Avoiding Shirk

The importance of avoiding shirk. The expiation of shirk.

Allah has informed His creation of the grave sin of shirk in His statement:

لَا تُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌۭ (سورة لقمان : ١٣)

“Do not commit shirk with Allah. Indeed, committing shirk [with Allah] is great oppression.” [Sooart luqman: 13)

In this verse Allah describes shirk as a type of oppression. Oppression in a linguistic sense involves putting something in other than its proper place. So, whoever worships other than Allah has directed his worship and devotion away from Allah ﷻ and this is the greatest form of oppression.

Allah ﷻ has commanded us to worship Him and to avoid shirk in His statement:

وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًۭٔا ۖ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًۭا (سورة النساء : ٣٦)

“Worship Allah and do not commit shirk with Him, and be good to the parents” (Soort an-Nisa 36)

It is extremely important that we observe this command of Allah and strive hard to avoid shirk. This is because of the great threat that shirk poses to humankind.

Allah ﷻ has informed us that shirk is the one sin that He will not forgive, as He says:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱفْتَرَىٰٓ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا (سورة النساء : ٤٨)

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive committing shirk with Him, but He forgives whatever is less than that for whomever He wills. And he who commits shirk with Allah has certainly brought about a tremendous sin.” (Soort an-Nisa: 48)

Allah ﷻ also informs us that He has forbidden the one who commits shirk from entering the Paradise as He says:

وَرَبَّكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَىٰهُ ٱلنَّارُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍۢ (سورة المائدة : ٧٢)

“Indeed, whoever commits shirk with Allah – then certainly Allah has forbidden for him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there can be no helpers for the wrongdoers.” (Soorat al-Maada:72)

Committing shirk also leads to the nullification of good deeds as Allah says:

عِبَادِهِۦ ۚ وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ (سورة الأنعام : ٨٨)

“But if they had committed shirk with Allah, then certainly their deeds would have become worthless.” (Soorat al-An’aam: 88)

Aboo Bakrah has conveyed to us a detailed description of the sin of shirk. He narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said three times: “Should I not inform you of the greatest of the major sins?” To this, the companions responded: “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “To commit shirk with Allah ﷻ and to disobey one’s parents.”

The importance of Allah’s command that mankind should worship only Him Alone while avoiding shirk becomes abundantly clear when we consider the many texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah which mention the sin of shirk and its severity.

So the best way to avoid shink is through the worship of Allah Alone while avoiding anything that people may worship besides Allah like the jinn, angels, idols, Prophets, magicians, soothsayers and anything else that may be worshipped besides Allah ﷻ .

So it is only through the proper worship of Allah mankind can hope to acquire the reward that Allah ﷻ which He mentions in His statement:

ۖفَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًۭا صَـٰلِحًۭا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا (سورة الكهف : ١١٠)

“So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord – let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.(Soorat Kahf : 110)

Learning from the lesson

• Allah has commanded the believers to worship Him alone and to avoid shirk.
• Shirk is the gravest of the major sins.
• Only through the proper worship of Allah which involves avoiding shirk, will mankind be able to acquire the reward that Allah ﷻ , has prepared for His True believers.