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What is the definition of shirk? 

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Answer:  

Definition of Shirk

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

'Shirk' or associating another in God-head with Allah, has three main parts:

1. Shirk in Allah's person

2. Shirk in Allah's Attributes

3. Shirk in Allah's Rights

Shirk in Allah's person:

This would be if one were to claim that Allah has a son, or has a mother, father, brothers, sisters, family, children; or to claim that someone or something originated Allah! This is committing 'shirk' in Allah's person.

Shirk in Allah's Attributes:

Allah has declared 99 of His attributes in the Glorious Quran, and Allah Alone knows how many more there are. For example, Allah is the 'Al Aleem' (The All Knowing). He Alone is the All Knowing, of the seen and the unseen! If we believe anybody else of His creation knows everything, or even has the power to know everything, then we have wrongfully elevated someone to the position of Allah's Attributes, and this is a clear form of shirk.

Similarly, Allah is the 'As Samee' (The All Hearing). He Alone is the All Hearing... We humans can only hear upto certain decibels; below that limit we cannot hear, and above that limit is unbearable! Allah Alone hears everything... If we believe anybody else of His creation hears everything, or even has the power to hear everything, then we have wrongfully elevated someone to the position of Allah's Attributes, and this is again shirk.

Similarly, Allah is the 'Al Qader' (The One who is Able to do all things). He Alone has the Power to do anything and everything! If we believe that anybody of His creation can do whatever they want, even when Allah does not permit him, this is shirk! Everything that happens in this world, needs Allah's permission... only when He permits, can a thing happen. To believe that somebody can hurt us, or harm us, without the permission of Allah, is a clear form of Shirk.

Shirk in Allah's Rights:

The biggest Right of Allah is that being our Creator and our Sustainer, He Alone deserves our invocation and our worship. This is absolutely the biggest Right of Allah. No one deserves that we bow down to him and pray to him or call on him to answer our prayers ... This is the Sole Right of Allah Alone. If anyone goes to anybody, any person, any idol, any grave, any shrine, anything... and asks them to fulfill our prayers, or even to tell them to take our Message to Allah, this is an absolute form of Shirk! Allah Alone deserves that we pray to Him, call on Him, serve Him, sacrifice for Him, fear Him, obey His laws, follow His appointed Messengers, and obey and follow the commandments of His Revealed Book! If we do any of the above for anybody else other than Allah, then it is Shirk.

Bowing in prostration to the grave of the Prophet (saws), is to share a right that is due to Allah Subhanah Alone with someone else, no matter who that person or thing is! The Jews shared Allah's Rights with Moses and Uzair, and were cursed by Allah; the Christians shared Allah's Rights with Jesus, and were cursed by Allah! May Allah have mercy on the people who call themselves believers, but want to share the Right of Allah with their Prophet (saws)!

'Shirk' is the absolute single biggest sin in Islam, which Allah has Himself promised in the Holy Quran never to forgive! This sin is so heinous and so monstrous, that Allah has promised to forgive any of the sins of man, except this one sin!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:

Whoever commits 'shirk' (invoking anything with Allah), Allah shall forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall be his abode. And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

Allah says in the Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48

Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this. For whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 65-66:

If you commit 'shirk' all your works will be rendered vain and you will be among the losers. Therefore, you should worship Allah Alone, and be among His grateful servants.

All the Prophets of Allah who were ever sent warned the believers to beware of this heinous sin of 'shirk', which renders all the deeds of man worthless in the sight of Allah Subhanah.

Thus it becomes our duty to recognize and be aware of 'shirk' and all the manifestations of this horrendous and grave sin. Allow me to just give you an example of what constitutes 'shirk':

1. Bowing down to anybody or anything other than Allah is shirk.

2. Bowing down to the Syedna is shirk.

3. Bowing down to the graves of his ancestors is shirk.

4. Bowing down to the graves of even the Prophet (saws), Hadrat Ali (r.a), Hadrat Fatema (r.a), etc. is shirk.

5. Believing that the dead people in their graves can hear and answer our duas is shirk.

6. Believing that anybody other than Allah can do us any harm is shirk.

7. Believing that anybody other than Allah can bring us some good is shirk.

8. Believing that anybody other than Allah knows everything is shirk.

9. Believing that anybody other than Allah sees everything is shirk.

10. Believing that anybody other than Allah listens to our prayers is shirk.

11. Believing that anybody other than Allah can help us is shirk.

12. Believing that anybody other than Allah can guide us is shirk.

13. Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give us health is shirk.

14. Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give us wealth is shirk.

15. Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give us children is shirk.

16. Believing that anybody can influence Allah to help us is shirk.

17. Believing that anybody has any power with Allah is shirk.

18. Believing that anybody has any power with Allah to take us out of the fire of Hell is shirk.

19. Believing that anybody has any power with Allah on the Day of Judgement is shirk.

20. Believing that anybody has any power to change the decision of Allah is shirk.

21. To worship anybody with Allah is shirk.

22. To invoke anybody with Allah is shirk.

23. To raise anybody to the rank of Allah is shirk.

24. To give any of Allah's attributes to anybody else is shirk.

25. To believe that anybody has the power to bring about any miracles on his own is shirk.

26. To go to somebody to take our message or supplication to Allah is shirk.

To associate other beings or things with Allah is 'shirk'! To share any of the noble Attributes of Allah with anyone is 'shirk'! To invoke or worship anyone or anything with Allah is 'shirk'!

The Glorious Quran is the Book which absolutely details each and every manifestation of shirk and makes the readers aware of what exactly is this most hated of crimes in the sight of Allah. It also details on how one has to avoid all the acts of shirk, and believe and invoke and worship the Lord of the Worlds, Allah Subhanah Alone.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah's Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan