Lesson 12: Minor shirk

Question 1

Meaning of Minor Shirk

Answer 1

**الشِّرْكُ الأَصْغَرُ هُوَ كُلُّ مَا كَانَ وَسِيلَةً إِلَى الشِّرْكِ الأَكْبَرِ، أَوْ وَرَدَ فِي النُّصُوصِ أَنَّهُ شِرْكٌ، وَلَمْ يَصِلْ إِلَى حَدِّ الشِّرْكِ الأَكْبَرِ Minor shirk is everything that serves as a means to major shirk, or is mentioned in texts as shirk, but does not reach the level of major shirk
**

* For example, it could have been described as shirk, but the messenger ﷺ didn’t apply the rulings of kufr and apostasy on those who did it, like those who said ماشاءالله وشئت- whatever Allah wills and you will. They didn’t intend that the messenger ﷺ is equal to ﷲ but meant to respect him. Yet despite that they committed a type of shirk, and the messenger ﷺ said **أجعلتني للهِ ندًا ؟ قلْ : ما شاءَ اللهُ وحدَه** have you made me a rival with Allah? Say it is what Allah wills alone. He didn’t say you committed kufr, repent etc, he just instructed them not to say it again, otherwise he ﷺ would have been obliged to inform them.

Question 2

Ruling on Minor Shirk

Answer 2

• Does not leave Islam-he may do this and still be a Muslim except that it is a major sin, which leads to major Shirk
• if one says shirk is the greatest sin (generally) and then divides it into 2, both are the worse of major sins, only difference is one takes you outside the fold of Islam, while the other does not.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱفْتَرَىٰٓ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا
Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.

• Some of the scholars said this ayah is general, including major and minor, but the difference is the former is never forgiven, while Allah will not forgive the latter, but the person will not be in hellfire (as in he will not be in it forever if he does)

Question 3

Statement of Ibn Mas’ood and Ibn ‘Umar on swearing by other than Allah

Answer 3

لَأَنْ أَحْلِفَ باللهِ كَاذِبًا أَحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِن أَنْ أحْلِفَ بِغَيْرِ اللّهِ صَادِقًا
To swear by Allah falsely is more beloved to me than to swear by other than Allah truthfully.

• This is because swearing by other than Allah is shirk (like saying on my mothers life), and it is minor shirk.
• This is also because swearing by other than Allah is less severe in sin than swearing by other than ﷲ and telling the truth

Question 4

A way of dividing Shirk: According to the types of Tawheed

Answer 4

• توحيد الربوبية-such as someone believing there is another creator besides Allah, another sustainer, someone other than Allah gives life and death, controls the universe etc
• توحيد الألوهية- this is the most common
• توحيد الأسماء والصفات

Question 5

What are the 2 ways Shirk in our times is worse than the time of Quraysh?

Answer 5

1. During the messenger ﷺ time, it was almost always exclusively in worship. Yet today, people who claim to be Muslim have shirk in الربوبية- Allahs worship. They’d say our imams control the heavens and the earth, or the messenger ﷺ can hear everything you say and know everything you do (while mushrikeen like Abu jahl wouldn’t even say this as they affirmed tawheed ar rububiyyah)
2. Quraysh would only commit shirk in times of ease, while in times of difficulty they wouldn’t.

فَإِذَا رَكِبُواْ فِى ٱلۡفُلۡكِ دَعَوُاْ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰهُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡبَرِّ إِذَا هُمۡ يُشۡرِكُونَ

Al-‘Ankabut - 29:65
English - Sahih International
And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him

• While today so called Muslims make dua to the graves, prophets in times of ease AND hardship, and even tell stories that a person would drawn and would call upon Allah and continue drowning, until he called upon his saint and would be said to him that if he continued calling upon Allah alone you would’ve drowned, but when you called upon this,saint wali you were saved والعياذ بالله

Question 6

A way of dividing Shirk: According to how obvious or hidden it is

Answer 6

Sometimes the messenger ﷺ would use shirk al khafee (hidden Shirk) to refer to shirk al asghar, but there are some types of hidden shirk which can be major.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّاسٌ النَّرْسِيُّ، قَالَ‏: ‏ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ، قَالَ‏: ‏ حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ قَالَ‏: ‏ أَخْبَرَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ قَالَ‏: ‏ سَمِعْتُ مَعْقِلَ بْنَ يَسَارٍ يَقُولُ‏: ‏ انْطَلَقْتُ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَقَالَ‏: ‏ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، لَلشِّرْكُ فِيكُمْ أَخْفَى مِنْ دَبِيبِ النَّمْلِ، فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ‏: ‏ وَهَلِ الشِّرْكُ إِلاَّ مَنْ جَعَلَ مَعَ اللهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ‏؟‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏: ‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَلشِّرْكُ أَخْفَى مِنْ دَبِيبِ النَّمْلِ، أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا قُلْتَهُ ذَهَبَ عَنْكَ قَلِيلُهُ وَكَثِيرُهُ‏؟‏ قَالَ‏: ‏ قُلِ‏: ‏ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لا أَعْلَمُ‏.

Maqil bin Yasar (ra) said that he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) with Abu Bakr (ra). He said, “O Abu Bakr, polytheism enters your people more quietly (secretly) than the movement of ants.” Abu Bakr asked, “Is there a kind of polytheism besides associating anything with Allah?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said,” By him who has my life in his power, polytheism is more concealed than the movement of ants. Shall I not teach you something which if you say will eliminate minor or major (polytheism)?” He then said, “Say `O Allah! I seek refuge in you lest I associate anything with you while I know it, and I seek your forgiveness for what I do not know.’”
>
- this shows us hidden shirk can be major or minor

Question 7

Shirk divided according to where it comes from

Answer 7

Aqeedah-person doesent do any action of shirk (no dua to other than Allah, no praying or sacrificing to other than Allah)

• believes for instance, someone can control everything other than Allah
• a person loves, venerates someone with the love that is only for Allah (holds it in their hearts)

Al-Baqarah - 2:165
Arabic
**وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمۡ كَحُبِّ ٱللَّهِۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِۗ وَلَوۡ يَرَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓاْ إِذۡ يَرَوۡنَ ٱلۡعَذَابَ أَنَّ ٱلۡقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ
**
English - Sahih International
And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah . But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah . And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment.

• someone believes someone knows the unseen like their imams

1. Statements
   - such as saying Ya fulan madad
   - A person saying that they believe the imams control everything

1. Actions
   - The one who sacrifices to other than Allah
   - The one who does sajdah to other than Allah

In general, these 3 often and normally link and overlap.

Question 8

What does minor Shirk come down to?

Answer 8

• An action which is a means to major
• Something which is described in the Shariah as shirk but doesent have the ruling associated with it

Question 9

2 Causes of Shirk

Answer 9

1. التعلق ببعض الأسباب التي لم يأذن الله بها- Attaching yourself to certain means that Allah ﷻ has not given permission for, and this is the majority
   - Someone attaches a black cloth to their car (superstition) and does this to protect himself (such as the evil eye) and doesent deny that Allah is the one who protects, but that it is a way for Allah to protect him from the evil eye.

if he believes this cloth protects you instead of Allah, it’s major shirk, while if he believes Allah protects through it, it’s minor shirk as it’s something his heart is attached to which Allah did not give permission to attach to.

1. تعظيم بعض الأشياء التعظيم الذي لا يوصلها إلا بمقام الربوبية- Exalting certain things with a reverence that should only be reserved for the position of Lordship.

but does not reach the level of worship

• Swearing by other than Allah like your mother instead of Allah
• Saying if it wasn’t for you ___ although some scholars did permit saying this provided someone intends that the cause of it was due to Allah and he made it possible, it’s dangerous and one should avoid saying this and instead say “if it wasn’t for Allah and then you” we don’t say and you, as this can be making the person equal to Allah, you come after Allah not with.

Question 10

Means (Asbab) of protection

Answer 10

Two types

1. Asbab Shar’eeya
   - Allah says in the Quran and Sunnah this will protect you, like dua leaving house, after maghrib etc
2. Asbab qadariyya- things Allah has decreed in this world to protect you-like a shield made of metal to protect you from an arrow, preventing it from piercing it

When you attach to something other than these 2, we fall into the territory of minor shirk.

If something that is not these 2, like a healing stone (belief based) we get in the territory of Shirk.

Otherwise something like medicine (which falls potentially in the first but generally second) would be under the Hadith:

عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ الدَّاءَ وَالدَّوَاءَ وَجَعَلَ لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءً فَتَدَاوَوْا وَلَا تَدَاوَوْا بِحَرَامٍ

Abu Darda reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah sent down the disease and the cure, and for every disease He made a cure. Seek treatment, but do not seek treatment by the unlawful.”
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3874
Grade:Sahih li ghayrihi(authentic due to external evidence) according to Al-Arna’ut

Question 11

How to distinguish between major and minor Shirk

Answer 11

• If the messenger ﷺ specifically stated something is minor shirk

أخوفَ ما أخافُ عليكم الشِّركُ الأصغرُ قال : وما الشِّركُ الأصغرُ يا رسولَ اللهِ ؟ قال : الرِّياءُ يقولُ اللهُ عزَّ وجلَّ إذا جزى النَّاسَ بأعمالِهم اذهَبوا إلى الَّذين كُنْتُم تُراؤُونَ في الدُّنيا فانظُروا هل تجِدونَ عندَهم جزاءً
Mahmud bin Labid (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The thing I fear most for you is the lesser shirk (polytheism), they said what is Shirk Asghar oh Rasulullah ﷺ? He said it is showing off Allah سبحانه و تعالى will say when he rewards the people for their feeds go to the people you showed off to in the dunya, and look if you find with them a reward.

• If in the text, Shirk is not a definite article (الشرك) - then normally it means Shirk Asghar (not always but often the case)

• The understanding of the sahaba
  حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عَاَصِمٍ، عَنْ زِرِّ بْنِ حُبَيْشٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏”‏ الطِّيَرَةُ شِرْكٌ الطِّيَرَةُ شِرْكٌ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ ثَلاَثًا ‏”

**وَمَا مِنَّا إِلاَّ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُذْهِبُهُ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏
**The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Taking omens is polytheism; taking omens is polytheism. He said it three times. Every all from us fall into it, but Allah removes it by trust (in Him).

• bolded is what Ibn Mas’ud said
• This indicates it is Shirk Asghar, as if everyone fell into it they’d have to retake Shahadah

• Something Rasulullah ﷺ does shows that it doesn’t indicate Shirk Akbar (long hadith but hadith of Zaid ibn Khalid about some people being believers in the morning and some disbelievers due to the stars and believing they cause rain
• The people here do not literally believe that the rain came down from the stars by the virtue of itself.
• They believe the star was a reason
• They weren’t instructed to repent

as such its minor shirk

Question 12

Books titled with the word “Tawheed” as a synonym of ‘Aqeedah

Answer 12

Kitab at Tawhīd by ibn Khuzaymah (Muhammed Ibn Ishaq Ibn Khuzaymah as shaafi’ee an naysaburi 311 AH)

• It talks of the Sifat of Allah سبحانه و تعالى
• Book on general ‘Aqeedah

Kitab at Tawhīd ibn Ibn Mandah (Abu Abdillah Muhammed Ibn Ishaq Ibn Muhammed ibn Yahya ibnu Mandah) (395H)
- He used it generally, as it talks of different matters of Aqidah

Question 13

Example of a book with the word Tawheed separate from ‘Aqeedah and more specific

Answer 13

1. Kitab at Tawheed by Muhammed Ibn Abdul Wahab (1206 AH)
   - Tawheed in a specific sense on worship

Question 14

How the scholars used Tawheed and ‘Aqeedah

Answer 14

• In the early history of Islam, Tawheed and ‘Aqedah were synonymous
• later scholars separated them and used Tawheed specifically for Tawheedul ‘Ibadah, while ‘Aqeedah being used for the other aspects of ‘Aqeedah, and these other aspects are considered general ‘Aqeedah (an example of general ‘Aqeedah is Aqeedatul Wasitiyya)