What is Shirk?
Shirk is the opposite of tawhid. That is, associating any other being with Allah in His Essence, His Attributes, or His worship is called shirk. Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) explains the reality of shirk as follows:
«والشرك فاحذره فشرك ظاهر ذالقسم ليس بقابل الغفران وهو اتخاذ الند للرحمن ايا كان من حجر ومن إنسان يدعوه أو يرجوه ثم يخافه ويحبه كمحبه الديان»
“Beware of shirk. One form of shirk is apparent and manifest, and it is not fit for forgiveness. It is to set up a rival to the All-Merciful, whether it be a stone or a human being; such as calling upon it for help in calamity, or hoping for benefit from it, or fearing harm from it in an unseen way, or loving it in the manner one loves Allah.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
«الشرك هو أن تجعل لله ندا ، أو تعبد معه غيره من حجر أو بشس أو شمس، أوقمر، أوجني، أو نجم أوملك، أوشيخ او غير ذلك »
“Shirk is that you associate someone with Allah, or that alongside the worship of Allah you begin to worship another, such as a stone, a human being, the sun, the moon, a prophet, a jinn, stars, angels, or a shaykh.”
Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Companion and commentator of the Qur’an, says:
«المشرك الذى عبد مع الله الها غيره »
“The mushrik is the one who worships another deity alongside Allah.”
Consequences of Shirk
(1) Shirk is the greatest wrong:
Allah the Exalted says:
إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ
“Indeed, shirk is a great injustice.”
It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the verse الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ “Those who have believed and not mixed their belief with injustice, those are the ones who will have security, and they are the ones guided” was revealed, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were greatly distressed and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Which of us has not mixed his belief with injustice?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Injustice here does not mean ordinary sins; rather, injustice means what Luqman said when advising his son: ‘O my son! إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ‘”
“Indeed, shirk is a great injustice.”
(2) The blood and wealth of a mushrik are lawful in battle:
The Blessed and Exalted Lord says:
فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ
“So when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, seize them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush.”
And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يقولوا لا إله إلا الله ، فإذا قالوها عصموا مني دماءهم وأموالهم إلا بحقها»
“I have been commanded to fight people until they testify to «لا اله إلا الله»; and when they testify to it, they will have protected from me their blood and their wealth, except for its right.”
(3) All the deeds and good works of a mushrik become void:
After making good mention of eighteen prophets, peace be upon them, Allah said:
وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
“And if they had committed shirk, their deeds would have been lost.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that this noble verse explains the dreadfulness and danger of shirk, as Allah says in Surah al-Zumar, verse 65:
وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ
“It has been revealed to you and to those before you: if you commit shirk, your deed will surely be lost.”
Allah has given a very striking example of the mushrik, which reflects his misguidance, ruin, destruction, and extreme distance from the path of truth. He says:
وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ
“And whoever associates others with Allah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky and the birds snatched him away, or the wind carried him off to a faraway place.”
(4) Shirk will not be forgiven:
Allah the Exalted said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. Whoever associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.”
In another place He said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive that He be associated with, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And whoever associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray.”
(5) The mushrik will remain in Hell forever:
Allah the Exalted said:
إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ
“Indeed, whoever associates others with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and his refuge is the Fire, and the wrongdoers will have no helpers.”
It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«من مات وهو يدعوا لله نذا دخل النار»
“Whoever dies while associating another with Allah will enter the Fire of Hell.”
(6) There will be no intercession for the mushrik:
Even if, hypothetically, some prophet or angel were to intercede for them that day, that intercession would not benefit them. In other words, they will not be eligible for intercession. Therefore Allah will not permit any prophet or angel to intercede for them, so no intercession will be found that could benefit them. Allah the Exalted says:
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ
“So the intercession of those who intercede will not benefit them.”
Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) interceded for his son, but this intercession was not only rejected, he was himself forbidden from interceding, because his son was a polytheist. Allah said:
فَلَا تَسْأَلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۖ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ
“So do not ask Me about that of which you have no knowledge. I admonish you lest you be among the ignorant.”
The same will be the case with the intercession of Prophet Ibrahim Khalil Allah (peace be upon him) for his polytheist father. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Ibrahim will say: O Lord! You promised me that You would not disgrace me on the Day of Resurrection. But what greater disgrace could there be than my father being far from Your mercy?” Allah will say: “I have forbidden Paradise to the disbelievers.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Then it will be said: O Ibrahim! What is beneath your feet? He will look and see a slaughtered animal smeared with blood lying there, and it will be seized by its feet and thrown into Hell.”
