What is Shirk?T

‘Shirk’ – the worst major sin – and its consequence

The omission of any of the mentioned categories of ‘Tawheed’ (i.e. ‘Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah’ | ‘Tawheed al-Asmaa-was-Sifaat’ | ‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’) or deficiency in the fulfilment of any criteria of Tawheed is referred to as ‘shirk’ (Please note that the Arabic word ‘shirk’ has the same sound as in the English word ‘ship’ and not as in the English word ‘shirk’, which means ‘to evade’. ‘Shirk’ literally means sharing or associating partners. In Islamic terms, it means associating partners with Allah and is equivalent to idolatry.

Shirk is the greatest sin that Allah will never forgive

The Qur’an describes the greatest sin in Surah Al-Nisa’:

“Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgives anything else, to whom He pleases; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed.”
[Al-Qur’an 4:48]

The same message is repeated in Surah Al-Nisa’:

“Allah forgives not (the sin of) joining other gods
with Him; but He forgives whom He pleases other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, has strayed far, far away (from the Right).”
[Al-Qur’an 4:116]

Shirk leads to hellfire

The Qur’an says in Surah Ma’idah:

“They have certainly disbelieved who say, “Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary” while the Messiah has said, “O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Indeed, he who associates others with Allah – Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.”
[Al-Qur’an 5:72]

Worship and Obedience to none but Allah

The Qur’an mentions in Surah Ali-’Imran:

“Say: “O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah.” If then they turn back, say ye: “Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s Will).”
[Al-Qur’an 3:64]

The Glorious Qur’an says:

“And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.”
[Al-Qur’an 31:27]

Our analysis of Concept of God in various Religion shows that monotheism is an integral part of every major religion of the world. However, it is unfortunate that some adherents of these religions violate the teachings of their own scriptures and have set up partners to Almighty God.

An analysis of the scriptures of various religions, reveals that all scriptures exhort mankind to believe in, and submit to One God. All these scriptures condemn the association of partners to God or the worship of God in the form of images. The Glorious Qur’an says:

“O men! Here is a parable set forth! listen to it! Those on whom, besides Allah, you call, cannot create (even) a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! and if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition!”
[Al-Qur’an 22:73]

The basis of religion is the acceptance of Divine guidance. A rejection of this guidance has serious implications for society. While we have made great strides in science and technology, true peace still eludes us. All ‘isms’ have failed to provide the much-vaunted deliverance.