7.5 The Intended Meaning of Major Polytheism


In order to explain the intended meaning of major shirk, we may say major shirk is of two kinds:

• Shirk regarding the being of Allah
• Shirk regarding His worship

As for shirk regarding the being of Allah the All Exalted, it is shirk regarding the Oneness of Divine Lordship which is of two kinds:

• First
• Second

Shirk of negation; like the shirk of Pharaoh, and shirk of the atheists. Negation of three types:

• Negating the fashioned from its Fashioner and Creator
• Negating the Creator the All Glorious from His Divine Perfection (shirk regarding the Divine Names
   and Attributes)
• Negating His interaction incumbent upon the servant which is the truth of Tawheed.

Shirk of he who ascribes partners to Allah and has not negated any of His divine Names and Attributes or His Divine Lordship; like the shirk of the Christians with their trinity which rendered the Messiah PBUH a god and his mother a god, their like is plenty.

7.5 The Intended Meaning of Major Polytheism


Shirk of he who ascribes partners to Allah and has not negated any of His divine Names and Attributes or His Divine Lordship; like the shirk of the Christians with their trinity which rendered the Messiah PBUH a god and his mother a god, their like is plenty.

As for the shirk pertaining to the worship of Allah, it is shirk in His Divine Godship which is four kinds:

• Shirk of request which is to supplicate to another which is worship to other than Allah the All Exalted.
• Shirk of intention, desire and will, to desire other than Allah in action nullifies its reward and renders
   is unfruitful.
• Shirk of obedience, which is to obey the created in the disobedience of Allah the All Exalted.
• Shirk of love, which is to love a creation like he loves Allah the All Exalted.

An example of major shirk is to take equals to Allah supplicating to it, hoping its rewards, fearing it, sacrificing for it, or to dedicate to it any form of worship. Allah said:
[النساء:٤٨] (( إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ ))
Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; [4:48]


7.5 The Intended Meaning of Major Polytheism


[النساء:٤٨] (( إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ ))
Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; [4:48]

(( إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍ )) قال تعالى
[المائدة:٧٢]
Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help. [5:72]

The example of sacrificing to other than Allah the All Exalted is like he who sacrifices to Jinn or graves. Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahaab-may Allah have mercy upon him-has dedicated a chapter in his book al-Tawheed by the title of “Chapter in what has been reported regarding sacrificing to other than Allah the All Exalted and among the supporting evidences is Allah’s words:

7.5 The Intended Meaning of Major Polytheism


(( قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ ربّ العالمين* لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ))
[الأنعام:١٦٢-١٦٣]
Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds. No partner hath He: this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who bow to His will. [6:162-163]

حدثني رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- بأربع كلمات: لعن )) عن عليِّ بن أبي طالب -رضيَ اللهُ عنه- قال
(( لعن الله من ذبح لغير الله، لعن الله من لعن والديه، لعن الله من آوى محدثاً، لعن الله من غير منار الأرض
رواه الإمام مسلم -رحمهُ الله
Ali ibn Abi Talib ® said: ((The Messenger of Allah PBUH spoke to me four words: Allah curses those who sacrifice to other than Allah, Allah curses whosoever curses his parents, Allah curses whosoever accommodates an innovator, Allah curses whosoever changes the light beacon of this world. Reported by Imam Muslim-may Allah have mercy upon him.


7.5 The Intended Meaning of Major Polytheism


Sheikh Sulayman ibn Abd Allah Aal al-Sheikh-may Allah have mercy upon him-discusses the divisions of shirk: “Know that shirk divides into three divisions in relation to Tawheed, all of them are either major or minor. It could be major in relation to what is a lesser form than itself, and similarly it could be minor in relation to that which is greater than itself.

• First Division
• Second Division
• Third Division

Shirk regarding Divine Lordship

It is of two kinds:

Firstly: Shirk of negation. This is the vilest form of shirk, it is like the shirk of Pharaoh, as he said: ((وَمَا ربّ العالمين)) ‘And who is the Lord of the Worlds’. Included in this form of shirk is the shirk of the philosophers who claimed the eternality of the world and that it has never been nonexistent, but that remains existent and will so forever. All matters are resultant of causes and intermediaries that necessitate its existence, they term it intellects and souls. Also included in this type of shirk is the shirk of the sect prescribing to unity of existence; like Ibn Arabi, Ibn Sabeenm, al-‘Afeef al-Tilmisani, Ibn al-Farid and their likes from among the atheists clothed in the garb of Islam.

7.5 The Intended Meaning of Major Polytheism


Secondly: Shirk of those who ascribe another god but have not negated His Divine Names and Attributes and Lordship; like the shirk of the Christians with their trinity, and shirk of the Magians who claim: the source of all good actions is light, and evil actions; darkness. Also included is the shirk of those who commit shirk regarding celestial bodies rendering them managers of worldly actions which is the school of the polytheist Sabians and their like.

Shirk regarding Oneness of Divine Names and Attributes

This is simpler than the one before. It is also of two kinds:

Firstly: anthromorphism of the Creator with His creation like he who says: hand like my hand, hearing like my hearing, vision like my vision, steadiness like my steadiness. This is shirk of the al-Mutshabiha (those who prescribe to anthromorphism).

Secondly: to derive names for false gods from the names of the true God. Allah the All Exalted said:
[الأعراف:١٨٠] (( وَلِلَّهِ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ))
The most beautiful names belong to Allah. So call on him by them; but shun such men as use profanity in his names: for what they do, they will soon be requited. [7:180]


7.5 The Intended Meaning of Major Polytheism


Ibn Abbas ® said:
“to deny His Names: is to commit polytheism. From this (practice) they derived the name al-Laat from al-Ilaah, and al-Uzzah from al-Azeez.”

Shirk regarding Oneness of Divine Godship and Worship

Al-Qurtubi said: “The origins of prohibited shirk is: the belief in a partner to Allah the All Exalted in Godship. This is the greatest form of shirk and is the shirk of the al-Jahiliyyah times. After it is the belief in a partner to Allah the All Exalted in action, it is the saying of those who claimed: “Verily the existence other than Allah the All Exalted is independent in originating and producing acts, even if they did not believe this partner to be a god.” These are the words of al-Qurtubi.

It is of two kinds:

Firstly: to make equals to Allah supplicating to it as they supplicate to Allah, and asking its intercession as they ask Allah’s.

Secondly: minor shirk; like self love and outward shows to creation along with insincerity of worship to Allah the All Exalted.” Here ends his words-may Allah have mercy upon him.