What is the criterion for distinguishing between major shirk and minor shirk in the texts?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and may the prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah.
May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, for I love you for the sake of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The Shaykh : And otherwise.
The questioner : My question: What is the criterion for distinguishing between the texts regarding major shirk and minor shirk?
The Shaykh : This question is asked by many people; they say: What is the difference between minor shirk and major shirk?
Major shirk is that which, when it occurs from a person, causes him to exit the religion, and minor shirk is that which is less than that. So directing worship to other than Allah is major shirk. Exalting the creation as Allah is exalted, by attributing to it a right in lordship or exaltation as the Creator is exalted, is major shirk. And whatever is less than that is minor shirk.
For example, swearing by other than Allah is minor shirk in principle, but if the swearer has in his heart that what he swore by is like Allah, it becomes major shirk.
So the criterion is: whatever the Lawgiver has named shirk, and it does not cause one to exit the religion, is minor shirk. And whatever causes one to exit the religion is major shirk.
And another question remains for us: What is it that causes one to exit the religion, and what is it that does not?
This depends on the text that has come down. So whoever attributes to the creation a right like the right of the Creator, that is major shirk, and whatever is less than that is minor shirk.
And I give you an example: if a person exalts his father, so that whenever he comes, he kisses his hand or his forehead, places his sandals for him, and brings him the car—yes, this is exaltation. If he came to another person and did with him what he did with his father, what would this be?
He has equated his father with this man, so he made other than the father like the father. But if he brought sandals for one person only, would he be equating this other person with his father? The answer is: No. So this brings you closer to understanding shirk, yes.
May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, for I love you for the sake of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The Shaykh : And otherwise.
The questioner : My question: What is the criterion for distinguishing between the texts regarding major shirk and minor shirk?
The Shaykh : This question is asked by many people; they say: What is the difference between minor shirk and major shirk?
Major shirk is that which, when it occurs from a person, causes him to exit the religion, and minor shirk is that which is less than that. So directing worship to other than Allah is major shirk. Exalting the creation as Allah is exalted, by attributing to it a right in lordship or exaltation as the Creator is exalted, is major shirk. And whatever is less than that is minor shirk.
For example, swearing by other than Allah is minor shirk in principle, but if the swearer has in his heart that what he swore by is like Allah, it becomes major shirk.
So the criterion is: whatever the Lawgiver has named shirk, and it does not cause one to exit the religion, is minor shirk. And whatever causes one to exit the religion is major shirk.
And another question remains for us: What is it that causes one to exit the religion, and what is it that does not?
This depends on the text that has come down. So whoever attributes to the creation a right like the right of the Creator, that is major shirk, and whatever is less than that is minor shirk.
And I give you an example: if a person exalts his father, so that whenever he comes, he kisses his hand or his forehead, places his sandals for him, and brings him the car—yes, this is exaltation. If he came to another person and did with him what he did with his father, what would this be?
He has equated his father with this man, so he made other than the father like the father. But if he brought sandals for one person only, would he be equating this other person with his father? The answer is: No. So this brings you closer to understanding shirk, yes.