‫بسم ال الرحمن الرحيم‬

The Different Forms of Shirk

There are two main forms of shirk in relation to the actions (of the heart, tongue and limbs –
which cannot be separated from one another):

a. Ash-Shirk ul-Akbar (The Major Shirk)

b. Ash-Shirk ul-Asghar (The Minor Shirk)
c. Ash-Shirk ul-Khafie (The Hidden Shirk)

The differences between ash-Shirk ul-Akbar and ash-Shirk ul-Asghar

1. Ash-Shirk ul-Akbar takes one outside the fold of Islaam

The fundamental difference between ash-Shirk ul-Akbar and ash-Shirk ul-Asghar is that the first
takes one outside the fold of Islaam, whereas the second does not, though it can lead to major
shirk.

َ‫َلقَدْ َك َفرَ الّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنّ الّل َه ُهوَ الْ َمسِي ُح ابْ ُن َمرْيَم‬
"They have become kaafir those who say: 'Verily Allaah is al-Maseeh (Jesus)
the son of Maryam (Mary)…" (EMQ al-Maa-idah, 5: 17)

The way we can avoid committing shirk is by studying the ritual acts of Islaam (Sha’aa-ir ul-
Islaam); by doing so, you will know not to do them for anyone other than Allaah, such as
prayer, fasting, da’wah, slaughtering etc.

2. Ash-Shirk ul-Akbar is the greatest sin and will never be forgiven

Those who commit major shirk will never be forgiven as Allaah (SWT) says:

ِ‫شرِكْ بِالّلهِ َفقَد‬

ْ ُ‫شرَكَ ِب ِه وََي ْغ ِفرُ مَا دُونَ ذَِلكَ لِمَ ْن يَشَا ُء َومَنْ ي‬
ْ ُ‫إِ ّن الّلهَ ل َي ْغ ِفرُ أَ ْن ي‬
‫ا ْفَترَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا‬
"Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in
worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases,
and whoever sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed
invented a tremendous sin." (EMQ an-Nisaa, 4: 48)

3. Major shirk leads to eternal abode in Hellfire

The one who commits major shirk will be in Hellfire forever, whereas the one who commits
ash-Shirk ul-Asghar will be punished in Hellfire, but if Allaah wishes He may take him out
(after a period of time known only to Allah) or even leave him there forever, as Allaah (SWT)
does whatever He wishes. He (SWT) says:

ٍ‫جنّ َة َومَ ْأوَاهُ النّا ُر َومَا لِلظّالِ ِميَ مِنْ أَْنصَار‬

َ ْ‫شرِكْ بِالّلهِ َفقَدْ َح ّرمَ الّل ُه عََلْيهِ ال‬
ْ ‫ِإّنهُ مَنْ ُي‬
"…Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah, then Allaah
has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode." (EMQ al-
Maa-idah, 5: 72)
 4. Major shirk abolishes all hasanaat (good deeds)

The major shirk abolishes all of your good deeds whereas ash-Shirk ul-Asghar does not.

َ‫ك وَلَتَكُونَ ّن مِن‬

َ ‫وََلقَدْ أُوحِيَ إَِلْيكَ وَإِلَى الّذِي َن مِنْ قَْبِلكَ لَئِنْ َأ ْشرَ ْكتَ َليَحْبَ َط ّن عَمَُل‬
َ‫الْخَا ِسرِين‬
"If you join others in worship with Allaah, (then) surely (all) your deeds
will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers." (EMQ az-
Zumar, 39: 65)

5. Major shirk violates your sanctity

The fact that major shirk takes you outside the fold of Islaam means that you have the same
rule as the kaafir i.e. that your life and wealth becomes halaal to violate. Allaah (SWT) says:

ٍ‫صرُوهُمْ وَا ْقعُدُوا َلهُمْ ُكلّ َم ْرصَد‬

ُ ‫شرِكِيَ َحْيثُ وَجَ ْدتُمُوهُ ْم وَخُذُوهُ ْم وَا ْح‬
ْ ‫فَا ْقتُلُوا الْ ُم‬
"…then kill the Mushrikoon wherever you find them, and capture them and
besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush…" (EMQ at-
Tawbah, 9: 5)

The marriage contract(s) of the murtad (apostate – the one who has left the fold of Islaam) will
also become violated and his children will no longer be attributed to him. An apostate will
not even be allowed to take inheritance from his father, and if he does not repent he will be
buried with the animals and not with the Muslims. This is not the case for a person who
commits ash-Shirk ul-Asghar. The Messenger Muhammad (SAW) also said:

‫أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يشهدوا أن ل إله إل ال وأن محمدا‬

‫ فإذا فعلوا ذلك عصموا‬،‫ ويؤتوا الزكاة‬،‫ ويقيموا الصلة‬،‫رسول ال‬
‫ وحسابهم على ال‬،‫مني دماءهم وأموالهم إل بحق السلم‬
“I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that
‘none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah and that Muhammad
[SAW] is the Messenger of Allaah’, and establish Salaah, and give Zakaah;
if they perform all that, then they save their lives and properties from me
except for Islaamic laws and then their reckoning will be with Allaah.”
(Saheeh al-Bukhaari, book of Eemaan, chapter 17 hadeeth #25)

This hadeeth indicates that the mushrikoon and all other disbelievers have no sanctity for their
lives, except if they embrace Islaam, pray and pay zakaah; and if they choose not to, then they
must live by the laws of Islaam. If they refuse to do either, they should be fought against as
they have no sanctity for their lives (unless they have a valid covenant with the Islamic State
or a Muslim). The apostate must either repent or face death.

a. Some examples of ash-Shirk ul-Akbar

• Shirk ud-Du'aa (The Shirk of Invocation)

This type of shirk involves invoking, supplicating or praying to others besides Allaah (SWT),
such as to supplicate to a dead person in his grave etc. This form of shirk is widely common in
parts of Asia and among some Sufis.

• Shirk ut-Taa'ah (The Shirk of Obedience)

This type of major shirk involves obeying any authority or law other than the Sharee'ah
(obeying the commands of other than Allaah). For example, if a state makes it prohibited to
wear the hijaab, propagate your Deen or financially support the mujaahideen etc. and your obey
these laws, you have committed Shirk ut-Taa'ah. Allaah (SWT) says:

ِ‫اتّخَذُوا َأحْبَا َرهُ ْم َو ُرهْبَاَنهُمْ َأ ْربَابًا مِ ْن دُونِ الّله‬

"They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their
lords besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which they made legal or
illegal)..." (EMQ at-Tawbah, 9: 31)

Once, while Allaah's Messenger (SAW) was reciting the above verse, 'Adee bin Haatim said:
'Oh Allaah's Prophet! They did not worship them (i.e. their Rabbis and Monks).' Allaah's
Messenger (SAW) replied:

‫بلى إنهم حرموا عليهم الحلل وأحلوا لهم الحرام فاتبعوهم فذلك‬
‫عبادتهم إياهم‬
"Yes they did. They (rabbis and monks) prohibited the allowed and
allowed the prohibited (legislated law), and they (Jews and Christians)
obeyed them. That is how they worshipped them." (Tafseer al-Qur'aan
al-'Azeem of at-Tawbah verse 31)

• Shirk ul-Mahabbah (Shirk of Love)

This type of shirk involves loving those who Allaah hates (i.e. the kuffaar) or hating those who
Allaah loves (i.e. the believers). Allaah (SWT) says:

‫حبّ الّلهِ وَالّذِينَ آمَنُوا َأشَدّ ُحبّا‬

ُ َ‫حبّوَنهُمْ ك‬
ِ ُ‫َومِنَ النّاسِ مَ ْن يَتّخِ ُذ مِ ْن دُونِ الّلهِ َأنْدَادًا ي‬
ِ‫لِّله‬
"And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as
rivals (to Allaah). They love them as they love Allaah. But those who
believe, love Allaah more (than anything else)..." (EMQ al-Baqarah, 2: 165)

There are many other forms of major shirk that have not been mentioned in this article. For an
in-depth study of shirk and its types, please refer to Kitaab ut-Tawheed (The Book of Tawheed) by
Sheikh Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allah's mercy be upon him).

b. Some examples of ash-Shirk ul-Asghar

• Ar-Riyaa' (Showing Off)

Ar-Riyaa' is any action which is performed in order to receive praise, fame or any other
worldly gain. It is a form of shirk, for rather than doing your actions for the sake of Allaah you
begin doing them for the sake of yourself. It is narrated in the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad and
at-Tabaraani that the Messenger Muhammad (SAW) said:

‫إن أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الصغر قالوا يا رسول ال وما‬

‫الشرك الصغر قال الرياء‬
 "The thing I fear most for you is ash-Shirk ul-Asghar (The Small Shirk).
The Sahaabah then asked him: 'What is The Small Shirk?' He (saw)
replied: ar-Riyaa (showing off)."

The Shaytaan works actively with the qurraa’ (those who have been given good voices in
reciting the Qur'aan). Shaytaan will approach him and tell him to show-off with his recitation,
and rather than to lead the salaah for reward or to please Allaah, he will start to show-off with
his recitation.

A person must never show-off with any of his prayers, da'wah or good deeds etc. Any actions
that are done out of showing off will never be rewarded as they were done for your sake, and
not for Allaah (SWT).

• Performing Jihaad for the sake of making money or taking booty

This can be seen in many 'fake' Jihaadis who are only concerned about taking sabees
(concubines) and making money i.e. by taking out prohibited loans from the bank, working
and signing-on, stealing credit cards, selling stolen cars etc. all in the name of making money
for the mujaahideen (but really keeping it for themselves).

The one who is always concerned about money worships it, and the Messenger Muhammad
(SAW) doomed the one who worships the dirham, deenaar (money) and women etc.

• The one who makes oath by other than Allaah (SWT)

To swear by other than Allaah is ash-Shirk al-Asghar, for example to say: ‘I swear by my
mother’ or ‘I swear by my child’ etc. The Messenger Muhammad (SAW) said:

‫من حلف بغير اللّه فقد كفر أو أشرك‬

"Whoever swears (makes oath) by other than Allaah has committed shirk."
(Riyaad us-Saaliheen, book 17, chapter 314 hadeeth #1711)

c. Ash-Shirk ul-Khafie (The Hidden Shirk)

The hidden shirk can either be major or minor shirk, depending on the area in which it was
committed. Hidden shirk is one of the most dangerous forms of shirk as people cannot see that
they are committing it. It is reported in al-Jaami' as-Sagheer hadeeth #4934 that the Messenger
Muhammad (SAW) said: "Ash-Shirk ul-Khafie in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous
than the creeping of a black ant on a black stone in the darkness of the night." And this
inconspicuous shirk is expiated by saying thrice the following sentences within a day and a
night:

ُ‫علَم‬
ْ َ‫س َتغْ ِف ُركَ ِلمَا لَ أ‬
ْ َ‫ َوأ‬،ُ‫علَم‬
ْ َ‫ش ِركَ ِبكَ َوَأنَا أ‬
ْ ُ‫عوْذُ ِبكَ أَنْ أ‬
ُ َ‫الّلهُمّ ِإنّي أ‬
Allaahumma innee a'oodhu bika an ushrika bika wa-anaa a'alam, wa-astaghfiruka limaa laa
a'alam
"O Allaah, I take refuge in you lest I should commit shirk with you
knowingly, and I seek your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly."