Shirk is an Arabic word used in the Holy Qur’an to mean ascribing anything as partner to Allah the Exalted in His worship. It is considered an unpardonable sin in Islam.
According to the Holy Qur’an, the humankind is divided in two: (a) Muslim and (b) Kafir. One who believes in Allah and worships and serves Him in accordance with the divine law (al-Qur’an) is called Muslim (believer). The belief he nurtures and acts upon is called Iman, an ideology in Islam. The Holy Qur’an states: The believers are those who believe in Allah and His Prophet and afterwards doubt not.” (49:15). Those who believe in Allah and do good deeds (a’amaal), theirs is a reward unfailing. Secondly one who denies the Oneness of God and ascribes anything as partner to Allah is called Kafir or Mushriq in Islam.
Thus it is the Iman that creates a difference between Muslim and Kafir. The difference is however based on an ideology (Iman), not on caste, colour, lineage or nationality. As for example, a father has two sons. One maintains Iman, an ideology dealing with the belief in Allah and worship and service to Him as per the divine law revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), he is called Muslim (believer). Conversely, another denies Allah or ascribes partners to Him, he is called Kafir or Mushriq (unbeliever) even if both of them belong to same lineage and same family.
Again it may further be construed with an example that a person is born in a Muslim family, but does not believe in Allah and His Prophet, he is regarded as Kafir while a person is born in a non-Muslim family but believes or come to believe in Allah and His prophet, he is regarded as Muslim in Islam. No distinction can be made between this Muslim and other Muslims for his previous belief and activity. He will be regarded as the brother-in-Islam and entitled to the right and privilege granted in Islam as other Muslims. The Holy Qur’an states: “The believers are but a single brotherhood.” (49:10)
All prophets right from the first man and first prophet Adam to the last and final prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing to all of them) were commissioned on earth by Allah so as to teach the humanity how to worship and serve Him as per the divine law revealed to them. It is called Ibadat meaning worship and service to Allah only for which Allah has created mankind. (Qur’an 51:56) But it is pity to note here that a large section of humanity replaces the worship of one Allah with the worship of multiple deities like gods and goddesses, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, the sun and the moon and many entities resulting in the emergence of shirk and kufr in society.
Needless to mention here that the entities being adored by these people are the creations of Allah i.e. they adore the creations but not the Creator (Allah). Certainly, Allah has not created the man to adore His creations but Himself. It is for the man’s highest form of ignorance and insurrection against Allah living in His Kingdom. As such it is considered an unpardonable sin in Islam. Allah has highly reprimanded the people thus ascribing partners to Him as announced in the Holy Qur’an: “Lo! Allah fogiveth not that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgiveth all (sins) save that, to whom He pleaseth. Whoso ascribe partners unto Allah (shirk), he hath indeed invented a tremendous sin.” (4:48, 116, 22:12).
Once Luqman gave some invaluable pieces of advice to his son and among them, the first one was: “O my dear son! Ascribe no partners unto Allah. Lo! To ascribe partners unto Allah is the highest wrong- doing (Zulmun azeem).” (31:13)
However, a section of Muslims assumes that shirk refers to only the idol-worship or iconolatry. It is their devious conception pertaining to shirk. To ascribe anything as partner to Allah in His worship is considered shirk or kufr in Islam. During the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), some people in Makkah used to adore and prostrate the sun and the moon. Allah opposed it and exhorted them as stated in the Holy Qur’an: “Among His Signs are the Night and the Day and the Sun and the Moon. Prostrate not to the Sun and the Moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if ye wish to serve Him.” (41:37)
Again it needs further clarification that Christians ascribe Godhood to Jesus Christ and accordingly call him God. But the Holy Qur’an (61:6, 5: 75) says he is one of the renowned prophets sent to the people of Israel. The Holy Qur’an denies and decries the Godhood ascribed to Jesus by Christians: “They are surely disbelievers (Kafirs) who say: Lo! Allah is the Christ, the son of Mary. The Christ (himself) said: O children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Lo! Whoso ascribe partner unto Allah (shirk), for him, Allah hath forbidden paradise. His abode is the Hell-fire.” (5:72)
Allah so extremely opposes and abhors the sin like shirk that He has enjoined on Muslims not to pray for those who have died ascribing partners to Allah in His worship as stated in the Holy Qur’an: “It is not fitting for the prophet and the believers that they should pray for the forgiveness of the pagans (Mushriks) even though they may be near of kin to them. (9:113) Never pray for one of them (pagans) who dieth; nor stand by his grave. Lo! They disbelieved in Allah and His prophet and they died while they were evil-doers.” (9:84)
But it is good tiding for a person who ever commits shirk or kufr and later realises it as a major sin and then repents and seeks forgiveness from Allah for the same sin, Allah has assured him to forgive his sin provided he believes in Allah and His prophet and leads a life as per Islamic law and does not relapse to the same sin in future. The Holy Qur’an states: “O Muhammad! Say: O my servants who have transgressed against their souls, despair not of the Mercy of Allah; for Allah forgives all sins; for He is Ever-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.” (39:52) Who repenteth and believeth and doth righteous deeds, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.” (25:70)
The position of parents is considered next to Allah in Islam. Allah has enjoined the man to behave with his parents kindly and honourably and exhorted him to pray for them as stated in the Holy Qur’an: “O my Lord! Bestow on them (parents) Thy mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.” (17:23-24) Conversely Allah again enjoins the man to disobey the parents if they seek him to ascribe partners to Allah in His worship. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “I have enjoined the man kindness to parents; but if they (either of them) tell you to ascribe partners unto Me, then obey them not.” (29:8, 31:15) When Prophet Abraham saw his father adoring and deifying different idols, he requested his father not to adore and deify them. But the father did not pay heed to the son’s request. Later the prophet opposed it violently and broke some idols. The father got highly enraged at the son and threatened to stone him to death. At last the prophet left his father saying: “Peace be to thee! I shall pray to my Lord for your Forgiveness.” (Qur’an 19:40-47)
Although Prophet Abraham was threatened to kill for his opposition to iconolatry, still he never compromised with his father in respect of iconolatry. He always opposed it. Because he knew that to ascribe partner to Allah is a serious sin leading a man to the hell if he commits it. Moreover, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) warned the people of polytheism, saying that one should not ascribe partner to Allah even if he is burnt to death by someone. Conversely, the prophet once said to his companions that the angel Gabriel just told me that one who dies without ascribing partners to Allah will enter the paradise. The prophet asked: If he commits adultery or theft, will he enter the paradise? The angel replied: Yes, he will still enter.” (Bukhari) Besides the Holy Qur’an states: O Muhammad! Say: Your God is only one God. Whoso expects to meet his Lord, let him ascribe no partners in the worship of his Lord.” (18:110)
A Muslim establishes Ibadat (worship and service to Allah) for his redemption in the next world. But if he ever commits shirk or kufr, it would nullify his Ibadat in life making him ineligible for redemption in the next world until and unless he repents for the same before he dies. Hence one must be well-aware of shirk and kufr and keep himself abstained from them before he establishes Ibadat; or else his Ibadat would not benefit him in the Hereafter.
It has been regrettably observed that many Muslims especially in India and Bangladesh visit various dargahs and graveyards and place wreaths and offer Sajdah to them for the reason best known to them. Again some Muslims are seen participating various Pujas especially in Bengal and Assam and eating edibles (prasad) offered at altars. These acts are considered shirk in Islam. The Holy Qur’an announces: “Despite their belief in Allah, many of them ascribe partners unto Him.” (12:106)
May Allah protects us from shirk and kufr! Ameen!
[The author is an Associate Professor in Financial Management at PB College, Gauripur, Dhubri, Assam]