Categories Of Shirk

Categories of Shirk

Just as there are different areas of Tawhid, there are also different types of Shirk which all Muslims should take care to avoid.

Firstly.. Shirk by Association
This is a denial of Tawhid ar-Rububiyah by means of associating equal or lesser partners to Allah. For example, Hindus worship one creator of the universe named Brahman, but they join him in a trinity with a preserver god named Vishnu, and a destroyer god named Shiva. Another example can be found in christianity, where Allah is joined with the Prophet Isa (AS) and the 'holy spirit' (who is said to exercise Allah's will on earth). Other examples of this type of shirk is found in the Zoroastrian, Yoruba and Zulu faiths, in which a supreme god is joined with lesser deities.

Secondly, Another cateorgry of Shirk Is::

Shirk by Negation
This is a denial of Tawhid ar-Rububiyah by means of denying the existence of Allah altogether. Most obviously, this is a sin commited by Atheists and those who follow faiths which deny the existence of Allah, such as Buddhism.

Thirdly, another category of Shirk Is::

Shirk by Humanisation
This is a denial of Tawhid al-Asmaa was-Sifaat by means of giving human attributes to Allah. One example (which was mentioned above) is the biblical notion that Allah feels fatigue, so much so that after He created the universe, He needed to take a rest for an entire day! This is refuted in Ayat Al-Kursi.

Fourthly, another category of Shirk is:::

Shirk by Deification
This is a denial of Tawhid al-Asmaa was-Sifaat by means of giving divine names or attributes to any of Allah's creations. In his book, Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips mentions that during Muhammad's time, there was a false prophet named Yamamah who called himself 'Rahman', a name which only belongs to Allah and can only be used by people if 'Abdul' is prefixed to it.

Propounders of the evolution theory also commit this error. Darwinists maintain that life emerged from inanimate matter with no divine intervention (in other words, inaminate matter is the Creator of all life!), and that lifeforms are able to transform themselves over time. The evolution theory has been refuted by scientists ever since it first surfaced - Harun Yahya has written a number of excellent books on this subject.

Furthermore.. there is also a Major Shirk:::

Ash-Shirk al-Akbar (Major Shirk)
This is a denial of Tawhid al-'Ibadah in which acts of worship are directed towards others instead of Allah - this can be praying to prophets, saints, celestial objects, idols etc. This is the worst sin anyone can commit is it denies the very reason of our existence.

A less conspicuous, but just as serious form of Major Shirk is allowing the love of anything to become an obsession. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips cites love of money and desires as good examples of this - to my mind, nationalism can also come into this category. Nationalism (extreme love of one's nation) is the most common cause of war, and often results in hatred and atrocities being committed by so-called 'islamic' countries, in spite of what is written in the Qur'an regarding murder and conduct during warfare. The barbarism of Saddam Hussain and his Ba'athist government was a prime example of this. In some instances, anyone who fails to become embroiled in nationalism is viewed as unpatriotic or treacherous - an apostate of their 'religion'.

Ash-Shirk al-Asghar (Minor Shirk)

This is a denial of Tawhid al-'Ibadah in which acts of worship are performed insincerely under false pretences, usually in order to impress bystanders. For example, if one was to publically boast that he was giving a certain amount of money to charity solely in order to enhance his reputation or to belittle others, that would be an example of Minor Shirk.

The best way to prevent this is to make each deed performed each day into an act of worship. In some cases (such as eating or setting of on a journey), this can be done by simply saying "bismillah" before starting. Abu Ameena Bilal Philips mentions that a series of du'as (informal prayers) have also prescribed by the Prophet (SAW) before and after natural habits like eating, drinking, sleeping, sex and even going to the toilet, in order to turn these everyday habits into acts of worship and develop in Muslims a keen awareness of Allah. It is this awareness, called taqwaa, which ultimately ensures that intentions remain pure.

I hopE inshallah... Those Threads Were great benefits...