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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Hi Assalamalikum,

What is mean by " To join partners in worship with Allah"

Kindly tell me in details about the meaning of it.

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Answer:

What is 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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

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

Whoever commits ‘shirk’, 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’ 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

The single absolutely biggest sin and crime in Islam is ‘shirk’….so much so that it is the one crime which is singled out as being absolutely unforgivable in the Hereafter by the Lord Most Majestic, Most Supreme!

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

1. Shirk in Allah’s Self
2. Shirk in Allah’s Attributes
3. Shirk in Allah’s Rights

Shirk in Allah’s Self:

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 created Allah! This is committing ‘shirk’ in Allah’s Self.

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 one believes anybody else in creation knows everything, or even has the power to know everything, then one would have wrongfully elevated someone to the position of Allah’s Attributes, and that would be a clear manifestation of ‘shirk’.

Similarly, Allah is the ‘As Samee’ (The All Hearing). He Alone is the All Hearing. If one were to believe anybody else in creation hears everything, or even has the power to hear everything, then one would have wrongfully elevated someone to the position of Allah’s Attributes, and that would constitute ‘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 exactly as He Plans and Wills. If one believes that anybody in creation can do whatever they want, even when Allah does not permit him, that would be ‘shirk’! Everything that happens in this world needs the precise permission of Allah Subhanah… only when He Wills and Permits can a thing happen.

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 Subhanah. If one shares even an iota of this Right which is due to Allah Subhanah with anyone or anything else in creation, it would constitute ‘shirk’! If anyone invokes or calls upon anyone or anything other than Allah Subhanah in the unseen……any person, any idol, any grave, any shrine, anything… and invokes them in the unseen to fulfill their prayers or their desires, that would be a clear manifestation of the heinious crime of ‘Shirk’! Allah Alone deserves that we pray to Him, call upon 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 one does any of the above for anybody else other than Allah, then it would be ‘Shirk’.

Each and every Prophet of Allah who were sent on this earth warned mankind to save themselves from this very crime; for if one did any wrong there is a chance Allah Subhanah might forgive them….but if one were to die in the state of ‘shirk’, there is absolutely no chance of forgiveness for this one single most heinous of crimes in the Presence of the Lord Most Majestic Most Supreme in the Hereafter!

Thus it becomes our duty to recognize and be aware of ‘shirk’ and all the manifestations of this horrendous and unforgivable sin. Allow us to just give you an example of what would constitute ‘shirk’:

• Bowing down to anybody or anything other than Allah is shirk.
• Bowing down to any animate or inanimate object like the sun, moon, stars, idols, humans, graves, shrines, tombs, etc. is shirk.
• Believing that the dead people in their graves can hear and answer our invocations is shirk.
• Believing that anybody other than Allah can bring about any harm upon someone in the unseen is shirk.
• Believing that anybody other than Allah can bring about any good upon someone in the unseen is shirk.
• Believing that anybody other than Allah knows absolutely everything is shirk.
• Believing that anybody other than Allah sees absolutely everything is shirk.
• Believing that anybody other than Allah listens to one’s invocations in the unseen is shirk.
• Believing that anybody other than Allah can help another in the unseen is shirk.
• Believing that anybody other than Allah can guide another is shirk.
• Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give one health is shirk.
• Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give one wealth is shirk.
• Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give one children is shirk.
• Believing that anybody has any power with Allah is shirk.
• Believing that anybody has any power with Allah to take one out of the fire of Hell is shirk.
• Believing that anybody has any power with Allah on the Day of Judgement is shirk.
• Believing that anybody has any power to change the decision of Allah is shirk.
• To worship anybody or anything with Allah is shirk.
• To invoke anybody or anything with Allah in the unseen is shirk.
• To raise anybody to the Rank of Allah is shirk.
• To give or share any of Allah’s Exclusive Attributes to anybody else is shirk.

To associate other beings or things with Allah Subhanah is ‘shirk’! To share any of the Exclusive Attributes of Allah Subhanah with anyone in creation is ‘shirk’! To invoke or worship anyone or anything with Allah Subhanah is ‘shirk’!

Your Question: What is mean by " To join partners in worship with Allah"

Kindly tell me in details about the meaning of it.

Respected brother in Islam, there is nothing better which absolutely exposes naked each and every type, manner, form, manifestation and variety of shirk like the Glorious Quran! If one truly wishes to understand the concept of ‘shirk’, one would need to look no further than this one Book of Guidance revealed by the Lord Himself so that those who wish to seek guidance and salvation may avail themselves from this ultimate evil of ‘shirk’ or associating others as partners with Allah Subhanah!

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan