"So whoever associates partners with Allah"
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The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "So whoever associates partners with Allah" The answer is disbelief. "Whoever" is a conditional noun that necessitates the verb, and the verb of the condition is "disbelief," along with what is conjoined to it, "associates partners," and what is conjoined to that. The answer is "disbelief". His statement "So whoever associates partners with Allah" appears to be absolute, implying that all shirk (associating partners with Allah) is kufr (disbelief), but it is not absolute in this sense. Some shirk is minor and some is major. This chapter is concerned only with major shirk, because it falls under the chapter of apostasy. Minor shirk includes swearing by other than Allah while believing that the thing sworn by is honored less than Allah, but swearing by it out of respect for it; slight riya' (showing off); and similar known matters. This does not fall under kufr, except that it may be called "kufr less than kufr." In any case, it is not included in the author's statement here, because the author's statement here is intended to refer to what?
The questioner : Major shirk.
The Shaykh : The shirk that constitutes apostasy, and this can only be major shirk. All right, associating partners with Allah, whether by belief, speech, or action. By belief, meaning believing that Allah has a partner in creation, or in management, or in sovereignty, or in worship, or similar matters. If one believes this, even if he does not act on it, he is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion. By action, for example, prostrating to an idol. He did not say anything, but he prostrates to idols. I say this is shirk by what?
The questioner : By action.
The Shaykh : By action. By speech, for example?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Calling upon other than Allah... in shirk, calling upon other than Allah, or seeking aid from them, or saying: "Here I am, there is no partner to You except a partner who is Yours; You have dominion over him and over what he possesses" and similar things. This is shirk by speech. Therefore, associating partners with Allah, whether by heart, speech, or action, is considered apostasy from Islam. Among the forms of associating partners with Allah is associating other than Allah with Him in legislation, by believing that other than Allah has the right to legislate laws for people to place in the position of the Shari'ah of Allah. This is also associating partners with Allah, by the saying of the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:31] to the end of it. And they used to make lawful what Allah had forbidden, so they made it lawful, and they used to make forbidden what Allah had made lawful, so they made it forbidden. This is associating partners with Allah. As for the one who legislated these laws, he has placed himself in the position of divinity or in the position of lordship, meaning he made himself a legislating Lord. And whoever obeys him in that and agrees with him is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), because he has placed him in the position of the Lord in legislation and codification. All right, this is the first point.
The questioner : Major shirk.
The Shaykh : The shirk that constitutes apostasy, and this can only be major shirk. All right, associating partners with Allah, whether by belief, speech, or action. By belief, meaning believing that Allah has a partner in creation, or in management, or in sovereignty, or in worship, or similar matters. If one believes this, even if he does not act on it, he is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion. By action, for example, prostrating to an idol. He did not say anything, but he prostrates to idols. I say this is shirk by what?
The questioner : By action.
The Shaykh : By action. By speech, for example?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Calling upon other than Allah... in shirk, calling upon other than Allah, or seeking aid from them, or saying: "Here I am, there is no partner to You except a partner who is Yours; You have dominion over him and over what he possesses" and similar things. This is shirk by speech. Therefore, associating partners with Allah, whether by heart, speech, or action, is considered apostasy from Islam. Among the forms of associating partners with Allah is associating other than Allah with Him in legislation, by believing that other than Allah has the right to legislate laws for people to place in the position of the Shari'ah of Allah. This is also associating partners with Allah, by the saying of the Exalted: