Shirk (polytheism)

''Shirk'' ( ar, شرك ''širk'') in Islam is the sin of idolatry or polytheism (''i.e.'', the deification or worship of anyone or anything besides Allah). Islam teaches that God does not share his divine attributes with any partner. Associating partners with God is disallowed according to the Islamic doctrine of ''Tawhid''Kamoonpuri, S: "Basic Beliefs of Islam" pages 42–58. Tanzania Printers Limited, 2001. (''oneness''). ''Mušrikūn'' (pl. of ''mušrik'' ) are those who practice ''shirk'', which literally means "association" and refers to accepting other gods and divinities alongside God (as God's "associates"). The Qur'an considers shirk as a sin that will not be forgiven if a person dies without repenting of it.

Etymology

The word ''širk'' comes from the Arabic root Š- R- K (), with the general meaning of "to share".
In the context of the Quran, the particular sense of "sharing as an equal partner" is usually understood, so that polytheism means "attributing a partner to Allah". In the Quran, ''shirk'' and the related word ''mušrikūn'' ()—those who commit shirk and plot against Islam—often refer to the enemies of Islam (as in At-Tawbah verses 9:1–15).

Quran

According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, the Quran states "twice", in surah ''an-Nisa'', verses 48 and 116, "that God can pardon all sins save one", that of shirk ("associationism").
Islamic commentators on the Quran have emphasized that pre-Islamic Arabic idolatry made a number of godlings, most memorably the three goddesses Manāt, Al-Lāt and Al-‘Uzzá, equal associates of Allah (as the Quran discusses in the 53rd surat) and the word ''mushrikūn'' (singular: ''mushrik'') is often translated into English as "polytheists".

The Quran and what the people of Nuh's community would say in an effort by the idolaters to ignore and mock Nuh. "They (idolaters) have said: "You shall not leave your gods nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth, nor Ya'uq nor Nasr." ( Quran 71:23)

Other forms of ''shirk'' include the worship of wealth and other material objects. This is pointed out in the Quran in Al-A'raf in one of the stories of the Children of Israel, when they took a calf made of gold for worship, and for which Moses ordered them to repent.

Entities worshipped besides God are called ''shuraka''.Magic and Divination in Early Islam. (2021). Vereinigtes Königreich: Taylor & Francis. Although the existence of such entities is not denied, as they can accept sacrifices, their divinity is. After Judgement Day, they will be cast into hell along with fallen angels (shayatin) and evil jinn, whom the pagans are said to likewise sacrifice in order to gain protection.

Another form of shirk mentioned in the Quran At-Tawbah is to take scholars of religion, monks, divines, or religious lawyers as Lord(s) in practice by following their doctrines, and/or by following their rulings on what is lawful when it is at variance to the law or doctrines prescribed by Allah's revelation.

And do not eat of that on which Allah's name has not been mentioned, and that is most surely a transgression; and most surely the Shaitans suggest to their friends that they should contend with you; and if you obey them, you shall most surely be polytheists.

— Quran, sura « №6», ayah №121.^{(translated by Shakir)}

Theological interpretation

Medieval Muslim and Jewish philosophers identified belief in the Trinity with the heresy of ''shirk'' in Arabic (''shituf'' in Hebrew), meaning "associationism", in limiting the infinity of God by associating his divinity with physical existence.

In a theological context, one commits ''shirk'' by associating some lesser being with Allah. The sin is committed if one imagines that there is a partner with ''Allah'' whom it is suitable to worship. It is stated in the Quran: "Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him, but He forgives anything else, to whom He pleases, to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed" (Quran An-Nisa 4:48).

Some followers of a Sufistic interpretation of Islam tend to regard the belief in any power other than God as a type of polytheism (''shirk''). That includes false gods but also the belief in other sources of existence. Beliefs usually accepted by monotheism, such as a devil as a source of evil or free will as source for God's creation's own responsibilities, are equated with beliefs in other powers than God and therefore denounced.

The status of the People of the Book (''ahl al-kitab''), particularly Jews and Christians, with respect to the Islamic notions of unbelief is not clearcut. Charles Adams writes that the Quran reproaches the People of the Book with ''kufr'' for rejecting Muhammad's message when they should have been the first to accept it as possessors of earlier revelations, and he singles out Christians for disregarding the evidence of God's unity. The Quranic verse Al-Ma'idah 5:73 ("Certainly they disbelieve [''kafara''] who say: God is the third of three"), among other verses, has been traditionally understood in Islam as Islamic view of the Trinity, rejection of the Christian Trinity doctrine, but modern scholarship has suggested alternative interpretations. Other Quranic verses strongly deny the hypostatic union, deity of Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, and reproach the people who treat Jesus as equal with God as disbelievers, who will be doomed to eternal punishment in Hell. The Quran also does not recognise the attribute of Jesus as the Son of God or God himself but respects Jesus as a prophet and messenger of God, who was sent to children of Israel. Some Muslim thinkers such as Mohamed Talbi have viewed the most extreme Qur'anic presentations of the dogmas of the Trinity and divinity of Jesus (Al-Ma'idah 5:19, 5:75-76, 5:119) as non-Christian formulas, which were rejected by the Church.

Cyril Glasse criticises the use of ''kafirun'' [pl. of ''kafir''] to describe Christians as a "loose usage". According to the ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'', traditional fiqh, Islamic jurisprudence has ''ahl al-kitab'' being "usually regarded more leniently than other ''kuffar'' [pl. of ''kafir'']," and "in theory," a Muslim commits a punishable offense if he says to a Jew or a Christian, "Thou unbeliever."

Historically, People of the Book permanently residing under Islamic rule were entitled to a special status known as ''dhimmi'', and those who were visiting Muslim lands received a different status known as ''musta'min''.

Greater and lesser shirk

''Shirk'' has been classified into two categories according to Islam:
* Greater ''shirk'' (''Shirk-al-Akbar''): open and apparent
* Lesser ''shirk'' (''Shirk-al-Asghar''): concealed or hidden

Greater shirk

Greater ''shirk'' or ''Shirk-al-Akbar'' means open polytheism and has been described in two forms:
* To associate anyone with Allah as his partner (to believe in more than one god)
* To associate Allah's attributes with someone else (attributing, considering, or portraying Allah's knowledge or might to being those of anyone else)

Other interpretations divide greater ''shirk'' into three main categories. ''Shirk'' can be committed by acting against the three different categories.

Rubūbīyah (Lordship)

This category of ''shirk'' refers to either the belief that others share Allah's lordship over creation as his equal or near equal or to the belief that there is no lord over creation at all.
* ''Shirk'' by association: the ''shirk'' concerned with associating "others" with Allah
* ''Shirk'' by negation: ''shirk'' in rubūbīyah (lordship)

Al-Asma wa's-Sifat (names and attributes)

This category of ''shirk'' includes both the non-believer practices of giving Allah the attributes of his creation and the act of giving Allah's names and attributes to created beings.
* ''Shirk'' by humanization: in this aspect of ''shirk'', Allah is given the form and qualities of human beings and animals. Man's superiority over animals causes the human form to be more commonly used by idolaters to represent Allah in creation. Consequently, the image of the creator is often painted, molded, or carved in the shape of human beings possessing the physical features of those who worship them.
* ''Shirk'' by deification: this form of ''shirk'' relates to cases of created beings or things being given or claiming Allah's names or his attributes. For example, the ancient Arabs had the practice of worshiping idols whose names were derived from the names of Allah. The three main deities were Al-lāt (taken from Allah's name al-Elah), al-'Uzza (taken from al-'Aziz), and Manāt, al-Manat (taken from al-Mannan). During the era of Muhammad, there was also a man in a region of Arabia called Yamamah, who claimed to be a prophet and took the name Ar-Rahman (Islamic term), Rahman, which in Islam belongs only to Allah.

Al-'Ibadah (worship)

In this category of ''shirk'', acts of worship are directed to others besides Allah, and the reward for worship is sought from the creation, instead of the creator. As in the case of the previous categories, ''shirk'' in ''al-'Ibadah'' has two main aspects.

This form of ''shirk'' occurs when any act of worship is directed to someone else besides Allah. It represents the most obvious form of idolatry against which the prophets were specifically sent by Allah and called the masses of mankind to give it up. Examples of this ''shirk'' are asking for forgiveness and admittance to paradise, which only Allah can provide, from others besides Allah.

Lesser shirk

Lesser ''shirk'', or ''Shirke-e-Asghar'', means hidden polytheism. A person commits it by professing ''tawhid'' (there is no god except Allah) but having thoughts and actions that do not reflect that belief:

Mahmud ibn Lubayd reported, "Allah's messenger said: 'The thing I fear for you the most is ash-Shirk al-Asghar.'"
:The companions asked, "O messenger of Allah, what is that?"
:He replied, "Ar-Riya (showing off), for verily Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, 'Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any reward from them.'"

Mahmud ibn Lubayd also said, "The Prophet came out and announced, 'O people, beware of secret Shirk!'"
:The people asked, "O messenger of Allah, what is secret Shirk?"
:He replied, "When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him; that is secret Shirk."

Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed an act of kufr or shirk." (graded Saheeh#.E1.B8.A4asan, ''hasan'' by Al-Tirmidhi and Saheeh#Ṣaḥīḥ, ''saheeh'' by Hakim al-Nishaburi, Al-Hakim)

According to Abdullah, son of Masud, Ibn Mas’ood, one of sahabah, Muhammad's companions said: "That I should swear by Allah upon a lie is more preferable to me than that I should swear by another upon the truth.""Kitab At-Tawheed" by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, chapter 40

See also

* Black Stone
* Haram
* Henotheism
* Islam and blasphemy
* Islamic schools and branches
* Islamic view of the Trinity
* Islamic views on Jesus' death
* Paganism
* Pre-Islamic Arabia
* Shahada (confession)
* Taghut (idol)
* Ya-Ali

Notes

References

External links

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Shirk in legislation

{{Italic title

Islamic terminology
Islamic theology
Polytheism
Sin
Idolatry