Explanation of the Types of Shirk

Question:
Our brother asks your Eminence, saying: We hope your Eminence will graciously explain the types of shirk? Is swearing by other than Allah a shirk that takes its practitioner out of the religion, or not?

Answer:
Shirk is of two types:
Major shirk and minor shirk. Major shirk is directing worship to other than Allah, or some of it, such as calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead, making vows for them, or for the jinn, or for the angels, or for others among the dead and the absent. This is called major shirk, just as Quraysh and other Arabs used to do that at their idols and their statues.
Also included in this is if a person denies a matter that is known from the religion by necessity, whether it is obligatory or forbidden. Whoever denies it is a disbeliever and a polytheist committing major shirk. For example, if someone says: "Prayer is not obligatory upon the Muslim duty-bearers," or says: "Zakah is not obligatory upon those who possess the nisab of zakah," or says: "Fasting Ramadan is not obligatory upon the Muslim duty-bearer," then this person is a disbeliever and a polytheist committing major shirk.
Or if he legalizes what Allah has forbidden, from what is known from the religion by necessity, upon which the Muslims have reached consensus. For example, if he says: "Zina is lawful," or "Drinking intoxicants is lawful," or "Undutifulness to parents is lawful," or "Sorcery is lawful," or the like of that, then this person is a disbeliever and a polytheist committing major shirk.
The rule is: Whoever directs worship, or some of it, to other than Allah, whether to idols, trees, the dead, jinn, or others among the absent, this is major shirk. Likewise, whoever denies what Allah has made obligatory or what Allah has forbidden, from what is known from the religion by necessity, upon which the Muslims have reached consensus, this person is a disbeliever committing major disbelief and a polytheist committing major shirk. Whoever commits any of the nullifiers of Islam becomes a polytheist committing major shirk, as we have exemplified.
As for minor shirk, it is also of types, such as swearing by other than Allah, by the Prophet, by trust, or by the head of so-and-so. This is minor shirk; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): And likewise is riya' (showing off in worship), such as when one reads the Qur'an to show off, or gives charity to show off. This is from minor shirk; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): He was asked about it, and he said: And likewise saying: "What Allah willed and so-and-so willed" with the conjunction "and," or "If not for Allah and so-and-so," or "This is from Allah and from so-and-so." This is from minor shirk; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
Minor shirk may become major shirk if its practitioner believes that the one by whom he swears other than Allah, or about whom he says "what Allah willed and so-and-so willed," has control over the universe, and that he has a will that goes beyond the will of Allah and the will of Allah, and that he has the power to harm and benefit without Allah, or if he believes that he is worthy to be worshipped alongside Allah, and that aid should be sought from him. This becomes major shirk because of this belief. However, if it is merely swearing by other than Allah without any other belief, but the oath slips from his tongue out of reverence for this person, seeing that he is worthy because he is a Prophet or a righteous person, or because he is his father or mother or the like of that, then this is from minor shirk, not from major shirk, according to the scholars. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.