OMG !! YES EVEN DOING THIS IS SHIRQ !!

OMG !! YES EVEN DOING THIS IS SHIRQ !! 

WHAT IS SHIRQ? 

Shirq in (terms of laymen or in) one word means "permanent destruction" In other words, Shirq is a sin which is the most dangerous of All sins. In yet another definition, it is to ascribe partners with Allah and this is a huge topic but to be brief, ascribing partners has many forms. One direct form is to worship someone else. another is to worship someone Along with Allah and the third but most dangerous (deceiving and commonly found) is to attribute or give or belief that the powers (which only) Allah has , is also found in so and so source or person or etc. For e.g : Allah alone is the one who provides sustenance and if a person attributes this power to a saint or a source (some stone ring which he wears on his hand and etc) then he has committed Shirq. 

“Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases . . .” [al-Nisaa’ 4:48] 

Narrated by Abu Bakrah, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Shall I not tell you of the most serious of the major sins?’ three times. We said, ‘Of course, O Messenger of Allaah!’ He said, ‘Associating anything in worship with Allaah . . .’”

[Ref: Agreed upon. Also see Riyad us swaliheen, Book 1 Hadith 336, al-Bukhaari, no. 2511, al-Bagha edition or Vo 3, Book 48, Hadith 822]

Every other sin may be forgiven by Allaah, apart from shirk, which requires specific repentance. Some of the forms of shirk which are particularly widespread in the Muslim countries are : 

GRAVE WORSHIP 

This is a very wide and detailed topic. please click on the below links to know why and how grave worshiping is one of the major forms of shirq. 

Link 1 : The Ruling of praying at graves and intercession from the dead in the graves

To Learn why one cannot ask help from anyone who has left this world (dead) be it a prophet or a wali, then read the below document which enlists All the proofs from Quran and hadith proving why intercession (waseela/tawassul) from the dead is a form of Shirq

Link 2 : Proving that waseela (intercession/ tawassul) from someone who is dead is a form of shirq

SACRIFICING TO ANYTHING OR ANYONE OTHER THAN ALLAH 

It was a practice among the arabs and etc in the days of Jahiliya to sacrifice an animal for their idols/saints/jins and etc in order to make them happy or offer the sacrifice as a tribute to express gratitude for their help. Unfortunately despite the increase in education, people still have traces of this Shirq. in today's world this can be witnessed among Muslims too, most of which are found in the South Asian Subcontinent wherein they sacrifice a goat or etc for the dead saint, or alive saint or to a Jin or when they buy a new house or property in order to escape his (Jins) harm. More details on this can be found here : [See Tayseer al-’Azeez al-Hameed, al-Iftaa’ edition, p. 158]

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord, and sacrifice (to Him only)” [al-Kawthar 108:2] - i.e., sacrifice to Allaah and in the name of Allaah.

The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will curse the one who sacrifices to anything other than Allaah.” 

[Ref: Reported by Imaam Muslim, may Allaah have mercy on him, in his Saheeh, no. 1978, ‘Abd al-Baaqi edition]

ALLOWING WHAT ALLAH HAS FORBIDDEN & FORBIDDING WHAT ALLAH HAS ALLOWED 

This is one of the major reasons for the widespread kufr and shirq today. Common masses tend to accept anyone as an A'alim (learned scholar) or any thought of school and the people rely on them. they (the people) accept whatever decision their aalims or sect makes without even confirming if the verdict is in accordance to Quran, sunnah of rasool (s.a.w) and sahabas or not. 

They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to their lords besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allaah). 

[Ref: Al-Tawbah 9:31]

When ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recite this aayah, he said, “But they were not worshipping them.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) replied, “Yes, but they permitted things that Allaah had forbidden, and the people accepted this, and they forbade things that Allaah had allowed, and the people accepted this too, and this is a form of worshipping them.”

[Ref: Reported by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubraa, 10/116. See also al-Tirmidhi, no. 3095. Al-Albaani classified it as hasan in Ghaayat al-Maraam, p. 19] .

And Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘Tell me, what provision Allaah has sent down to you, and you have made of it lawful and unlawful.’ Say: ‘Has Allaah permitted you (to do so), or do you invent a lie against Allaah?’” 

[Ref: Yoonus 10:59]

MAGIC 

Magic (sihr) is an act of kufr, and one of the seven sins which doom a person to Hell. It causes harm but no benefit. Allaah says of the one who learns it (interpretation of the meaning):

“. . . And they learn that which harms them and profits them not . . .” [al-Baqarah 2:102]

“. . . and the magician will never be successful, no matter what amount (of skill) he may attain).” [Ta-Ha 20:69]

“. . . Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things as came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) things till they had said, ‘We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).’ . . .” [al-Baqarah 2:102]

The prescribed punishment for the one who practices magic is death, and his income is haraam and impure. But people who are ignorant wrongdoers and weak in faith go to magicians to help them harm someone or take revenge on someone. Some people commit the sin of going to a magician to ask his help in undoing the magic of someone else, when they should turn to Allaah to help them and heal them, by reciting His words, such as the soorahs that offer protection (al-Falaq and al-Naas), and so on. Some Duas which protect from Magic, evil eye and harm can be found in the below Link : 

http://the-finalrevelation.blogspot.com/2012/07/duas-to-protect-from-evil-eye-buri.html

FORTUNE -TELLING  AND DIVINATION

Fortune-tellers and their ilk are kaafirs who disbelieve in Allaah, because they claim knowledge of the Unseen, but no one has knowledge of the Unseen except Allaah And Allah has specified in the Quran that he shares only a part of his knowledge only with the messengers (angels, rasools and nabis) and no one else [Quran : 72 - 26/27] . Many of these fortune-tellers take advantage of simple-minded people and take their money. They use many methods such as drawing lines in the sand, throwing sea-shells, reading palms, teacups (or coffee cups), crystal balls and mirrors, and so on. If they get it right one time, they get it wrong ninety-nine times, but ignorant people remember only the one time when these liars get something right. They go to them to find out about the future, whether they will be successful in marriage or business, or to help them find something they have lost, and so on. 

The ruling concerning the person who visits a fortune-teller is: if he believes what he says, he is a kaafir who has left Islaam, on the basis of the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or a soothsayer and believes in what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.” 

[Ref: Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 2/429; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5939]

It was narrated that Mu’aawiyah ibn al-Hakam said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I am still close to the time of Jaahiliyyah [i.e., I am new in Islam]. Allaah has brought Islam to us, but there are among us men who go to soothsayers (fortune tellers).’ He said, ‘Do not go to them.’ I said, ‘And there are men among us who practise augury [watch birds for omens].’ He said, ‘That is something which they make up. Do not believe them.’

[Ref: Sahih Muslim]

It was reported that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “Some people asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about soothsayers. He said, ‘They are nothing.’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, sometimes they say something and it comes true.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘That is a word of truth that the jinn snatches and whispers into the ear of his familiar, but they mix a hundred lies with it.’”

[Ref: Narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

If a person does not believe that they have knowledge of the Unseen, but he goes out of curiosity or whatever, he is not a kaafir, but his prayers will not be accepted for forty days, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 

“Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights” 

[Ref: Saheeh Muslim, 4/1751] 

Even though it is still obligatory to pray and to repent for this sin.

ASTROLOGY OR BELIEVING THAT STARS AND PLANETS HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON PEOPLE'S LIVES AND EVENTS 

Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani reported: “The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led us in the morning prayer at al-Hudaybiyah after rain had fallen during the night. When he had finished, he turned around to face the people and said: ‘Do you know what your Lord says?’ They said, ‘Allaah and His Messenger know best.’ He said: ‘[Allaah says]: This morning one of My slaves became a believer in Me and one became a disbeliever. As for the one who said, “We have been given rain by the grace and mercy of Allaah,” he is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars; as for the one who said, “We have been given rain by such-and-such a star,” he is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.’” 

[Ref: Reported by al-Bukhaari; see Fath al-Baari, 2/333]

Similarly, the one who reads the horoscopes in newspapers and magazines and believes what they say about the influence of the stars and planets is a mushrik, and the one who reads them for entertainment is a sinner, because it is not permitted to entertain oneself by reading things that contain shirk, because Shaytaan will try to lead him to shirk through this.

BELIEVING THAT CERTAIN THINGS (LIKE TAWEEZ) CAN BRING BENEFIT WHEN THE CREATOR HAS NOT MADE THEM SO.

Some people believe in amulets and spells, or wearing certain types of pearls or seashells or metal earrings and so on, on the advice of fortune-tellers or magicians or in accordance with inherited customs. So they hang them around their own or their children’s necks to ward off the evil eye - or so they claim; or they tie them onto their bodies or hang them in their cars and homes, or wear rings with special stones, thinking that these things can relieve or ward off distress. This without a doubt is contrary to the idea of relying on Allaah, and will only result in making a person even more weak, like seeking medicine in a haraam way. These amulets obviously contain much shirk, such as seeking the help of some jinns and devils, or vague drawings and illegible writing. Some of these liars even write aayaat from the Qur’aan, or mix them with words of shirk, or write them with impure substances such as menstrual blood. Hanging up these amulets or tying them to one’s body is haraam because of the below evidences :


1. It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) say: “Ruqyah, amulets and love charms are shirk.”

[Ref: Narrated by Abu Dawood (3883) and Ibn Majaah (3530): classed as saheeh]

2. I heard the Messenger of Allaah (SAWW) It was narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever wears an amulet, may Allaah not fulfil his need, and whoever wears a sea-shell, may Allaah not give him peace.”

[Ref: Narrated by Ahmad, 16951]

3. It was narrated from Zaynab the wife of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood from ‘Abd-Allaah that he said:  “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (SAWW) say, ‘Spells (ruqyah), amulets and love-charms are shirk.” I said, “Why do you say this? By Allaah, my eye was weeping with a discharge and I kept going to So and so, the Jew, who did a spell for me. When he did the spell, it calmed down.” ‘Abd-Allaah said: “That was just the work of the Shaytaan who was picking it with his hand, and when (the Jew) uttered the spell, he stopped. All you needed to do was to say as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say: ‘Adhhib il-ba’s Rabb al-naas ishfi anta al-Shaafi laa shifaa’a illa shifaa’uka shifaa’an laa yughaadiru saqaman (Remove the harm, O Lord of mankind, and heal, You are the Healer. There is no healing but Your healing, a healing which leaves no disease behind.’

NOTE IN THIS HADITH THE SAHABA SAID ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS SAY the dua (AND NOT WEAR the dua)

[Ref: Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3883; Ibn Maajah, 3530]

4. ‘Eesa ibn Hamzah said: “I entered upon ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Akeem and his face was red due to high fever. I said, ‘Why don’t you hang up an amulet?’ He said, ‘We seek refuge with Allaah from that. The Messenger of Allaah (SAWW) said: “Whoever hangs up anything will be entrusted (left) to its care…” 

Note : Sahabis who are the best of Muslims, still avoided wearing Quranic verses or etc and rather stuck to the sunnah

[Ref: Abu Dawood and Fiqh-us-Sunnah Vol. 4 : 9]

5. Al-Hasan said: ‘Imraan ibn Husayn told me that the Prophet (SAWW) saw a ring, I think he said of brass, on a man’s upper arm. He said: “Woe to you, what is this?” He said: It is for pain in the shoulder and hand. He said: “It will only increase you in weakness. Take it off, for if you die with it on you, you will never succeed ( As he entrusted the ring to remove his pain instead of Allah) 

[Ref : Musnad al-Imam Ahmad (19498) Or Ibn Majah no. 3531 and Ahmad 4:445 ]

6. Haafidh Ibn Katheer (Vol 2 Pg 494) writes that: Khuzayfah (radiallah anhu) once came for the Ayaadat of a Mareedh. He (radiallah anhu) saw a ta'weedh hanging around his neck, and he immediately took it from him and broke it, and read this verse:

"And most of those who believe in Allah are the Mushrikoon" [Yusuf: 106]

And in one narration it says that Khuzayfah (radiallah anhu) told him: "If you died in the same condition (i.e. with the ta'weedh), i wouldn't have prayed your funeral prayer." 

7. Ruwayfa’ ibn Thaabit (radiyAllaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah ( s.a.w ) said: "Oh Ruwayfa’, perhaps you will live long after me so inform the people that whoever ties a knot in his beard or wears a string necklace (like how arabs during jahiliya used to wear as taaweez) or cleans his private parts with the excrement of animals bones, then verily Muhammad is free from him (i.e has nothing to do with him)"

[Ref: Reported by an-Nisaa’ee in az-Zeenah, chapter (12) 8/135-136, no. 5067 with an authentic chain, and Ahmed: 4/108 and 109, and Aboo Daawud, no. 36, and authenticated by our Shaykh al-Albaanee in al-Mishkaat, no. 351 and Saheeh alJaami’, no. 7910]

To know in details regarding Quranic taweez (taweedh) and etc please click on the below link : 
http://the-finalrevelation.blogspot.in/2012/07/taweez-shirq.html

SHOWING OFF IN WORSHIP: 

Among the conditions for any good deed to be acceptable are that it should be free of any kind of showing off and within the framework of the Sunnah. The person who performs acts of worship, like praying, in order to be seen by other people is a mushrik and his deed is unacceptable. 

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, entered upon us while we were discussing the False Messiah. He said, “Shall I not tell you about what I fear for you more than the presence of the False Messiah?” We said, “Of course!” He said, “Hidden idolatry; that a man stands for prayer and beautifies his prayer because he sees another man looking at him.”

[Sunan ibn Majah, Book of Asceticism, Number 4204, Hasan]
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for prayer, they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allaah but little.” [al-Nisaa’ 4:142]

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does things to be seen and heard by others, Allaah will cause him to be seen and heard as an example to others.” 

[Ref: Reported by Muslim, 4/2289]

Stated in the hadeeth qudsi: “I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does a deed for someone else’s sake as well as Mine will have that deed renounced by Me to him who he associated with Me.” 

[Ref: Reported by Muslim, no. 2985]

Mahmood bin Lubaid(raa) reprts that the Messenger of ALLAH(saws) warned us: “Of the things which I am afraid of concerning you is Minor Shirk(Polytheism). The companions asked: O Messenger of ALLAH(saws)! What is Minor Shirk(Polytheism)? The Messenger of ALLAH(saws) stated: Showing off.”
[Ref: Ahmad]

BELIEVING IN BAD LUCK, BAD OMENS OR BAD SIGNS & ETC. 

Today we see people infested with such beliefs. twitching of the left eye, a cat passing by, bad weather, wearing some stone for good luck, or something else as a good luck charm and etc and etc. without further adue lets read What our Lord who created us and who knows what is best for us, has to say and what our Prophet (s.a.w) who will intercede for us on Qiyamah (in sha allah) have to say :

But whenever good came to them, they said, ‘Ours is this.’ And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Musa and those with him . . .” [Ref: al-A’raaf 7:131]

1) No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a Decree before We bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah. [Ref: QURAN 57 : 22 ]

2) Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good (only) by way of trial: to Us must ye return.[Ref: Quran 21:35]

3) Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: The Messenger of Allaah (SAWW) said: “Tiyarah (belief in evil omens) is shirk. and he said this three times”

[Ref: Ahmad (4194), Abu Dawood (3910), al-Tirmidhi (1614) and Ibn Maajah (3538) and Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood]

4) Anas ibn Maalik (RA) that the Prophet (SAWW) said: “There is no ‘adwa (transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allaah) and no tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens), but I like optimism.” They said, “What is optimism?” He said, “A good word. 

[Ref: Narrated by Al-Bukhaari (5776) and Muslim (2224)]

5) Narrated by Abdallah IBn Amar (r.a) that The Messenger of Allaah (SAWW) said: “Whoever lets tiyarah stop him from doing something is guilty of shirk.” They said, “What is the kafaarah for that?” He said, “To say: Allaahumma la khayra illaa khayruka wa laa tayra illaa tayruka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (O Allaah, there is no good except Your good, no birds except Yours, and there is no god beside You).”

[Ref: Ahmad (7045) and al-Tabaraani ]

`Ikrimah said: We were in a gathering with Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما, a bird passed by making sound. One of the men said: “Khair khair” (it is a good omen, there is a good omen). Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما said: “There is neither good in this nor any evil.” [Tafseer al-Qurtubee (7/266)]

Tawoos went out on a journey with one of his companions and a raven made a crowing sound. His companion said: “it is good (omen).” Tawoos said to him: “What is good in this? Do not accompany me any further.” [Fath al-Majeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed (1/309)]

Cure for this is :

Pessimism is a part of everyone’s nature, to a greater or lesser extent; the best cure for it is reliance upon Allaah (tawakkul), as Ibn Mas’ood said: “There is no one among us (who will not feel pessimistic sometimes), but when we rely on Allaah, He makes that feeling go away.” 

[Ref: Reported by Abu Dawud, no. 3910; see also al-Silsilah al-Saheehah,430]

SEE A LIST OF OMENS, BAD LUCK CHARMS COMMONLY FOUND IN INDIA, PAKISTAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES : http://the-finalrevelation.blogspot.in/2012/07/superstitions-and-evil-omens.html

SWEARING BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN ALLAH (E.G SWEARING ON MOM ETC)

The swearing of a slave (human and etc) by other than Allah (awj) is shirk no matter how elevated the status of the object upon which the oath taken is.

RasulAllah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever swears by other than Allah commits disbelief or shirk.”

[Ref: Abu Dawud; Nawawi, Riyaadu's-Salihin; Tirmidhi; Shawkani, Naylu'l-Awtaar 8/257, Ahmad, 2/125; see Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6204]

It is narrated from Abd-Allah Ibn Umar (ra) that RasulAllah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) found, Umar Ibn al-Khattab (ra) amongst the riders and he was taking oath by his father. RasulAllah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) called them (saying): “Our Allah (awj) has forbidden you that you take oath by your father. He who bag to take an oath, he must take it by Allah or keep quiet.” 

[Ref: Reported by al-Bukhaari; see al-Fath, 11/530]

Ibn `Umar heard a man saying: “No by the Ka`bah” so Ibn `Umar said: “Nothing should be sworn by other than Allaah, for I heard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saying: “Whoever swears by something other than Allaah has committed an act of kufr or shirk.” [al-Tirmidhee (1535) and Abu Dawood (3251); and graded as Saheeh” by al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Tirmidhee]

Narrated Ibn `Umar: that he found 'Umar bin Al-Khattaab in a group of people and he was swearing by his father. So Allaah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم called them, saying: “Verily! Allaah forbids you to swear by your fathers. If one has to take an oath, he should swear by Allaah or otherwise keep quiet.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6108, 6646, 3836, 6648) and Saheeh Muslim (4035, 4038)]

Some examples of modern day swears which are shirq :

والنبي (By the Prophet).

والكعبة (By the Ka`bah).

وحياتك (By your life).

وحياتي (By my life).

والله وحياتك  (By Allaah and by your life).

وشرفي ، بعزتي (By my honor).

بالأمانة (By honest).

بصلاتك (By your prayer).

بحق فلان  (By the rights of so-and-so).

بروح والديه (By the soul of the parents).

برأس الأم أو الأب أو الأولاد (Taking oaths by placing hand on the head of the mother or father or the children).

الحلف بالأموات مثل: الجيلاني والبدوي (Taking oaths in the name of the dead, like: Jeelaanee, al-Badawee etc.)ز

If one takes an Oath (swears) on Allah and breaks it then :

Allah Almighty says, "Allah does not take you to task for your inadvertent oaths, but He will take you to task for oaths you make intentionally.The expiation in that case is to feed ten poor people with the average amount you feed your family, or clothe them, or free a slave. Anyone without the means to do so should fast three days. That is the expiation for breaking oaths when you have sworn them. Keep your oaths. In this way Allah makes His Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be thankful." [QURAN 5:89]

ABANDONING THE SALAH (PRAYER) IS SHIRQ

Allah says : "What has caused you to enter Hell?’ They will say: ‘We were not of those who used to offer their Salat (prayers)’”

[Al-Muddathhir 74:42-43]. 

Jabir (raa) reports: I heard the Messenger of ALLAH(saws) stating:“Abandonment of Prayer(Salaah) is the criterion between a servant and Shirk (Polytheism) or Kufr ( Disbelievement or rejection) [Ref: Saheeh Muslim]