SHIRK

WHAT DOES SHIRK MEANS

According to Islamic terminology, shirk means assigning a partner or rival to Allah in lordship, worship or in His names and attributes.

فَلا تَجعَلوا لِلَّهِ أَندادًا وَأَنتُم تَعلَمونَ

"Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He alone has the the right to be worshiped)" [2:22]

The scholars divided shirk into two types-

1. Shirk Akbar (Major Shirk)-This kind of shirk includes

• Denying the existence of Allah.
• Denying the names and attributes of Allah.
• Believing in another god besides Allah.
• Comparing Allah to other creatures.
• To claim the names and attributes of Allah to other human/creature.
• Directing the act of worship to someone other than Allah.
• To  sacrifice, pray, prostrate or worship to idols, graves, the dead or absent.
• Believing that there are humans like imams or saints who know the unseen other than Allah.It is common in Shi'ah, extreme Sufi's and Batini's tpes of deviant sects.
• To make dua or pray to a Prophet, a wali, an angel, a jinn or some other created being.
• To make fun of the religion of Allah or who follow the religion of Allah.
• To support the kaafirs and help them against the believers.

This Major Shirk puts the one beyond the pale of Islam.

2. Shirk Asghar (Minor Shirk)-This kind of shirk includes-

• Beautifying our way of worship in order to showoff or showing off our good deeds for the sake of praise.
• Using oaths or swearing by something other than Allah's name.
• To give power to the creation but not to Allah, the creator. 

Minor shirk does not put a person beyond the pale of Islam but the one who does that is in great danger as it is a major sin.

We as Muslims must avoid shirk in both of its form, major and the minor one.It is the greatest sin. Mushrikin (people who commit shirk) will remain in hell forever and Allah will not forgive them as He has forbidden paradise to them.

إِنَّهُ مَن يُشرِك بِاللَّهِ فَقَد حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ الجَنَّةَ وَمَأواهُ النّارُ ۖ وَما لِلظّالِمينَ مِن أَنصارٍ

"Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the fire will be his abode.And for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers" [5:72]

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "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:

 اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ

O Allah, I seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for that of which I am unaware."  

Note- If  anything stated above is incorrect, please let me know as I am not an islamic scholar.May allah forgive me for my mistakes. Aameen.