✍ Adapted from the book Shirk ke Chhor Darwazay by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi and Hafiz Mahmood al-Khudri
Allah says:
﴿وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ابْنُ اللَّهِ...﴾
"The Jews say: ‘ʿUzayr is the son of Allah,’ and the Christians say: ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah.’"
Surah At-Tawbah: 30
Similarly, the people of Nuh (عليه السلام) declared:
﴿لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ...﴾
"Do not leave your gods: Wadd, Suwaʿ, Yaghūth, Yaʿūq, and Nasr."
Surah Nuh: 23
"These were names of righteous men from the people of Nuh. When they died, Shayṭān whispered to their people to erect monuments at their gathering places and name them after these men. Eventually, after generations passed and knowledge was lost, they began to worship them."
Sahih Bukhari, Book of Tafsir: 492
Ibn al-Qayyim wrote:
"When these righteous men died, their graves became places of devotion. Later, their images were crafted. Eventually, people began worshipping these figures."
Ighāthat al-Lahfān: 1/287
Ibn Jarir narrated from Muhammad ibn Qays:
"Their followers created statues to increase their devotion. When a new generation came, Iblis whispered to them: ‘Your forefathers worshipped them, and through them, they received rain.’ Thus began their worship."
Tafsir al-Tabari: 12/254
Conclusion: Shirk began not with stones or idols, but with the blind devotion to pious elders and saints. Idols served as reminders, but the true object of reverence was the deceased elder associated with the idol.
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"The most despicable name in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment will be of the person who called himself ‘King of Kings.’"
Sahih Bukhari, Book of Manners: 6205
In another narration:
"The worst names in Allah’s sight include the one who names himself ‘Shahanshah.’"
Sahih Bukhari: 6206
Commentary by Mawlana Dawood Raz (رحمه الله):
"Akhnaʿ means extremely vile and detestable — thus, such titles should be avoided as they reflect a mindset akin to shirk."
Sharh Bukhari: 7/546
Do not call a master “Rabb” (a term also used for Allah), even though linguistically it means lord or owner. Also, do not refer to servants as “my slave” or “my bondwoman.”
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) reported:
"None of you should say: ‘Feed your lord,’ or ‘Give water to your lord.’ Rather, say: ‘My master’ or ‘My leader.’ Likewise, do not say: ‘My slave or bondwoman,’ but say: ‘My servant or attendant.’"
Sahih Muslim, Book of Manners: 5877
Even though these words may be linguistically acceptable, the Prophet ﷺ discouraged them due to their implication of shared reverence — closing any door leading to shirk.
◈ The Origin of Akabir Parasti (Veneration of Elders)
The root cause of Akabir Parasti — veneration of elders — is “ghuluw” (exaggeration) and “tajāwuz fī al-ta‘ẓīm” (excess in reverence). This path has historically led nations into shirk. Allah says:﴿وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ابْنُ اللَّهِ...﴾
"The Jews say: ‘ʿUzayr is the son of Allah,’ and the Christians say: ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah.’"
Surah At-Tawbah: 30Similarly, the people of Nuh (عليه السلام) declared:
﴿لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ...﴾
"Do not leave your gods: Wadd, Suwaʿ, Yaghūth, Yaʿūq, and Nasr."
Surah Nuh: 23◈ How Shirk Started with Righteous Elders
These names (Wadd, Suwaʿ, etc.) were once pious individuals. Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنه) narrated:"These were names of righteous men from the people of Nuh. When they died, Shayṭān whispered to their people to erect monuments at their gathering places and name them after these men. Eventually, after generations passed and knowledge was lost, they began to worship them."
Sahih Bukhari, Book of Tafsir: 492Ibn al-Qayyim wrote:
"When these righteous men died, their graves became places of devotion. Later, their images were crafted. Eventually, people began worshipping these figures."
Ighāthat al-Lahfān: 1/287Ibn Jarir narrated from Muhammad ibn Qays:
"Their followers created statues to increase their devotion. When a new generation came, Iblis whispered to them: ‘Your forefathers worshipped them, and through them, they received rain.’ Thus began their worship."
Tafsir al-Tabari: 12/254Conclusion: Shirk began not with stones or idols, but with the blind devotion to pious elders and saints. Idols served as reminders, but the true object of reverence was the deceased elder associated with the idol.
◈ Prophet Nuh’s Mission Against Akabir Parasti
Prophet Nuh (عليه السلام) was sent specifically to combat this deviance. He began his mission between the Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq and called people to pure Tawhid for 950 years.◈ Royal Veneration as a Form of Shirk
Throughout history, royalty has been deified. Kings were seen as gods, bowed to, and worshipped. This idolatry even seeped into naming conventions. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade Muslims from calling themselves “Shahanshah” (King of Kings):Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"The most despicable name in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment will be of the person who called himself ‘King of Kings.’"
Sahih Bukhari, Book of Manners: 6205In another narration:
"The worst names in Allah’s sight include the one who names himself ‘Shahanshah.’"
Sahih Bukhari: 6206Commentary by Mawlana Dawood Raz (رحمه الله):
"Akhnaʿ means extremely vile and detestable — thus, such titles should be avoided as they reflect a mindset akin to shirk."
Sharh Bukhari: 7/546◈ Prophetic Measures to Prevent Reverential Shirk
To eliminate even subtle elements of shirk in language, the Prophet ﷺ instructed:Do not call a master “Rabb” (a term also used for Allah), even though linguistically it means lord or owner. Also, do not refer to servants as “my slave” or “my bondwoman.”
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) reported:
"None of you should say: ‘Feed your lord,’ or ‘Give water to your lord.’ Rather, say: ‘My master’ or ‘My leader.’ Likewise, do not say: ‘My slave or bondwoman,’ but say: ‘My servant or attendant.’"
Sahih Muslim, Book of Manners: 5877Even though these words may be linguistically acceptable, the Prophet ﷺ discouraged them due to their implication of shared reverence — closing any door leading to shirk.
