What is shirk | polytheism In Islam | What Is Polytheism

Shirk(polytheism):

The root of faith in Islam is tawheed(monotheism). Shirk is opposite of tawheed. Shirk word comes from Arabic which means “attributing a partner to Allah”.

This is often translated as polytheism. Shirk is the one unforgivable sin in Islam, if one dies in this state. Associating a partner or others with Allah is a rejection of Islam and takes one outside the faith. The Qur’an says:

“Verily,Allah forgives not the sin of setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that. And whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far from the path.”(4:116)

Types of shirk(polytheism):

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:
Shirk in itself can be divided into three types:-

1.Ash-Shirk ul-Akbar (The major shirk)

2.Ash-Shirk ul-Asghar (The small shirk)

3.Ash-Shirk ul-Khafie (The hidden shirk

Major shirk:

This means ascribing to someone other than Allah something that belongs only to Allah, such as Lordship (Rubayyah), divinity (uloohiyyah) and the divine names and attributes (Al-asma wal-sifaat). This kind of shirk(polytheism) may sometimes be outward, such as the shirk of those who worship idols and graves, or the dead or absent.

Rubbayya (Lordship):

This category of shirk refers to either the belief that others share God’s Lordship over creation as His equal or near equal, or to the belief that there exists no Lord over creation at all.

1.Shirk by association:

This is the shirk concerned with associating “others” with Allah.

2.Shirk by negation:

This is shirk in Rubayyah(Lordship).

Al-Asma was-Sifat (names and attributes):

Shirk in this category includes both the non-believer practices of giving God the attributes of his creation as well as the act of giving created beings God’s names and attributes.

Al-‘Ibadah (worship)

In this category of shirk, acts of worship are directed to others and not to Allah and the reward for worship is sought from the creation instead of the Creator.

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 Allah 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 Allah has not made them the means of such protection, either according to shariah or according to the laws of the universe.
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 Allah, or saying, “Were it not for Allah and So and so,” etc.

Ash-Shirk ul-Khafie (The Hidden Shirk)

The Hidden Shirk can either be major or minor shirk, depending on the area in which it was committed. Hidden Shirk is one of the most dangerous forms of shirk as people cannot see that they are committing it.

It is reported in al-Jaami’as-Sagheer hadeeth no 4934 that the Messenger Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Ash-Shirk ul-Khafie in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous than the creeping of a black ant on a black stone in the darkness of the night.”

O Allah, I take refuge in you lest I should commit shirk with you knowingly, and I seek your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly.