Categories of Shirk
You can categorise something in a number of ways, and there will be no contradiction between them. For example, you can categorise a car based upon its colour, model, company, and there is no contradiction between each categorisation scheme. Therefore, we shall discuss various schemes of categorising Shirk, and there is no contradiction between each one. They are simply from different perspectives. The types of Shirk are too many to count, so we shall just mention the categorisations of Shirk so that all the different kinds of Shirk can be put under these categories. The following are the main schemes used to categorise Shirk.
Scheme No.1: Categorisation based upon Tawheed:
Side Note: The categorisation of any concept in and of itself is not a Bid’ah, as long as the basis for this categorisation is found in the Qur’an and Sunnah. For example, usool al-fiqh, hadeeth, mustalah, tafseer, were not divided by the Prophet SalAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but the ‘Ullemaa of Islam, without exception, accepted these categorisations as the basis of these sciences is found in the Qur’an.
Ruboobiyyah – To believe in Allah’s Lordship, that He is the Creator, The Sustainer, the Giver of Life and the Grantor of Death. So there is only one Rabb, and that is Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
Shirk in Ruboobiyyah can be done in a number of ways.
Shirk at-Ta’teel: To completely deny that there is a Rabb, e.g. the atheists and the communists. Therefore they have gone against Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah, because they have denied the existence of a Rabb, such as the atheists.
To add on other Lords besides Allah, or to distort Ruboobiyyah, and this can be done in a number of ways:
o To deny completely the Names and Attributes of Allah, while affirming His existence. This goes against Ruboobiyyah, as part of Ruboobiyyah is to believe that Allah is the Khaaliq and the Raaziq. This is what the philosophers of the past did, the Jahmiyyah, and also the Mu’tazilah to a certain extent.
o To substitute a false Rabb in the place of the real Rabb, e.g. Fir’awn said “Ana rabbukumal A’la”.
o To deny the reality of His separate and perfect existence, i.e. pantheism, and wahdatul-wujood, this was held by heretics such as al-Hallaj and ibn Arabi.
o Adding another Rabb besides Allah, such as the Zoroastrians. They believe in two rabbs. This is the only practiced religion that believed in two rabbs, two sustainers, and two creators – the god of evil, and the god of good.
Uloohiyyah – To believe that all forms of worship should be for Allah alone. Shirk in Uloohiyyah is that you direct an act of worship that is the right of Allah – such as du’a, Salah, divine fear, divine hope, sacrifice, making Tawaf around something or hajj - to other than Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. Shirk in Uloohiyyah exists amongst Mankind in two primary ways.
That they worship Allah, and other than Allah. So sometimes they worship Allah, and sometimes they worship other than Allah, e.g. the Christians who believe in trinity.
That they worship other than Allah all the time, e.g. some of the extreme sects who always make du’a to other than Allah when they make du’a, and Buddhists.
Asmaa wa Siffaat – To make unique Allah’s Names and Attributes, and follow the principles of the Salaf in this matter. Shirk in Asmaa wa Siffaat can occur in two ways.
Comparing Allah to the creation, like the Jews and the Christians – they say Allah ‘forgot’ or became ‘tired’.
Comparing the creation to Allah, which is common in some of the extreme sects, e.g. ‘Our Imam controls everything’, ‘Our Saints has ‘Ilmul-Ghayb’, ‘Our Imam hears our du’a anywhere in the world’.
Scheme No.2: Categorisation based upon major and minor Shirk
Shirk Akbar: To give the created the Rights of the Creator.
Shirk Asghar: Whatever the Sharee’ah has called minor Shirk, and doesn’t take you outside the fold of Islam, e.g. Riyaa, to give an oath by other than Allah.
There are five major differences between Shirk Asghar and Shirk Akbar.
• Shirk Akbar takes you outside the fold of Islam, whereas Shirk Asghar does not take you outside the fold of Islam, but shows a weakness in eemaan and is one of the signs of a hypocrite.
• Shirk Akbar necessitates a permanent residence in the Fire of Hell. As for Shirk Asghar, the correct opinion is that it is up to the Will of Allah, and if He Wishes to forgive it He can, and if He Wishes it to Punish the servant He can, though eventually the person will be removed from the Fire of Hell.
• Shirk Akbar can never be forgiven by Allah, unless the person accepts Islam. As for Shirk Asghar, it is up to Allah whether He will forgive that sin.
• Shirk Akbar destroys all of a person’s good deeds, whereas Shirk Asghar only destroys that particular sin where it occurred, e.g. a single prayer with Riyaa does not negate every single Salah.
• Shirk Akbar makes a person’s life and property Halal for the Mujahideen in the state of Jihad, whereas Shirk Asghar does not.
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