Ruling on saying: "O mother of the children, take him" and the like

Question:
He asks: Is a person excused for uttering a word of shirk (associating partners with Allah), such as "O mother of the children," and the like? And if he is not excused, and he has among his relatives someone who does this, what must he do toward them?

Answer:
No one is excused for committing a sin that is not shirk (associating partners with Allah); it is not permissible to commit a sin, even if it is less than shirk, so how about shirk? It is not permissible for a Muslim to commit a sin or shirk ever; rather, one must be cautious of that, cautious of shirk in all its types, and cautious of sins in all their types. One must be cautious wherever he is, except for the one who is coerced, as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [al-Nahl: 106]. The one who is coerced—taken with whips and beaten—until he speaks the word of kufr (disbelief), it is permissible for him to speak it while his heart is at rest in faith: . He only spoke out of fear of the weapon, or of the beating; this is the coerced one.
As for speaking out of consideration for so-and-so's feelings, or to placate so-and-so, that is not permissible. If he speaks the word of kufr (disbelief), he becomes a disbeliever; and if he disobeys, he becomes a disobedient sinner. If he says, "O mother of the children, take him," or "O seven, take him," or "O jinn of the afternoon, take him," or "O jinn of so-and-so, take him"; this is shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah. This is something that happens among some of our brothers in the south, and it is an error. One must warn against it, and it is not permissible to approve of it, not with a father, nor a brother, nor a neighbor, nor a wife. It must be denied with seriousness, strength, sincerity, truthfulness, and persistence, and by seeking the help of good brothers, so that they help you with this matter and strive with you.
So matters of shirk (associating partners with Allah) are never to be treated with leniency, not with the father, nor with the mother. You are doing good if you strive in this; you are a reformer, there is good in you, you are rewarded, you save him from the Fire; you may strive to save him from the Fire. Do not be lenient in this; it is not permissible to be lenient in this ever, not with shirk, nor with sin. But shirk is greater: if there is among the family someone who calls upon the jinn, or slaughters for them, or vows to them, or seeks nearness to Allah through stones, or idols, or trees which he calls upon, then it is necessary to deny that; because this is shirk (associating partners with Allah), and it is obligatory to leave it, and to cooperate in that with good relatives: with maternal uncles, with neighbors, with others who are good and do not accept this shirk; because Allah says: [al-Ma'idah: 2].