor shirk? And is sin a form of shirk?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Are you from this country?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : What is the criterion for major shirk, and what is the criterion for minor shirk? And are sins considered shirk, given that it is known that love of desire and love of sin prevail over love of Allah?
The Shaykh : Yes, the criterion for major shirk is that it takes one out of the religion. This depends on the fact that if you find in a hadith that something is shirk, you look to the general principles of the Shari'ah in other texts. If it is like something that takes one out of the religion, it is major shirk; if it does not take one out, it is minor shirk. Therefore, when texts come stating that something is shirk, we must return that text to the general principles of the Shari'ah.
If texts mention shirk, but according to the general principles of the Shari'ah it does not take one out of Islam, it is minor shirk. For example, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):Riyad as-Salihin 1711.
As for making all sins shirk, yes, this is correct in the general sense, because sins only issue from following one's desires. Allah the Exalted named the one who follows his desire as one who has taken his desire as a god, saying:[Al-Jathiyah 45:23] So we have three things:
The general framework: which is that every sin is...
The questioner : a type of shirk.
The Shaykh : It is a type of shirk because it issues from following one's desires, and Allah the Exalted made the one who takes his desire as a god one who has taken a god for himself.
Second: When shirk is mentioned generally, do we take it to mean major or minor?
We say: We look to the general principles of the Shari'ah. If it necessitates that one is outside of Islam, it is major; otherwise, it is not. Yes, Yasar.
The Shaykh : Are you from this country?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : What is the criterion for major shirk, and what is the criterion for minor shirk? And are sins considered shirk, given that it is known that love of desire and love of sin prevail over love of Allah?
The Shaykh : Yes, the criterion for major shirk is that it takes one out of the religion. This depends on the fact that if you find in a hadith that something is shirk, you look to the general principles of the Shari'ah in other texts. If it is like something that takes one out of the religion, it is major shirk; if it does not take one out, it is minor shirk. Therefore, when texts come stating that something is shirk, we must return that text to the general principles of the Shari'ah.
If texts mention shirk, but according to the general principles of the Shari'ah it does not take one out of Islam, it is minor shirk. For example, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
He who swears by anyone or anything other than Allah, has indeed committed an act of Kufr or Shirk
من حلف بغير الله فقد كفر أو أشركAs for making all sins shirk, yes, this is correct in the general sense, because sins only issue from following one's desires. Allah the Exalted named the one who follows his desire as one who has taken his desire as a god, saying:
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah
أفرأيت من اتخذ إلهه هواه وأضلّه الله على علم وختم على سمعه وقلبه وجعل على بصره غشاوة فمن يهديه من بعد اللهThe general framework: which is that every sin is...
The questioner : a type of shirk.
The Shaykh : It is a type of shirk because it issues from following one's desires, and Allah the Exalted made the one who takes his desire as a god one who has taken a god for himself.
Second: When shirk is mentioned generally, do we take it to mean major or minor?
We say: We look to the general principles of the Shari'ah. If it necessitates that one is outside of Islam, it is major; otherwise, it is not. Yes, Yasar.