Shirk with Allah – By Imam Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله
Translation: Muhammad Siddiq Raza
Imam Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله was among the great personalities of the Muslim Ummah. Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabi writes about him:
"Al-Shaykh, al-Imām, al-ʿAllāmah, al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Mufassir, Shaykh al-Islām, Pride of Iraq." (Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ 21/365)
Among his numerous works widely published and circulated in the Muslim world is Tadhkirat Uli al-Baṣāʾir fī Maʿrifat al-Kabāʾir, in which he warned the Ummah about major sins, clarifying their severity so that people might avoid them and become deserving of Allah’s mercy. Under the heading "al-Kabīrah al-Ūlā" (The First Major Sin), he discussed Shirk, the gravest sin in Islam.
Allah عز وجل says:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا﴾ (al-Nisāʾ: 48)
﴿إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ (Luqmān: 13)
﴿إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ﴾ (al-Māʾidah: 72)
Whoever commits Shirk and dies upon it will be among the inhabitants of Hell, regardless of their good deeds:
﴿وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَّنثُورًا﴾ (al-Furqān: 23)
Shirk is to associate a partner with Allah جل مجده, or to worship anything alongside Him — whether stone, tree, human, sun, moon, star, Prophet, jinn, angel, or saint.
Some ignorant Muslims, out of extreme devotion to certain shaykhs, engage in grave worship — staying in retreat at graves, kissing or prostrating to them, asking the deceased for help, forgiveness, or fulfillment of needs. This is a form of idol worship.
Historical example: al-Lāt was originally a righteous man who served pilgrims. After his death, people venerated his grave until they began worshipping him. Similarly, al-ʿUzzā was a tree worshipped by pagans until Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه cut it down.
Idol worship in the past often began with the excessive veneration of righteous people, leading to the making of their images, then ultimately to worship. Hence, Islam prohibited excessive glorification of graves.
May Allah protect us from every form of Shirk — known and unknown — and forgive us by His grace and mercy.
Translation: Muhammad Siddiq Raza
Introduction
Imam Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله was among the great personalities of the Muslim Ummah. Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabi writes about him:
"Al-Shaykh, al-Imām, al-ʿAllāmah, al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Mufassir, Shaykh al-Islām, Pride of Iraq." (Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ 21/365)
Among his numerous works widely published and circulated in the Muslim world is Tadhkirat Uli al-Baṣāʾir fī Maʿrifat al-Kabāʾir, in which he warned the Ummah about major sins, clarifying their severity so that people might avoid them and become deserving of Allah’s mercy. Under the heading "al-Kabīrah al-Ūlā" (The First Major Sin), he discussed Shirk, the gravest sin in Islam.
Gravest Sin: Shirk
Allah عز وجل says:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا﴾ (al-Nisāʾ: 48)
﴿إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ (Luqmān: 13)
﴿إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ﴾ (al-Māʾidah: 72)
Whoever commits Shirk and dies upon it will be among the inhabitants of Hell, regardless of their good deeds:
﴿وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَّنثُورًا﴾ (al-Furqān: 23)
Definition of Shirk
Shirk is to associate a partner with Allah جل مجده, or to worship anything alongside Him — whether stone, tree, human, sun, moon, star, Prophet, jinn, angel, or saint.
Grave Worship & Its Dangers
Some ignorant Muslims, out of extreme devotion to certain shaykhs, engage in grave worship — staying in retreat at graves, kissing or prostrating to them, asking the deceased for help, forgiveness, or fulfillment of needs. This is a form of idol worship.
Historical example: al-Lāt was originally a righteous man who served pilgrims. After his death, people venerated his grave until they began worshipping him. Similarly, al-ʿUzzā was a tree worshipped by pagans until Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه cut it down.
Idol worship in the past often began with the excessive veneration of righteous people, leading to the making of their images, then ultimately to worship. Hence, Islam prohibited excessive glorification of graves.
Prophetic Warnings
- "O Allah! Do not make my grave an idol to be worshipped." (Musnad Aḥmad 2/246)
- "Do not sit on graves, nor pray facing them." (Sahih Muslim: 972)
- Seeking supernatural aid from anyone besides Allah, like saying “O my master, O Shaykh so-and-so”, is Shirk:
﴿فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَندَادًا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ (al-Baqarah: 22) - "When you ask, ask Allah; when you seek help, seek help from Allah." (Tirmidhi: 2516)
Forms of Shirk
- Swearing by other than Allah — The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed kufr or shirk." (Musnad Ahmad: 2072) - Amulets & charms — "Incantations, amulets, and love spells are shirk." (Abu Dawud: 3883)
- Riya (showing off in worship) — Doing good deeds to be seen by people is Shirk al-Asghar. Allah says:
﴿فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا﴾ (al-Kahf: 110)
Final Supplication
May Allah protect us from every form of Shirk — known and unknown — and forgive us by His grace and mercy.
