The Origin Of Shirk
Author: Imaam Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen al-Albaanee
Source: Tahdheerus-Saajid min Ittikhaadhil-Quboori Masaajid (pp.101-106)
Published: Monday 17th April, 2006
From that which has been established in the
Sharee'ah (prescribed law) is that mankind was - in the beginning - a single nation upon true
Tawheed, then
Shirk (directing any part or form of worship, or anything else that is solely the right of Allaah, to other than Allaah) gradually overcame them. The basis for this is the saying of Allaah -
the Most Blessed, the Most High:
“Mankind was one Ummah, then Allaah sent prophets bringing good news and warnings.” [2:213]
Ibn Abbaas -
radi-Allaahu ’anhu - said:
“Between Nooh (Noah) and Aadam were ten generations, all of them were upon Sharee'ah (law) of the truth, then they differed. So Allaah sent prophets as bringers of good news and as warners.” [Related by Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree in his Tafseer (4/275) and al-Haakim (2/546)]
Ibn Urwah al-Hanbali (d.837H) said:
“This saying refutes those historians from the People of the Book who claim that Qaabil (Cain) and his sons were fire-worshippers.” [Al-Kawaakibud-Duraaree fee Tarteeb Musnadul-Imaam Ahmad ’alaa Abwaabil-Bukhaaree (6/212/1)]
I say: In it is also a refutation of some of the philosophers and atheists who claim that the (natural) basis of man is
Shirk, and that
Tawheed evolved in man! The preceding
ayah (verse) falsifies this claim, as do the two following authentic ahadeeth:
Firstly: His
sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam’s saying that he related from his Lord:
“I created all my servants upon the true Religion (upon Tawheed, free from Shirk). Then the devils came to them and led them astray from their true Religion. They made unlawful to people that which I had made lawful for them, and they commanded them to associate in worship with Me, that which I had sent down no authority.” [Related by Muslim (8/159) and Ahmad (4/162)]
Secondly: His
sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam’s saying:
“Every child is born upon the Fitrah [natural disposition towards Islaam] but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Maigan. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a natural offspring. have you noticed any born mutilated, before you mutilate them.”
Abu Hurayrah said: Recite if you wish:
“Allaah’s Fitrah with which He created mankind. There is to be no change to the creation (Religion) of Allaah.” [30:30] [Related by al-Bukhaaree (11/418) and Muslim (18/52)]
After this clear explanation, it is of the utmost importance for the Muslim to know how
Shirk spread amongst the believers, after they were
Muwahideen (people upon
Tawheed). Concerning the saying of Allaah -
the Most Perfect - about the people of Nooh:
“And they have said : You shall not forsake your gods, nor shall you forsake Wadd, nor Suwa’, nor Yaghooth, nor Ya'ooq, nor Nasr.” [71:23]
It has been related by a group from the
Salaf (Pious Predecessors), in many narration's, that these five deities were righteous worshippers. However, when they died, Shaytaan whispered into their people to retreat and sit at their graves. Then Shaytaan whispered to those who came after them that they should take them as idols, beautifying to them the idea that you will be reminded of them and thereby follow them in righteous conduct. Then Shaytaan suggested to the third generation that they should worship these idols besides Allaah -
the Most High - and he whispered to them that this is what their forefathers used to do! So Allaah sent to them Nooh
’alayhis-salaam, commanding them to worship Allaah alone. However none responded to his call except a few. Allaah -
the Mighty and Majestic - related this whole incident in Surah Nooh.
Ibn ’Abbaas relates:
“Indeed these five names of righteous men from the people of Nooh. When they died Shaytaan whispered to their people to make statues of them and to place these statues in their places of gathering as a reminder of them, so they did this. However, none from amongst them worshipped these statues, until when they died and the purpose of the statues was forgotten. Then (the next generation) began to worship them.” [Related by al-Bukhaaree (8/534)]
The likes of this has also been related by Ibn Jareer, at-Tabaree and others, from a number of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) -
radi-Allaahu ’anhum .
In
ad-Durrul-Manthoor (6/269):
Abdullaah ibn Humaid relates from Abu Muttahar, who said: Yazeed ibn al-Muhallab was mentioned to Abu Ja’far al-Baaqir (d.11H), so he said: He was killed at the place where another besides Allaah was first worshipped. Then he mentioned
Wadd and said:
“Wadd was a Muslim man who was loved by his people. When he died, the people began to gather around his grave in the land of Baabil (Babel), lamenting and mourning. So when Iblees (Satan) saw them mourning and lamenting over him, he took the form of a man and came to them, saying : I see that you are mourning and lamenting over him. So why don’t you make a picture of him (i.e. a statue) and place it in your places of gatherings so that you maybe reminded of him. So they said: Yes, and they made a picture of him and put in their place of gathering; which reminded them of him. When Iblees saw how they were (excessively) remembering him, he said : Why doesn’t every man amongst you make a similar picture to keep in your own houses, so that you can be (constantly) reminded of him. So they all said: Yes. So each household made a picture of him, which they adored and venerated and which constantly reminded them of him. Abu Ja’far said: Those from the later generation saw what the (previous generation) had done and considered that ... to the extent that they took him as an ilaah (deity) to be worshipped besides Allaah. He then said: This was the first idol worshipped other than Allaah, and they called this idol Wadd.” [Related by Ibn Abee Haatim]
Thus the wisdom of Allaah -
the Blessed, the Most High - was fulfilled, when he sent Muhammad
sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam as the final prophet and made his
Sharee'ah the completion of all divinely Prescribed Laws, in that He prohibited all means and avenues by which people may fall into
Shirk - which is the greatest of sins. For this reason, building shrines over graves and intending to specifically travel to them, taking them as places of festivity and gathering and swearing an oath by the inmate of a grave; have all been prohibited. All of these lead to excessiveness and lead to the worship of other than Allaah -
the Most High.
This being the case even more so in an age in which knowledge is diminishing, ignorance is increasing, there are few sincere advisors (to the truth) and Shaytaan is co-operating with men and jinn to misguide mankind and to take them away from the worship of Allaah alone -
the Blessed, the Most High.