Shirk (polytheism)
Encyclopedia
In Islam
, shirk ( širk) is the sin of idolatry
or polytheism
. i.e. the deification or worship of anyone or anything other than the singular God
, or more literally the establishment of "partners" placed beside God. It is the vice that is opposed to the virtue of tawhid
(monotheism
).
Within Islam, shirk is an unforgivable
crime; God may forgive any sin except for committing shirk.
The word širk is derived from the Arabic root
Š
-R
-K
, with the general meaning of "to share".
In the context of the Qur'an, the particular sense of "sharing as an equal partner" is usually understood, so that polytheism
is "attributing a partner to Allah". In the Qur'an, širk and the related word (plural Stem IV active participle) mušrikūn (مشركون) "those who commit shirk and plot against Islam" often clearly refers to the enemies of Islam (as in verse 9.1–15) but sometimes it also refers to erring Muslim
s.
, al-Lāt
and ʻUzzā
) equal associates of Allah (as the Qur'an discusses in the 53rd surat
) and the word mushrikūn (singular: mushrik) is often translated into English as "polytheists".
Other forms of shirk include the worship of wealth and other material objects. This is pointed out in the Qur'an
in one of the stories of the Children of Israel, when they took a calf made of gold for worship, and for which Moses ordered their execution. Another form of shirk mentioned in the Qur'an is to take scholars of religion, monks, divines or religious lawyers as Lord/(s) in practice by following their doctrines, and/or by following their rulings on what is lawful when it is at variance to the law or doctrines prescribed by God's revelation. Yet another form, is to treat a prophet, such as Jesus, as God.
with the heresy of shirk, in Arabic, (or shituf
in Hebrew), meaning "associationism," in limiting the infinity of God by associating his divinity with physical existence.
In a theological context one commits shirk by associating some lesser being with Allah
. This sin is committed if one imagines that there is some other spirit than Allah whom it is suitable to worship
. Many Islamic theologians extend the sense of worship to include praying to some other being to intercede with Allah on one's behalf, rather than taking one's case to God Himself. The limits of the concept of worship are quite elastic and theologians often describe excessive veneration of some artifact
here on earth as shirk.
Atheism
is described as shirk because it denies the position of Allah as the unique creator and sustainer of the universe (tawhid ar-rububiyya, the Unity of Lordship). In the same way, the act of shirk is extended to include such things as the notion that God possesses human-like anthropomorphic
qualities as well as acts of worship or piety
whose inward goal is pride
, caprice, or a desire for public admiration.
The Islamic prophet Muhammad
has classified shirk into two categories:
Muhammad describes major shirk in two forms:
Other interpretations also derived from the Qur'an
and the prophetic tradition (Sunnah
) divide shirk into three main categories:
This form of Shirk occurs when any act of worship is directed to other than Allah. It represents the most obvious form of idolatry
which the prophets were specifically sent by God to call the masses of mankind away from. Examples of this shirk, asking forgiveness, admittance to paradise, and other things that only Allah can provide, from other than Allah.
A person commits hidden polytheism when he says tawhid, there is no god except Allah, but his thoughts and action does not reflect his belief.
Lesser shirk fundamentally stems from an underestimation of God. This intellectual defect leads to pride, arrogance, and self-delusion.
Umar Ibn Al-Khattab narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed an act of kufr or shirk.’” (graded hasan by Al-Tirmidhi
and saheeh by Al-Hakim
)
Ibn Mas’ood, one of Muhammad’s companions
, said: "That I should swear by Allah upon a lie is more preferable to me than that I should swear by another upon the truth.”
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, shirk ( širk) is the sin of idolatry
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
or polytheism
Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals....
. i.e. the deification or worship of anyone or anything other than the singular God
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
, or more literally the establishment of "partners" placed beside God. It is the vice that is opposed to the virtue of tawhid
Tawhid
Tawhid is the concept of monotheism in Islam. It is the religion's most fundamental concept and holds God is one and unique ....
(monotheism
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
).
Within Islam, shirk is an unforgivable
Damnation
Damnation is the concept of everlasting divine punishment and/or disgrace, especially the punishment for sin as threatened by God . A damned being "in damnation" is said to be either in Hell, or living in a state wherein they are divorced from Heaven and/or in a state of disgrace from God's favor...
crime; God may forgive any sin except for committing shirk.
The word širk is derived from the Arabic root
Triliteral
The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or "radicals"...
Š
Shin (letter)
Shin literally means "Sharp" ; It is the twenty-first letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician , Aramaic/Hebrew , and Arabic ....
-R
Resh
Resh is the twentieth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic alphabet . Its sound value is one of a number of rhotic consonants: usually or , but also or in Hebrew....
-K
Kaph
Kaph is the eleventh letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Kaf , Arabic alphabet , Persian alphabet...
, with the general meaning of "to share".
In the context of the Qur'an, the particular sense of "sharing as an equal partner" is usually understood, so that polytheism
Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals....
is "attributing a partner to Allah". In the Qur'an, širk and the related word (plural Stem IV active participle) mušrikūn (مشركون) "those who commit shirk and plot against Islam" often clearly refers to the enemies of Islam (as in verse 9.1–15) but sometimes it also refers to erring Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s.
Qur'an
Islamic commentators on the Qur'an have emphasized that pre-Islamic Arabic idolatry made a number of godlings (most memorably the three goddesses al-ManātManah
' was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca. The pre-Islamic Arabs believed Manāt to be the goddess of fate. She was known by the cognate name Manawat to the Nabataeans of Petra, who equated her with the Graeco-Roman goddess Nemesis and she was considered the wife of Hubal...
, al-Lāt
Allat
' or ' was a Pre-Islamic Arabian goddess who was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca. She is mentioned in the Qur'an , which indicates that pre-Islamic Arabs considered her as one of the daughters of Allah along with Manāt and al-‘Uzzá....
and ʻUzzā
Uzza
Al-Uzzá was one of the three chief goddesses of Arabian religion in pre-Islamic times and was worshiped as one of the daughters of Allah by the pre-Islamic arabs along with Allāt and Manāt. Al-‘Uzzá was also worshipped by the Nabataeans, who equated her with the Greek goddess Aphrodite Ourania...
) equal associates of Allah (as the Qur'an discusses in the 53rd surat
An-Najm
- Summary of the line 1-12 :The first eighteen verses of this sura are considered to be some of the earliest revelations of the Qur'an. These verses address the legitimacy of Muhammad’s prophetic visions. The sura begins with the divine voice swearing by the collapsing star that “Your companion,”...
) and the word mushrikūn (singular: mushrik) is often translated into English as "polytheists".
Other forms of shirk include the worship of wealth and other material objects. This is pointed out in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
in one of the stories of the Children of Israel, when they took a calf made of gold for worship, and for which Moses ordered their execution. Another form of shirk mentioned in the Qur'an is to take scholars of religion, monks, divines or religious lawyers as Lord/(s) in practice by following their doctrines, and/or by following their rulings on what is lawful when it is at variance to the law or doctrines prescribed by God's revelation. Yet another form, is to treat a prophet, such as Jesus, as God.
Theological interpretation
Medieval Muslim (as well as Jewish) philosophers identified belief in the TrinityTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
with the heresy of shirk, in Arabic, (or shituf
Shituf
is a term used in Jewish sources for the worship of the God of Israel in a manner which Judaism does not deem to be monotheistic. The term connotes a theology that is not outright polytheistic, but also should not be seen as purely monotheistic...
in Hebrew), meaning "associationism," in limiting the infinity of God by associating his divinity with physical existence.
In a theological context one commits shirk by associating some lesser being with Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
. This sin is committed if one imagines that there is some other spirit than Allah whom it is suitable to worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
. Many Islamic theologians extend the sense of worship to include praying to some other being to intercede with Allah on one's behalf, rather than taking one's case to God Himself. The limits of the concept of worship are quite elastic and theologians often describe excessive veneration of some artifact
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
here on earth as shirk.
Atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
is described as shirk because it denies the position of Allah as the unique creator and sustainer of the universe (tawhid ar-rububiyya, the Unity of Lordship). In the same way, the act of shirk is extended to include such things as the notion that God possesses human-like anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
qualities as well as acts of worship or piety
Piety
In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...
whose inward goal is pride
Pride
Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
, caprice, or a desire for public admiration.
Greater and lesser shirk
Shirk is defined in various ways. Some argue that there is only one type of shirk.The Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
has classified shirk into two categories:
- Greater shirk (Shirk-al-Akbar): open and apparent
- Lesser shirk (Shirk-al-Asghar): concealed or hidden
Greater Shirk
Greater shirk or Shirke-al-Akbar means open polytheism.Muhammad describes major shirk in two forms:
- To associate anyone with Allah Taala as His part (to believe in more than one god).
- To associate Allah's attributes with someone else. (Attributing, considering, or portraying God's knowledge or might to being those of anyone else)
Other interpretations also derived from the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
and the prophetic tradition (Sunnah
Sunnah
The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...
) divide shirk into three main categories:
In Rubūbīyah (Lordship)
This category of Shirk refers to either the belief that others share God's Lordship over creation as His equal or near equal, or to the belief that there exists no Lord over creation at all.- Shirk by association: This is the shirk concerned with associating 'others' with Allah.
- Shirk by negation: This is Shirk in Rubūbīyah (Lordship)
In al-Asma was-Sifat (the names and attributes)
Shirk in this category includes both the non-believer practices of giving God the attributes of His creation as well as the act of giving created beings God's names and attributes.- Shirk by humanization: In this aspect of Shirk in al-Asma was-Sifat, God is given the form and qualities of human beings and animals. Due to man's superiority over animals, the human form is more commonly used by idolaters to represent God in creation. Consequently, the image of the Creator is often painted, moulded or carved in the shape of human beings possessing the physical features of those who worship them.
- Shirk by deification: This form of Shirk in al-Asma was Sifat relates to cases where created beings or things are given or claim God's names or His attributes. For example, it was the practice of the ancient Arabs to worship idols whose names were derived from the names of God. Their main three idols were: al-Lat taken from God's name al-Elah, al-'Uzza taken from al-'Aziz, and al-Manat taken from al-Mannan. During the era of Muhammad there was also a man in a region of Arabia called Yamamah, who claimed to be a prophet and took the name RahmanRahman (Islamic term)Rahman is the Arabic word for merciful. In Islamic context, Ar-Rahman has been interpreted as meaning most merciful, all-merciful, merciful by his very nature, beneficent, mercy giving and refers to Allah.- External links :**...
which, in Islam, belongs only to God.
In al-'Ibadah (worship)
In this category of Shirk, acts of worship are directed to other than Allah and the reward for worship is sought from the creation instead of the Creator. As in the case of the previous categories, Shirk in al-'Ebadah has two main aspects.This form of Shirk occurs when any act of worship is directed to other than Allah. It represents the most obvious form of idolatry
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
which the prophets were specifically sent by God to call the masses of mankind away from. Examples of this shirk, asking forgiveness, admittance to paradise, and other things that only Allah can provide, from other than Allah.
Lesser Shirk
Lesser shirk or Shirke-e-Asghar means hidden polytheism.A person commits hidden polytheism when he says tawhid, there is no god except Allah, but his thoughts and action does not reflect his belief.
Lesser shirk fundamentally stems from an underestimation of God. This intellectual defect leads to pride, arrogance, and self-delusion.
- Muhammad said
"One who offers the ritual prayers in an ostentatious way is a polytheist. One who keeps the fast, or gives alms, or performs the Hajj to show the public his righteousness or to earn good name is a polytheist"
- Other accounts
"Mahmud ibn Lubayd reported, "God's messenger said: "The thing I fear for you the most is ash-Shirk al-Asghar."
- The companions asked "Oh! messenger of God, what is that?"
- He replied "Ar-Riya (showing off), for verily God will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, 'Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any reward from them."
"Mahmud ibn Lubayd also said, "The Prophet came out and announced, 'O people, beware of secret Shirk!'
- The people asked, 'O messenger of God, what is secret Shirk?'
- He replied, 'When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him; that is secret Shirk."
Umar Ibn Al-Khattab narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed an act of kufr or shirk.’” (graded hasan by Al-Tirmidhi
Al-Tirmidhi
Tirmidhī , also transliterated as Tirmizi, full name Abū ‛Īsá Muḥammad ibn ‛Īsá ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsá ibn al Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī Tirmidhī , also transliterated as Tirmizi, full name Abū ‛Īsá Muḥammad ibn ‛Īsá ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsá ibn al Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī...
and saheeh by Al-Hakim
Hakim al-Nishaburi
Abu Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah al-Hakim al-Nishaburi , and also known as Ibn Al-Baiyi.) was a Sunni scholar and the leading traditionist of his age, frequently referred to as the "Imam of the Muhaddithin" or the "Muhaddith of Khorasan."-Biography:Al-Hakim, who hailed from Nishapur, had vast...
)
Ibn Mas’ood, one of Muhammad’s companions
Sahabah
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
, said: "That I should swear by Allah upon a lie is more preferable to me than that I should swear by another upon the truth.”
See also
- Pre-Islamic ArabiaPre-Islamic ArabiaPre-Islamic Arabia refers to the Arabic civilization which existed in the Arabian Plate before the rise of Islam in the 630s. The study of Pre-Islamic Arabia is important to Islamic studies as it provides the context for the development of Islam.-Studies:...
- IlahIlahis an Arabic term meaning "deity" or "god". The feminine is ; with the article, it appears as . It appears in the name of the monotheistic god of Islam as , translated, that is, "the god"...
- PaganismPaganismPaganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
- KafirKafirKafir is an Arabic term used in a Islamic doctrinal sense, usually translated as "unbeliever" or "disbeliever"...
- ShitufShitufis a term used in Jewish sources for the worship of the God of Israel in a manner which Judaism does not deem to be monotheistic. The term connotes a theology that is not outright polytheistic, but also should not be seen as purely monotheistic...
(equivalent concept in Judaism)