✍ Adapted from the book Shirk ke Chhor Darwazay by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi and Hafiz Mahmood al-Khudri
Allah says:
﴿يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ...﴾
"O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your religion and do not say anything about Allah except the truth. Verily, the Messiah, ʿIsa son of Maryam, was only a Messenger of Allah."
Surah An-Nisa: 171
Allah further says:
﴿وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا...﴾
"And monasticism which they innovated — We did not prescribe it to them — they invented it in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure."
Surah Al-Hadid: 27
They later worshipped their scholars and monks, even placing ʿIsa (عليه السلام) at the level of divinity:
Allah says:
﴿اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ...﴾
"They took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah son of Mary."
Surah At-Tawbah: 31
"Do not overpraise me as the Christians overpraised the son of Mary. I am only a servant of Allah, so say: ‘The servant of Allah and His Messenger.’"
Sahih Bukhari: 6830 | Musnad Ahmad: 1/23, Hadith: 154
Poetically captured by Altaf Hussain Hali:
"Do not fall into deception like others,
Don’t make anyone the son of God.
Do not exaggerate my status beyond limits,
Nor belittle me with false humility.
I am His servant like all others —
Do not turn my grave into an idol,
Nor bow before it."
"Say what you have to say, but let not Shayṭān mislead you."
Sunan Abu Dawud: 4806 | Musnad Ahmad: 3/249
Even the smallest resemblance to divine status was rejected by the Prophet ﷺ.
"Whatever Allah and you will."
The Prophet ﷺ corrected him immediately:
"Have you made me equal to Allah? Say instead: ‘Whatever Allah alone wills.’"
Musnad Ahmad: 1/214, Hadith: 1839 | Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 136, 1093, 139
"If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands."
Sunan Abu Dawud: 2140
Shari'ah prohibits even standing in reverence. Shah Waliullah ad-Dihlawi (رحمه الله) wrote:
"The Persians used to have their servants and citizens stand before their nobles and kings. This is an excess in veneration, approaching shirk, and thus has been forbidden."
Hujjatullah al-Balighah: 2/549
Al-Durr al-Mukhtār – Kitāb al-Ḥaẓr wa al-Ibāḥah, Bāb al-Istibrāʾ:
"Kissing the ground before scholars or noblemen is haram, and both the one who does it and the one pleased with it are sinful because it resembles idol worship."
"You are a bad speaker. Say instead: 'Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger.'"
Sahih Muslim: 2010
Even such subtle association in language was not tolerated.
“Do not show such reverence to creation that it appears to be worship. Do not assign to the creation what is exclusively for the Creator.”
◈ Definition of Ghuluw (Excessive Veneration)
A subtle doorway to shirk is ghuluw — excessive veneration — especially in love and glorification of created beings. It often begins with love but leads to elevating creation beyond its rightful status. The Qur'an condemns ghuluw in powerful terms: Allah says:﴿يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ...﴾
"O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your religion and do not say anything about Allah except the truth. Verily, the Messiah, ʿIsa son of Maryam, was only a Messenger of Allah."
Surah An-Nisa: 171◈ Innovations from Ghuluw in Religion
Allah further says:﴿وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا...﴾
"And monasticism which they innovated — We did not prescribe it to them — they invented it in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure."
Surah Al-Hadid: 27They later worshipped their scholars and monks, even placing ʿIsa (عليه السلام) at the level of divinity:
Allah says:﴿اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ...﴾
"They took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah son of Mary."
Surah At-Tawbah: 31◈ Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Warns Against Excessive Praise
The Prophet ﷺ, recognizing the dangers of ghuluw, forbade exaggerated praise. He said:"Do not overpraise me as the Christians overpraised the son of Mary. I am only a servant of Allah, so say: ‘The servant of Allah and His Messenger.’"
Sahih Bukhari: 6830 | Musnad Ahmad: 1/23, Hadith: 154Poetically captured by Altaf Hussain Hali:
"Do not fall into deception like others,
Don’t make anyone the son of God.
Do not exaggerate my status beyond limits,
Nor belittle me with false humility.
I am His servant like all others —
Do not turn my grave into an idol,
Nor bow before it."
◈ The Prophet ﷺ Even Declined the Title “Sayyid”
When a delegation from Banu ʿĀmir addressed him as “our Sayyid,” the Prophet ﷺ responded:"Say what you have to say, but let not Shayṭān mislead you."
Sunan Abu Dawud: 4806 | Musnad Ahmad: 3/249Even the smallest resemblance to divine status was rejected by the Prophet ﷺ.
◈ Avoiding Associative Speech with Allah
When someone once said to him:"Whatever Allah and you will."
The Prophet ﷺ corrected him immediately:
"Have you made me equal to Allah? Say instead: ‘Whatever Allah alone wills.’"
Musnad Ahmad: 1/214, Hadith: 1839 | Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 136, 1093, 139◈ Prostration and Standing in Reverence Are Forbidden
When Qays ibn Saʿd (رضي الله عنه) saw people prostrating to their ruler in Hīrah, he asked if they could do the same to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:"If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands."
Sunan Abu Dawud: 2140Shari'ah prohibits even standing in reverence. Shah Waliullah ad-Dihlawi (رحمه الله) wrote:
"The Persians used to have their servants and citizens stand before their nobles and kings. This is an excess in veneration, approaching shirk, and thus has been forbidden."
Hujjatullah al-Balighah: 2/549◈ Bowing or Kissing the Ground Is Also Prohibited
Islam does not permit bowing or touching the ground out of reverence. It is considered mimicking idol worship: Al-Durr al-Mukhtār – Kitāb al-Ḥaẓr wa al-Ibāḥah, Bāb al-Istibrāʾ:"Kissing the ground before scholars or noblemen is haram, and both the one who does it and the one pleased with it are sinful because it resembles idol worship."
◈ No Association Even in Pronouns
When a speaker used one pronoun for Allah and the Prophet ﷺ together — “Whoever disobeys them (هُمَا)” — the Prophet ﷺ objected:"You are a bad speaker. Say instead: 'Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger.'"
Sahih Muslim: 2010Even such subtle association in language was not tolerated.
❖ Final Reflection ❖
“Do not show such reverence to creation that it appears to be worship. Do not assign to the creation what is exclusively for the Creator.”
