8.2 Causes for the Appearance of Shirk

As for the causes of shirk, the renowned Ibn al-Qayyim-may Allah show him mercy-said:
“The devil’s trifle with the polytheists in their idol worship has many reasons; he trifles with all communities according to the degree of their intellects. A group he invited to idol worship by means of venerating the dead crafting idols in their appearance as took place in the case of the people of Noah PBUH. For this reason the Prophet PBUH cursed the building of Masjids on graves, and prohibited prayers on graves, he also asked his Lord All Glorious to not make his grave an idol that is worshipped and prohibited his followers not to make his grave a place of celebration.

The polytheists rejected this either in ignorance or enmity to the people of Tawheed which does not harm them in the least. This is the popular reason among the general polytheists. As for the special class among them, they have taken, according to their claims, the planets as influential entities influencing this world and thus have made houses for their worship, and priests for their temples, and pilgrims and pilgrimage and sacrifices. These remains existent in the contemporary world.

Among them are sun worshippers claiming it is an angel among angels with an intellect and soul. And since it is the source of the light of the moon and planets then it merits veneration, prostration and supplication. Another group took the moon as an idol and claimed that it merits veneration and worship.

8.2 Causes for the Appearance of Shirk

Among them are those who took idols in the shape of planets and their claimed spirituality, they constructed temples and places of worship in their name. Each planet has its own temple dedicated to for its worship and its own idol and forms of worship. From here the planetary spiritualists made idols of the planets claiming they represent its true shape. Among the reasons for their worship is that the devil enters the idols and speaks to them informing them of some of the unseen explaining to them things which they are hidden from whilst they do not perceive the devil. In their ignorance they believe that idol is speaking to them, their intellectuals say: verily that is the idols spirit, others say: they are angels. In all we may say: that most of the inhabitants of this world worship idols and have not rid themselves from it except the pure monotheist; followers of the religion of Ibrahim PBUH.

Also among the reasons for idol worship is: extremism in the created giving it a position above that which it deserves to the extent that it is given divine qualities and is likened to Allah the All Exalted. This is the anthromorphism that takes place in nations that are shun by Allah the All Exalted so that He sends His Messengers and revealed His Books in His dislike of their practices and remonstration against them. Among the plots of the devil is how he trifled with those who played with fire to the extent that they took it as a god and worshipped it. This school spread among the Magians who constructed many houses which they made public endowments. There are temple priests that do not allow the fire to dissipate for a single moment. Fore worshippers prefer fire over clay, they venerate it and are of the same opinion of Lucifer. The poet Bashar ibn Sard says of this conviction:

The world is in darkness destitute
and fire is worshipped ever since it was fire

8.2 Causes for the Appearance of Shirk

Among the plots and trifling of the devil is how he trifled with yet another group and caused them to worship water, they are called: al-Jilmaaniyyah. They claim that water is the origin of all things and from it all things are born, matured, grown, purified and constructed. No action of this world takes place except that it is in need of water and henceforth it merits worship. Among their laws for its worship is: a person among them if wanting to worship it frees himself of clothing and enters it until reaching his waist and remains there for two hours bringing with him some sweet basil cutting it piece by piece and throwing it into the water whilst praising and venerating it. When he wants to leave he moves the water with his hands then he takes some water and washes all of his head, face and body then he prostrates then leaves.

Among his trifles is his-the cursed’s- trifling with animal worshippers: a group worship, the hoarse, another group worship the cow, whilst another group worship human beings alive or dead, a group worship trees and a group worship Jinn. Allah the All Glorious has said:

8.2 Causes for the Appearance of Shirk

وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعاً يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ قَدِ اسْتَكْثَرْتُمْ مِنَ الأِنْسِ وَقَالَ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمْ مِنَ الأِنْسِ رَبَّنَا اسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ

))

((	وَبَلَغْنَا أَجَلَنَا الَّذِي أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا قَالَ النَّارُ مَثْوَاكُمْ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا إِلا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ

[الإنعام:١٢٨]

One day will He gather them all together, (and say): "O ye assembly of Jinns! Much (toll) did ye take of men." Their friends amongst men will say: "Our Lord! we made profit from each other: but (alas!) we reached our term - which thou didst appoint for us." He will say: "The Fire be your dwelling-place: you will dwell therein for ever, except as Allah willeth." for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge. [6:128]

Here ends his remarks.

8.2 Causes for the Appearance of Shirk

Sheikh Muhammad Abd al-Wahaab-may Allah show him mercy-further explains the causes of shirk in a number of chapters in his book ‘al-Tawheed that is the right of Allah upon His servants’. This is in order to be clear of the causes of shirk and to abstain from them. Among the chapters are:

• Chapter on the reason of disbelief of the children of Adam and their relinquishing of their religion is extremism in the righteous.
• Chapter on extremism in the graves of the righteous making them idols worshipped other than Allah.
• Chapter on sternly treating those who worship Allah in the grave sites of the righteous and what to do if they worship them?

Undoubtedly the biggest cause of shirk is extremism in worshipping other than Allah the All Exalted. The extremism of the Christians is their extremism in the case of Jesus PBUH, they took him from being a Prophet to being a god other than Allah worshipping him as they worship Allah. The extremism of those who claim to be on his PBUH religion is that they claimed infallibility their followers obeying them in all that they (the priest) say be it truth or falsehood. The Jews are opposite in their extremism in the case of Jesus PBUH. They robbed him of his true status making him the son of an adulteress. This is the kind of extremism Allah warns us saying:

8.2 Causes for the Appearance of Shirk

[المائدة:٧٧]

((

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ

))

Say: "O people of the Book! exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper), [5:77]

Also among the causes of shirk is the spread of the opinions of the philosophers that distances people from revelation and divine law to useless and corrupt opinions.

Among the causes of shirk and it’s medium that we must be rid of and prohibit is: touching graves, and constructing domes above graves, praying their for the purpose of supplicating therein believing that supplications there are better than other places or swearing oaths in such places and other similar practices.

The spread of major shirk among some Muslims is caused by extremism be it shirk regarding Divine Lordship, or Divine Godship or Divine Names and Attributes. Shirk regarding Divine Lordship occurred among them due to extremism in the knowledge of Allah the All Exalted. Shirk regarding Divine Names and Attributes: occurred due to extremism in the attribute of affirmation or negation. Verily a community reached extremism in affirming an attribute of Allah the All Exalted that they likened it to an attribute of His creation. Others have reached extremism in negation negating the attributes of Allah the All Exalted or some of them thinking that they are venerating and glorifying the Lord All Glorious All Exalted.

8.2 Causes for the Appearance of Shirk

As for shirk regarding Divine Godship: its cause is due to extremism in the case of the righteous. Allah has prohibited extremism in religion in His words:

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا أَهْوَاءَ قَوْمٍ قَدْ ضَلُّوا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَأَضَلُّوا كَثِيراً

))

[المائدة:٧٧]

((

وَضَلُّوا عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ

Say: "O people of the Book! exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper), trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by,- who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the even way. [5:77]