Question:
I
often read that “this action is major shirk” and “this is minor shirk”.
Could you explain to me the difference between the two?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
One
of the most important obligations is to know the meaning of shirk, its
seriousness and its different types, so that our Tawheed (belief in the
Oneness of Allaah) and our Islam may be complete, and our faith may be
sound. We say – And Allaah is the Source of strength and true guidance
comes from Him:
Know
– may Allaah guide you – that the word shirk in Arabic means taking a
partner, i.e., regarding someone as the partner of another. It is said
[in Arabic]: ashraka baynahuma (he joined them together) when he
regarded them as two of equal status; or ashraka fi amrihi ghayrahu (he
introduced another into his affair) when he made two people involved in
it.
In
terms of sharee’ah or Islamic terminology, shirk means ascribing a
partner or rival to Allaah in Lordship (ruboobiyyah), worship or in His
names and attributes.
A
rival is a peer or counterpart. Hence Allaah forbids setting up rivals
with Him and he condemns those who take them (rivals) as gods instead
of or besides Allaah in many verses of the Qur’aan. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Then do not set up rivals unto Allaah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped)”
[al-Baqarah 2:222]
“And
they set up rivals to Allaah, to mislead (men) from His path! Say:
‘Enjoy (your brief life)! But certainly, your destination is the (Hell)
Fire!’”
[Ibraaheem 14:30]
In
the hadeeth it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies claiming that Allaah has a
rival, will enter Hell.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4497; Muslim, 92.
The types of shirk:
The
texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicate that shirk and the ascribing
of rivals to Allaah sometimes puts a person beyond the pale of Islam and
sometimes does not. Hence the scholars divided shirk into two types
which they call shirk akbar (major shirk) and shirk asghar (minor
shirk). There follows a brief description of each type:
1 – Major shirk
This
means ascribing to someone other than Allaah something that belongs
only to Allaah, such as Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (uloohiyyah)
and the divine names and attributes (al-asma’ wa’l-sifaat).
This kind of shirk may sometimes be outward, such as the shirk of those who worship idols and graves, or the dead or absent.
Or
it may sometimes be hidden, such as those who put their trust in other
gods besides Allaah, or the shirk and kufr of the hypocrites. For even
though their (hypocrites’) shirk puts them beyond the pale of Islam and
means that they will abide forever in Hell, it is a hidden shirk,
because they make an outward display of Islam and conceal their kufr and
shirk, so they are inwardly mushriks but not outwardly.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of beliefs:
Such
as the belief that there is someone else who creates, gives life and
death, reigns or controls the affairs of the universe along with
Allaah.
Or
the belief that there is someone else who must be obeyed absolutely
besides Allaah, so they follow him in regarding as permissible or
forbidden whatever he wants, even if that goes against the religion of
the Messengers.
Or
they may associate others with Allaah in love and veneration, by loving
a created being as they love Allaah. This is the kind of shirk that
Allaah does not forgive, and it is the shirk of which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them as they love Allaah”
[al-Baqarah 2:165]
Or
the belief that there are those who know the Unseen as well as Allaah.
This is very common among some of the deviant sects such as the Raafidis
(Shi’ah), extreme Sufis, and Baatinis (esoteric sects) in general. The
Raafidis believe that their imams have knowledge of the unseen, and the
Baatinis and Sufis believe similar things about their awliya’
(“saints”), and so on. It is also shirk to believe that there is someone
who bestows mercy in a manner that is befitting only for Allaah, so he
shows mercy as Allaah does and forgives sins and overlooks the bad deeds
of his worshippers.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of words:
Such
as those who make du’aa’ or pray to someone other than Allaah, or seek
his help or seek refuge with him with regard to matters over which no
one has control except Allaah, whether the person called upon is a
Prophet, a wali (“saint”), an angel or a jinn, or some other created
being. This is a kind of major shirk which puts one beyond the pale of
Islam.
Or
such as those who make fun of religion or who liken Allaah to His
creation, or say that there is another creator, provider or controller
besides Allaah. All of these are major shirk and a grave sin that is not
forgiven.
Shirk may sometimes take the form of actions:
Such
as one who sacrifices, prays or prostrates to something other than
Allaah, or who promulgates laws to replace the rulings of Allaah and
makes that the law to which people are obliged to refer for judgement;
or one who supports the kaafirs and helps them against the believers,
and other acts that go against the basic meaning of faith and put the
one who does them beyond the pale of Islam. We ask Allaah to keep us
safe and sound.
2 – Minor shirk
This
includes everything that may lead to major shirk, or which is described
in the texts as being shirk, but does not reach the extent of being
major shirk.
This is usually of two types:
1
– Being emotionally attached to some means which have no basis and for
which Allaah has not given permission, such as hanging up “hands”,
turquoise beads etc on the grounds that they offer protection or that
they ward off the evil eye. But Allaah has not made them the means of
such protection, either according to sharee’ah or according to the laws
of the universe.
[Translator’s
note: the “hands” referred to are objects made of metal, pottery etc,
usually blue or turquoise in colour, that some people hang up to ward
off the evil eye, according to their mistaken belief]
2
– Venerating some people or things in a way that does not go so far as
ascribing lordship to them, such as swearing by something other than
Allaah, or saying, “Were it not for Allaah and So and so,” etc.
The
scholars have stipulated guidelines to distinguish major shirk from
minor shirk when shirk is mentioned in the texts of sharee’ah. These
guidelines include the following:
(i)
– When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) states
clearly that this action is minor shirk, such as in al-Musnad (27742)
where it is narrated that Mahmoud ibn Labeed said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The thing that
I fear most for you is minor shirk.” They said: “O Messenger of Allaah,
what is minor shirk?” He said: “Showing off, for Allaah will say on the
Day when people are recompensed for their actions: ‘Go to those for
whom you were showing off with your deeds in the world, and see what
reward you find with them.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 951.
(ii)
– When the word shirk is used in the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah in
the indefinite form [without the definite article al-]. This usually
refers to minor shirk, and there are many examples of this, such as when
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Incantations, amulets and love spells are shirk.”
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3883; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 331.
What is meant by shirk here is minor shirk, not major shirk.
Amulets
are things that are hung on children such as turquoise beads and the
like, which they claim will protect them from the evil eye.
Love
spells are something that they do, claiming that it will make a woman
beloved to her husband and a man beloved to his wife.
(iii)
– If the Sahaabah understood from the texts of sharee’ah that what was
meant by shirk here was minor shirk, not major. Undoubtedly the
understanding of the Sahaabah carries weight, because they are the most
knowledgeable of the people concerning the religion of Allaah, and the
most knowledgeable as to the intent of the Lawgiver. For example, Abu
Dawood (3910) narrated from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Tiyarah (superstitious belief in omens) is shirk, tiyarah is shirk,”
three times, and there is no one among us but (will have some of that)
but Allaah will rid him of it by means of tawakkul (putting his trust in
Allaah). The words “there is no one among us…” are the words of Ibn
Mas’ood, as was explained by the prominent scholars of hadeeth. This
indicates that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) understood
that this was minor shirk, because he could not have said, “There is no
one among us…” referring to major shirk. Moreover, major shirk cannot be
eliminated by means of tawakkul, rather it is essential to repent
therefrom.
(iv)
– If the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
interpreted the words shirk or kufr in a manner which indicates that
what is meant is a minor form thereof and not the major form. For
example al-Bukhaari (1038) and Muslim (74) narrated from Zayd ibn
Khaalid al-Juhani that he said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) led the morning prayer for us at
al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night. When the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) finished, he turned to face
the people and said to them: “Do you know what your Lord has said?” They
said: “Allaah and his Messenger know best.” He said: “This morning one
of My slaves became a believer in Me and one a disbeliever. As for him
who said: ‘We have been given rain by the grace of Allaah and His
mercy,’ that one is a believer in Me, a disbeliever in the stars; and as
for him who said: ‘We have been given rain by such-and-such a star,
that one is a disbeliever in Me, a believer in the stars.’”
The
interpretation of the word kufr here is given in another report
narrated from Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do you not know what your Lord
said? ‘I do not send any blessing upon My slaves but a group among them
become kaafirs thereby because they refer to the stars and attribute
things to the stars. This explains that if a person attributes rainfall
to the stars by believing that they caused it to fall – when in fact
Allaah has not made the stars a means of causing rainfall – his kufr is a
kind of ingratitude for the blessing of Allaah. It is well known that
ingratitude for the blessing of Allaah is minor kufr. But if a person
believes that the stars are controlling the universe and they are the
ones that cause the rain to fall, then this is major shirk.
Minor
shirk may sometimes take the form of outward actions, such as wearing
talismans, strings, amulets and the like, and other words and deeds. And
sometimes it may be hidden, like a little bit of showing off.
It may also take the form of beliefs:
Such
as the belief that something may be a cause of bringing benefit or
warding off harm, when Allaah has not made it so; or believing that
there is barakah (blessing) in a thing, when Allaah has not made it so.
It sometimes takes the form of words:
Such
as when they said, “We have been given rain by such and such a star,”
without believing that that the stars could independently cause rain to
fall; or swearing by something other than Allaah, without believing in
venerating the thing sworn by or regarding it as equal with Allaah; or
saying, “Whatever Allaah wills and you will,” and so on.
It sometimes takes the form of actions:
Such
as hanging up amulets or wearing a talisman or string to dispel or ward
off calamity, because everyone who attribute powers to a thing when
Allaah has not made it so either according to sharee’ah or according to
the laws of the universe, has associated something with Allaah. This
also applies to one who touches a thing seeking its barakah (blessing),
when Allaah has not created any barakah in it, such as kissing the doors
of the mosques, touching their thresholds, seeking healing from their
dust, and other such actions.
This is a brief look at the division of shirk into major and minor. We cannot go into great detail in this short answer.
Conclusion:
What
the Muslim must do is to avoid shirk in both its minor and major forms.
The greatest sin is shirk and transgression against the unique rights
of Allaah, which are to be worshipped and obeyed alone, with no partner
or associate.
Hence
Allaah has decreed that the mushrikeen will abide forever in Hell and
has told us that He will not forgive them, and He has forbidden Paradise
to them, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily,
Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in
worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills;
and whoever sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed
invented a tremendous sin”
[al-Nisa’ 4:48]
“Verily,
whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allaah, then Allaah has
forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers”
[al-Maa'idah 5:72]
Every
wise and religiously-committed person should fear shirk for himself and
should turn to his Lord, asking Him to help him avoid shirk, as
al-Khaleel [Ibraaheem – peace be upon him] said:
“and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols”
[Ibraaheem 14:35 – interpretation of the meaning]
One of the salaf said: “Who can claim to be safe from this after Ibraaheem?”
So
the sincere believer’s fear of shirk should increase as should his
desire for his for his Lord to keep him away from it, and he should say
the great du’aa’ which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) taught to his companions when he said to them: “Shirk among
you will be more subtle than the footsteps of an ant, but I will teach
you something which, if you do it, both minor and major shirk will be
kept away from you. Say: Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an ushrika bika wa
ana a’lam wa astaghfiruka lima la a’lam (O Allaah, I seek refuge with
You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your
forgiveness for that of which I am unaware).”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3731
The above refers to the difference between major and minor shirk, defining each and describing its types.
With regard to the difference between them as far as the ruling is concerned:
Major
shirk puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, so the one who does that
is judged to be out of Islam and to have apostatized therefrom, so he is
a kaafir and an apostate.
Minor
shirk does not put a person beyond the pale of Islam, rather it may be
done by a Muslim but he still remains in Islam; but the one who does
that is in great danger because minor shirk is a major sin. Ibn Mas’ood
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “If I were to swear by Allaah
falsely, that is better for me than if I were to swear by something
other than Him sincerely.” So he regarded swearing by something other
than Allaah (which is minor shirk) as being worse than swearing by
Allaah falsely, and it is well known that swearing by Allaah falsely is a
major sin.
We
ask Allaah to make our hearts steadfast in adhering to His religion
until we meet Him, and we seek refuge in His Might – may He be glorified
– from going astray, for He is the Ever-Living Who never dies, but the
jinn and mankind will die. And Allaah knows best and is most wise, and
to Him is the final return of all.
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