Literal meaning of Shirk:
literal meaning of Shirk is "association" / "partnership".
Conventional meaning of Shirk:
In the term of Islamic code of life, Shirk means to consider or associate any partner with Allah in His being, In His characteristics, and in the attributes of His characteristics
The beginning of Shirk:
The very first human being in this world believed in Tauheed. The First man was Adam who was the first messenger of Allah. He preached his descendants the oneness of Allah but the people forgot his true teachings with the passage of time. They went astray and started to believe in more than one God and to associate many partners with Allah.
i. Reasons of Shirk:
There are many reasons of Shirk but its basic reasons are given below:
- Ignorance
- Whatever was seen terrifying by the people, they became so very scared of it and they started to consider it to be God.
- Whatever the people took beneficial they also ranked it to be God.
ii. Shaping Statues:
Whatever was seen terrifying or beneficial by the people,they took it to be their God. For example, The Deity of Fire, The Deity of Sea, The Deity of storms, worship of cows, worship of Sun etc.
iii. Kinds of Shirk: (considering partners with Allah)
There are three types of shirk. (considering partners with Allah)
- Associating partner in the existence of Allah (Shirk fizaat)
- Associating partner in the attributes of Allah (Shirk fi Sifaat)
- Associating partner in the characteristics of Allah (Shirk fil Ibadaat)
Associating Partner in the existence of Allah: (Shirk fi Zaat)
It means to consider partner in the existence of Almighty Allah, to make someone equal or equivalent to Him, To consider someone as the off spring or the father of Almighty Allah is called associating partner in the existence of Allah.
Allah says:
لم يَلِدُهُ وَلَمْ يُولَدُهُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ 6 (الاخلاص : 4,3) .
Translation: 112/3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten;
4. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto him."
Associating partners in the attributes of Allah: (Shirk fi Sifaat)
It means to believe Allah's attributes in someone else and to prove His knowledge, power or will for someone else, to consider someone else as eternal or immortal or to think someone else as all Powerful, This is regarded as shirk in His attributes. All of His attributes are His own whereas attributes found in the creation are the blessings of Almighty Allah Himself.
Allah says:
كيْسَ كَثْلِهِ شَي (الشورى : 11)
Translation: There is nothing like unto Him".
Associating partner in the characteristics of Allah (Shirk fil Ibadaat):
Almighty Allah Possesses the greatest attributes and it is the demand of His sublime attributes that Only He should be worshipped., Only He should be bowed down before .Only His help should be sought,. To Consider anyone else to be worshipped, to prostrate in font of that being and to pray to that being is called associating partner in the attributes of Allah.' (Shirk fil Ibdaat')
It is said by Almighty Allah
الا تَعْبُدُوا اللَّا إِيَّاهُ (بنی اسرائیل : 23 )
Translation: That you worship none but Him."
والهكم الهُ وَاحِدٌ لا إله إلا هو الرحمن الرحيم ة (البقره: 183)
Translation: "2/ 163. and Your Ilâh (God) is one Ilâh (God - Allâh), Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (there is none who has the Right to be worshipped but He), the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
iv. Condemnation and disadvantages of Shirk:
The apostles of Allah tried their level best to save masses from committing shirk and directed them to worship Almighty Allah only. Shirk is strongly condemned in The Holy Quran.
The greatest brutality (Zulm e Azeem): Allah has regarded associating partners with Him as the biggest cruelty.
It is said in Holy Quran:
ان الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمُ (لقمان: 13)
Translation: 31/13 Verily! joining others In Worship. with Allâh is a great Zülm (wrong) indeed.
Unpardonable Sin: Almighty Allah may forgive any other sin, but He may not forgive considering partners with Him
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:
إنَّ اللهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاء ( النساء: 48)
Translation: 4/ 48. Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with Him In worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases,
Humiliation and Insult:
A Mushrik worships many gods instead of one, Allah, and his self-respect is humiliated by bowing down in front of different types of people and his life becomes a model of insult and humiliation. The very Same, disrespect will take him to hell in the life hereafter.
