A person who associates others with Allah in His essence, attributes, powers, or rights, i.e., considers others as partners or sharers with Allah, is a polytheist (mushrik). The word shirk, meaning partner or sharer, appears in several places in the Quran.
Reference: An-Nisa:12, Ar-Rum:28, As-Saffat:33, Az-Zukhruf:39, Ta-Ha:32
Allah Almighty will never forgive a polytheist:
[اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَغۡفِرُ اَنۡ یُّشۡرَکَ بِہٖ وَ یَغۡفِرُ مَا دُوۡنَ ذٰلِکَ لِمَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یُّشۡرِکۡ بِاللّٰہِ فَقَدِ افۡتَرٰۤی اِثۡمًا عَظِیۡمًا]
Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him, but He forgives anything else whoever He wills. And whoever associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.
Reference: An-Nisa:48
[ہَلۡ لَّکُمۡ مِّنۡ مَّا مَلَکَتۡ اَیۡمَانُکُمۡ مِّنۡ شُرَکَآءَ فِیۡ مَا رَزَقۡنٰکُمۡ فَاَنۡتُمۡ فِیۡہِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُوۡنَہُمۡ کَخِیۡفَتِکُمۡ اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ نُفَصِّلُ الۡاٰیٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ یَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ]
Do you fear them (the slaves) among those whom your right hands possess to be partners in the provision We have given you so that you would be equal therein? But fear them, if you should be believers. Thus We detail the verses for a people who understand.
Reference: Ar-Rum:28
As is clear from the above verse, associating partners with Allah is shirk, and Allah Almighty says that He has no partner or associate.
By mentioning the names of eighteen prophets, Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran that if they had also committed shirk, their deeds would have been destroyed:
[وَ تِلۡکَ حُجَّتُنَاۤ اٰتَیۡنٰہَاۤ اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ عَلٰی قَوۡمِہٖ ؕ نَرۡفَعُ دَرَجٰتٍ مَّنۡ نَّشَآءُ ؕ اِنَّ رَبَّکَ حَکِیۡمٌ عَلِیۡمٌ]،[وَ وَہَبۡنَا لَہٗۤ اِسۡحٰقَ وَ یَعۡقُوۡبَ ؕ کُلًّا ہَدَیۡنَا ۚ وَ نُوۡحًا ہَدَیۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَ مِنۡ ذُرِّیَّتِہٖ دَاوٗدَ وَ سُلَیۡمٰنَ وَ اَیُّوۡبَ وَ یُوۡسُفَ وَ مُوۡسٰی وَ ہٰرُوۡنَ ؕ وَ کَذٰلِکَ نَجۡزِی الۡمُحۡسِنِیۡنَ]،[وَ زَکَرِیَّا وَ یَحۡیٰی وَ عِیۡسٰی وَ اِلۡیَاسَ ؕ کُلٌّ مِّنَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ]،[وَ اِسۡمٰعِیۡلَ وَ الۡیَسَعَ وَ یُوۡنُسَ وَ لُوۡطًا ؕ وَ کُلًّا فَضَّلۡنَا عَلَی الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ]،[وَ مِنۡ اٰبَآئِہِمۡ وَ ذُرِّیّٰتِہِمۡ وَ اِخۡوَانِہِمۡ ۚ وَ اجۡتَبَیۡنٰہُمۡ وَ ہَدَیۡنٰہُمۡ اِلٰی صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِیۡمٍ]،[ذٰلِکَ ہُدَی اللّٰہِ یَہۡدِیۡ بِہٖ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِہٖ ؕ وَ لَوۡ اَشۡرَکُوۡا لَحَبِطَ عَنۡہُمۡ مَّا کَانُوۡا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ]
[And this is Our argument which We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise in degrees whom We will. Your Lord is full of knowledge and wisdom], [And We gave him Isaac and Jacob; all of them We guided, and before that, We guided Noah, and among his descendants, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron; and thus We reward the doers of good], [And Zechariah, John, Jesus, and Elias; all were among the righteous], [And Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah, and Lot; and to all We gave preference over the worlds], [And some of their fathers, their descendants, and their brothers; and We chose them and guided them to a straight path], [This is the guidance of Allah; He guides whom He wills among His servants. And if they had associated others with Him, then surely what they used to do would have been in vain.]
Reference: Surah Al-An'am: 83 to 88
By mentioning the honorable names of eighteen prophets, Allah Almighty says that if they had also committed shirk, all their deeds would have been destroyed. Just as in another place, addressing the Prophet ﷺ, Allah Almighty said:
[لَئِنۡ اَشۡرَکۡتَ لَیَحۡبَطَنَّ عَمَلُکَ]
(O Prophet!) If you had associated others with Allah, then your deeds would have been in vain.
Reference: Az-Zumar: 65
Although it is impossible for prophets to commit shirk, the purpose is to warn the nations about the danger and destructive nature of shirk. Many people believe in Allah and also commit shirk. The evidence for this is the Quranic verse:
[وَ مَا یُؤۡمِنُ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ بِاللّٰہِ اِلَّا وَ ہُمۡ مُّشۡرِکُوۡنَ]
Indeed, there are people who believe in Allah and also associate partners with Him.
Reference: Yusuf: 106
Allah Almighty has declared shirk (associating partners with Allah) forbidden.
Reference: (Al-A'raf:33)
Allah has no partner.
Reference: (Bani Isra'il:111)
The identification of a Mushrik is that he becomes displeased with the mention of the One Allah:
[وَ اِذَا ذُکِرَ اللّٰہُ وَحۡدَہُ اشۡمَاَزَّتۡ قُلُوۡبُ الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ ۚ وَ اِذَا ذُکِرَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہٖۤ اِذَا ہُمۡ یَسۡتَبۡشِرُوۡنَ]
And when the mention of the One Allah is made, those who do not believe in the Hereafter have hearts full of hatred, and when others besides Him are mentioned, they immediately become pleased.
Reference: Az-Zumar:45
The deviants are still the same today; when they are told to say only, "O Allah, help," because no one besides Him is capable of helping, they become furious. This phrase is very unpleasant for them.
But when "O Messenger of Allah, help" ،،يا رسول الله أنظر حالنا،، ،،يا رسول الله إسمع قالنا،، or "O Ali, help" is said, and similarly help and supplication is sought from other men, for example: "O Sheikh Abdul Qadir, something for Allah," etc., then the buds of their hearts bloom.
Another identification:
A Mushrik loves others more than Allah.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 165 to 167)
No prophet ever invited to worship anyone other than Allah Almighty, meaning no invitation to polytheism was made:
[مَا کَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنۡ یُّؤۡتِیَہُ اللّٰہُ الۡکِتٰبَ وَ الۡحُکۡمَ وَ النُّبُوَّۃَ ثُمَّ یَقُوۡلَ لِلنَّاسِ کُوۡنُوۡا عِبَادًا لِّیۡ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ وَ لٰکِنۡ کُوۡنُوۡا رَبّٰنِیّٖنَ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تُعَلِّمُوۡنَ الۡکِتٰبَ وَ بِمَا کُنۡتُمۡ تَدۡرُسُوۡنَ]،[وَ لَا یَاۡمُرَکُمۡ اَنۡ تَتَّخِذُوا الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃَ وَ النَّبِیّٖنَ اَرۡبَابًا ؕ اَیَاۡمُرُکُمۡ بِالۡکُفۡرِ بَعۡدَ اِذۡ اَنۡتُمۡ مُّسۡلِمُوۡنَ]
[It is not appropriate for any person that Allah grants him the Book, wisdom, and prophethood, and then he says to the people, "Worship my servants instead of Allah." Rather, (it is appropriate for him to say, "O People of the Book, be devoted to your Lord because you keep reciting the Book (of Allah)"),] [and it is not appropriate to command you to take angels or prophets as your Lord (Giver). Is it reasonable that after becoming Muslim, he says, "Become disbelievers"?]
Reference: Al-Imran:80,79
Paradise is forbidden for the polytheist:
Polytheism nullifies all good deeds, no matter how great the prophet may be, as mentioned above. It is also remembered that Paradise is forbidden for the polytheist and he will remain in Hell forever:
[اِنَّہٗ مَنۡ یُّشۡرِکۡ بِاللّٰہِ فَقَدۡ حَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ الۡجَنَّۃَ وَ مَاۡوٰىہُ النَّارُ]
Whoever associates partners with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and his refuge is the Fire, and there are no helpers for the wrongdoers.
Reference: Al-Ma'idah:72
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty commands not to associate anything with Him (not only idols as some people say): [اَلَّا تُشۡرِکُوۡا بِہٖ شَیۡئًا]
Do not associate any saint with Allah, the Lord of Glory:
Reference: Al-An'am:151
Since Allah Almighty is the Creator and all others are creation, therefore no one is His partner:
[قُلۡ ہَلۡ مِنۡ شُرَکَآئِکُمۡ مَّنۡ یَّبۡدَؤُا الۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ یُعِیۡدُہٗ ؕ قُلِ اللّٰہُ یَبۡدَؤُا الۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ یُعِیۡدُہٗ فَاَنّٰی تُؤۡفَکُوۡنَ]
Say: Is there any among your partners who creates the creatures, then brings them back to life? Say: Allah creates, then He will cause it to return, so how are you deluded?
Reference: Yunus:34
People have given names themselves; Allah Almighty has not revealed any authority for these names, therefore these names are baseless:
[اِنۡ ہِیَ اِلَّاۤ اَسۡمَآءٌ سَمَّیۡتُمُوۡہَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ وَ اٰبَآؤُکُمۡ مَّاۤ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰہُ بِہَا مِنۡ سُلۡطٰنٍ ؕ]
These are mere names which you and your forefathers have invented; Allah has not revealed any authority for them.
Reference: An-Najm:23
These people just follow conjecture and do whatever comes to their hearts, even though their path has already been shown to them by their Lord. (For further references see:
Reference: Yusuf:40
, [Al-A'raf:71[/ref])Third Identification:
See:
Reference: Kanz al-Iman Surah Az-Zumar:39, verses 72 to 75
in which it is clearly written who is a monotheist and who is a polytheist? See:
Reference: This book pages 91 to 586
Summary of the discussion:
The conclusion of the discussion on Tawheed and Shirk is that the greatest asset of a person who recites the Kalima is the belief in Tawheed. On the Day of Judgment, a person's salvation will depend on the belief in Tawheed, and whoever is a disbeliever in this will have all their deeds destroyed. They will be cast into Hell forever and ever. Allah Almighty has also identified the signs of a disbeliever (as has already been mentioned), and people have created some names on their own, such as Data, Mushkil Kusha (remover of difficulties), Dastgir (helper), Ghareeb Nawaz (benefactor of the poor), Ghaus, Ganj Bakhsh (bestower of treasures), savior from storms, one who changes bad luck to good, giver of offspring, one who brings the drowning to the shore, etc. These names have been fabricated by people themselves; Allah Almighty has not revealed any evidence for them. In this way, these people are following the earlier disbelievers, and on the Day of Judgment, they will not be able to present any justification before Allah Almighty for these self-created names and this shirk. They will have no answer to the question of who told you that those from Baghdad are your Ghaus al-Azam? Who said those from Lahore are your Data? The one from Baghdad, Pir Jilani, may Allah have mercy on him, died in 561 Hijri. The one from Lahore, Ali Hujwiri, may Allah have mercy on him, died in 465 Hijri. There is no mention of them in the Quran or Hadith, and the Quran states that no excuse of a disbeliever will be accepted on the Day of Judgment.
See:
Reference: Pages 597 to 600 and 619 to 622 for questions and answers
. And [Muradabadi Sahib has also written the same in his Tafsir.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 52, F (88)
A Muslim becomes an apostate due to shirk.
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 283, F215], [An-Nisa: 116, F305)
