Condemnation of Shirk and the Prophets’ Call to Tawḥīd in Light of the Qur’an and Hadith✍ Excerpted from: Ummat aur Shirk ka Khatrah by Shaykh Abu al-Asjad Muhammad Siddiq Raza
❖ Shirk: A Gravely Condemned Act
Shirk is the most condemned sin in Islam. Nowhere else in the Qur'an does Allah ﷻ express such extreme displeasure as He does regarding shirk.
Throughout history, every nation was sent Prophets and Messengers, and the central focus of every Prophet’s mission was one and the same:
The proclamation of pure monotheism (Tawḥīd) and
the uncompromising condemnation of shirk.
❖ The Prophets and Their Core Message of Tawḥīd
Allah ﷻ declared:
﴿وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ﴾
“And indeed, We sent to every nation a Messenger, [proclaiming], ‘Worship Allah and avoid Ṭāghūt (false deities).’”
[An-Naḥl: 36]
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ﴾
“And We did not send any Messenger before you except that We revealed to him, ‘There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.’”
[Al-Anbiyā’: 25]
❖ Examples from Prophets’ Missions in the Qur’an
✔ Nūḥ (AS): [Al-Aʿrāf: 59]
✔ Hūd (AS): [Al-Aʿrāf: 65]
✔ Ṣāliḥ (AS): [Al-Aʿrāf: 73]
✔ Shuʿayb (AS): [Al-Aʿrāf: 85]
✔ Ibrāhīm (AS): [Al-ʿAnkabūt: 16–17]
✔ Yūsuf (AS): [Yūsuf: 39–40]
✔ ʿĪsā (AS): [Al-Mā’idah: 72]
Each of them warned their people against associating partners with Allah and invited them solely to His worship.
❖ Even the People of the Book Claimed Tawḥīd—Yet Committed Shirk
The Jews and Christians, despite claiming belief in one God, ascribed sons and partners to Him.
Yet, they still claimed to uphold monotheism and denied associating partners.
Allah ﷻ said:
﴿قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ﴾
“Say: O People of the Book! Come to a word that is equal between us and you: That we worship none but Allah, and associate none with Him…”
[Āl ʿImrān: 64]
But Allah also revealed their true practice:
﴿اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا﴾
“They took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and [also] the Messiah, son of Mary…”
[At-Tawbah: 31]
Thus, despite verbal claims, they had fallen deeply into shirk in their actions.
❖ The Severity of Shirk in the Qur’an
﴿إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾
“Indeed, shirk is a great injustice.”
[Luqmān: 13]
Definition of Ẓulm (Injustice): Misplacing something from its rightful place.Shirk is the greatest form of injustice—offering the worship due to Allah alone to another being.
﴿وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ – “Allah does not love the wrongdoers.”
[Āl ʿImrān: 57]
﴿أَلَا لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ – “Cursed are the wrongdoers.”
[Hūd: 18]
❖ No Forgiveness for Shirk Without Repentance
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ﴾
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him…”
[An-Nisā’: 48]
Even though Allah’s mercy encompasses all things:
﴿وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ﴾
[Al-Aʿrāf: 156]
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah created one hundred parts of mercy... and kept ninety-nine for the Day of Judgment.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2752)
But none of this mercy will benefit the one who dies upon shirk without repentance.
❖ Supplication for Forgiveness for a Mushrik is Forbidden
Allah ﷻ declared:
﴿مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾
“It is not for the Prophet or the believers to seek forgiveness for the polytheists…”
[At-Tawbah: 113]
This command came even regarding the Prophet’s own beloved uncle Abū Ṭālib, who supported him all his life but died on shirk.
❖ Paradise Is Forbidden for the Polytheist
﴿إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ﴾
“Indeed, whoever associates partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him.”
[Al-Mā’idah: 72]
No saint, Prophet, or righteous servant can intercede on behalf of a mushrik who died unrepentant.
❖ The Righteous Will Renounce the Polytheists on the Day of Judgment
On the Day of Judgment, even those who were venerated by the people will deny and disown their worshipers.
ʿĪsā (AS) will say:﴿مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ﴾
“I said nothing to them except what You commanded me—to worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord…”
[Al-Mā’idah: 116–118]
The so-called deities will say:﴿مَا كُنتُمْ إِيَّانَا تَعْبُدُونَ﴾ – “You were not worshipping us.”
[Yūnus: 28–29]
They will disassociate themselves and testify:﴿يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ﴾ – “They will disown your shirk.”
[Fāṭir: 14]
❖ Conclusion
Islam’s message is clear and unambiguous:
- Tawḥīd is the foundation of faith.
- Shirk is the most detestable sin in the sight of Allah.
- No Prophet or righteous servant will ever advocate shirk, approve of it, or intercede for a polytheist.
Even the closest of kin—parents, children, or beloved figures—will have no standing if they die upon shirk.
And the Day of Judgment will bear witness to their regret, disavowal, and eternal loss.
