What is Shirk? |
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Ron Webb
Senior Member Male atheist Joined: 30 January 2008 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2467 |
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Posted: 23 April 2008 at 6:37pm |
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The one unforgivable sin in Islam is something that the Quran describes as "setting up partners with Allah": This sin is given the name shirk, which I believe comes from an Arabic root meaning "to share". But what, exactly, is shirk? I have heard it applied to everything from idolatry to polytheism to atheism to paganism (whatever that is) to greed (worshipping wealth) and a whole lot more. It seems like shirk is treated as a catch-all for just about any wrong belief. It also seems to me that that can't be right. Surely Allah must have had something very specific in mind for so grievous a sin that it could never be forgiven. I'd like to hear what Muslims think the phrase "setting up partners with Allah" means. I have my own idea, which you may have already read on another discussion, but I'll try to keep my own (non-Muslim) thoughts out of this at least to begin with. |
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seekshidayath
Senior Member Female Islam Joined: 26 March 2006 Location: India Status: Offline Points: 3357 |
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When we say La ilalaha illal la - There is no God but Allah, then all our worships {Ibadahs} shud be for Him alone. When we do believe in that there is only one God, then why is there any need to ascirbe partners to Him ? When He is our Creator, why shud we associate any other false ones. Anyways, shirk is to associate partners with Allah swt. It may be any form. Even if we hold any object higher than Allah swt, it is a shirk. Invoking any other besides Allah, to love anyone more than Allah, to trust any others rather than on Allah swt --- these are all shirks. Just to worship Allah alone, seek Only his help , trust Only Him are the requirements of tawheed. Definitely, if everyone tries to follow one�s own desires, there will be nothing but chaos and corruption, for each one�s desires will conflict with the desires of others. And when there will be conflict, there cannot be peace and tranquility in the world. This was the reason that Allah describes Shirk as the biggest crimes.�Verily Shirk is the biggest crime.� (31:13) Shirk does not mean merely worshipping idols. God cannot be so narrow that He would feel offended by merely prostrating before inanimate objects like pieces of stone and bronze. God is much more above these petty considerations. In fact, He is against the mean mentality that works behind worshipping these inanimate objects.
Can u just share with us your idea again. I did not read it. Edited by seekshidayath - 23 April 2008 at 7:29pm |
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Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: �All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent."
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Ron Webb
Senior Member Male atheist Joined: 30 January 2008 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2467 |
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Thank you for your reply. I have sent you a private message with the link to my message in another discussion that touched on this subject. However, for right now I would like to keep my own thoughts out of this discussion. I am more interested to hear what Muslims think.
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honeto
Senior Member Male Islam Joined: 20 March 2008 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 2487 |
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Hi, I think, Seekshidayath's description of what shirk is speaks for most of us.
In short, shirk is to deny God's Oness by serving and worshipping others as god(s) or lords.
Hasan
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The friends of God will certainly have nothing to fear, nor will they be grieved. Al Quran 10:62
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Ron Webb
Senior Member Male atheist Joined: 30 January 2008 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2467 |
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I'm not sure what any of this has to do with "associating partners". Just because I love money more than Allah does not mean I think of money as a partner to Allah. On the contrary, if I choose money over Allah, then money is a competitor, not a partner, isn't it? It is wrong, of course, but I don't see why it is shirk.
So if I am a Hindu, am I committing shirk by worshipping the Hindu pantheon of gods? But Hindus don't even believe in Allah. How can they be said to be associating partners with a being they don't even think exists? Edited by Ron Webb - 24 April 2008 at 4:38pm |
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abuzaid
Senior Member Male Joined: 13 November 2005 Status: Offline Points: 163 |
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Greed by itself has never been considered shirk in Islam. But, if love of money increases to such an extent that the person becomes extremely careless about all the orders of Allah SW, then he/she actually is keeping his desire in the place of Allah. Thus constituting shirk.
Read this hadith.
Abu Hurayra (Radhiallaahu Anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, �May the slave of Dinar (gold coin) and the slave of Dirham (silver coin) be cursed.
The Arabic word used here for slave is Abd, which also means worshipper.
However, keep in mind that shirk can also be used in general term.
There is something called Major shirk and minor shirk.
It is only Major shirk that throws a person out of fold of Islam.
If a person perform prayer to show off, this is minor shirk because he is praying for people instead of Allah.
But, if a person pray to anybody beside Allah SW, he is making major shirk that throws him out of fold of Islam.
As per hindu, what made you to think that they Don't believe in Allah? Agreed that they worship many dieties but they do believe in a Lord who is creator of Heaven and earth. He is called Eshwar or parmatama in hinduism.
However if a person does not believe in a Lord who is creator of heaven and earth, he/she will find something, an object or an ideology around which his/her life shall revolve. thus making it his/her god.
45:23 Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire?
Read this..
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abuzaid
Senior Member Male Joined: 13 November 2005 Status: Offline Points: 163 |
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Well, our belief about Allah is that, He is Lord and Master of heaven and earth. He has knowledge and power of each and verything that exists.
Second aspect of believing Allah is that, He alone deseve our worship, which also includes supplication, prayer, extent of love and attachment which constitutes worship, fasting etc
Have a look at dictionary meaning of Ilah (god)
Dictionary Meanings
The root of this word consists of the three letters, alif, lam, and ha and the connotations of various derivations, as one finds in lexicons are as follows:
If we reflect upon these original meanings, we can gain the necessary idea of how the verb came to mean the act of worship and the noun to denote the object of worship. There are four considerations to bear in mind in this connection:
The above passage for the dictionary meaning of Ilah (godship) is taken from
here
Now, my point is that it is not possible for a person to believe that somebody else other than Allah is god(ilah) in all respect. People can take other gods only partially not in full. That is the reason "associating partner" is used instead of "associating competitior".
Now, look at the word what bible says, just for comparision.
You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God
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Ron Webb
Senior Member Male atheist Joined: 30 January 2008 Location: Ottawa, Canada Status: Offline Points: 2467 |
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I think you mean Brahma, and beyond being the Creator he bears little or no resemblance to Allah. Frankly, I think it's absurd to equate the two. Brahma is only the creative aspect of the Hindu trinity, along with Vishnu (the Preserver) and Shiva (the Destroyer). You might be closer to compare Allah with Brahman, which encompasses all three aspects and represents the whole Universe; or Atman, the spirit form of Brahman which exists within all of us. But I think if you suggested to a Hindu that any of these is Allah, they would just laugh. The god described in the Quran is nothing like any of them.
If that is your point, then I don't think we can discuss it further. I'm sure you would be offended if a Hindu were to tell you that it is not possible for you to believe what you believe. |
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