7.6 The Intended Meaning of Minor Polytheism

The intended meaning of minor shirk is: shirk that does not egress you out of the religion, it is the opposite of major shirk. Some have defined it as: all textual references to shirk which does not reach the level of major shirk; as if to say: what Allah and I will, if not for Allah and you it would not be like this and swearing oaths by other than Allah. Others have defined it as being all means and mediums through which major shirk is reached is minor shirk.

Examples of minor shirk is a little self love and outward displays to creation, sometimes acting for his own sake, and other times acting for some worldly gain, or seeking position and status in society, his actions are divided into portions for himself and portions for others. Accompanying this form of shirk from amongst saying is to swear oaths by other than Allah the All Exalted, what Allah and you will, were it not for Allah and you, Suffice me you and Allah…etc. These acts could also be considered major shirk depending on the circumstances of the person saying them and the circumstances of his/her Tawheed.

Minor shirk is of two kinds:

• The Apparent
• The Subtle

7.6 The Intended Meaning of Minor Polytheism

Takes place in acts of self love and hypocrisy; to outwardly dedicate acts to other than Allah when they belong to Allah and in which he is not sincere. In words it is to swear oaths by other than Allah the All Exalted and to say ‘what you and Allah will,’ we have made mention of this earlier.

What befalls a person in his speech and actions in certain perionds without knowing that he/she is committing shirk. Evidence of this is found in Ibn Abbas’s ® hadeeth:

الشِّرك في أمتي أخفى من دبيب

))

ابنُ عبَّاسٍ --رضيَ اللهُ عنه-ما- أن النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قال:

أخرجه الهيثمي في مجمع الزوائد، وأبو يعلى في مسنده، وصححه الشيخ الألباني.

((

النمل على الصفا

The Prophet PBUH said: ((Shirk in my ummah is more subtle than the ant crawling on al-Safa)). Reported by al-Haythami in Collection of the Additions and Abu Ya’la in his Musnad, Sheikh al-Albani considers it as authentic.

7.6 The Intended Meaning of Minor Polytheism

Since this type of shirk enjoys this level of subtlety the Sahabah ® asked the Prophet PBUH how to get rid of it, so they said:

كيف نتقيه وهو أخفى من دبيب النمل يا رسول الله؟ فقال: قولوا: اللهم إنا نعوذ بك من أن نشرك به شيئاً

))

رواه الإمام أحمد والطبراني

((

نعلمه ونستغفرك لما لا نعلمه

((How do we avoid it when it is more subtly than the crawling ant oh Messenger of Allah? He said: say: Oh my Lord we seek your protection from committing shirk that we are aware of and we seek your forgiveness for that which we do not know.)) Reported by Imam Ahmad and al-Tabarani.