INTRODUCTION<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consequences of \u2018shirk\u2019 are very serious<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who commit \u2018shirk\u2019, all of their good deeds are rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a person commits \u2018shirk\u2019, that is, he associates partners with Allaah, all his good deeds (Swalaat, Roza, Zikr, Hajj and Zakaat, etcetera) will be rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the Day of Judgment, when his deeds will be brought to account, he will see that all his good deeds have been rejected \u2013 all his good deeds will be naught and invalid and his score of good deeds will be zero in his book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is because in the holy Qur\u2019an, Allaah Ta\u2019alah says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201d If they were to join other gods with Allaah, all the good deeds that they did will be vain for them.\u201d (Surah 6 al-An\u2019am ,verse 88)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the holy Qur\u2019an the names of twenty-five prophets are mentioned. And in \u2018surah al-An\u2019am, verse 83 \u2013 88 the names of eighteen prophets have been mentioned. These prophets are: Isa ibn Maryam, Yahya ibn Zakariyya, Zakariyya, Ilyas, Yunus, Dhu\u2019l Kifl, Ayyub, Sulayman ibn Dawud, Musa ibn Imran, Harun ibn Imran, Shu\u2019ayb, Yusuf ibn Ya\u2019qub, Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, Isma\u2019il ibn Ibrahim, Lut, Salih, Hud, Idris (Alaihimous salaam)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After having mentioned their names Allaah Ta\u2019alah says: \u201cif they were to join other gods with Him, all that they did would be in vain for them\u201d. In this verse, Allaah Ta\u2019alah is showing us that if it happens that the prophets commit \u2018shirk\u2019, their good deeds too will be in vain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is important that we Muslims must have the firm conviction that none of the prophets of Allaah Ta\u2019alah have ever committed any sins. All the prophets were honest, honourable, virtuous and in way of Truth. They all called the people to believe in Allaah Ta\u2019alah as the Only God. And Allaah Ta\u2019alah has supported them all the way through by empowering them to perform miracles to show mankind that the message they were spreading was the Truth. Prophets are perfect beings and they are a perfect example to mankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here Allaah Ta\u2019alah is explaining to mankind that committing \u2018shirk\u2019 is a very grave act that destroys and ruins a person\u2019s life in the hereafter. Therefore we should not just believe what Tom, Dick and Harry tell us and fall prey to \u2018shirk\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The final result : \u2018Shirk\u2019 makes (jannat) paradise (haraam) forbidden and makes hell an eternal dwelling place for he who commits it. Even if the person regrets or feels sad for having committed \u2018shirk\u2019 it won\u2019t solve his problem in the hereafter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Shirk\u2019 is the most degrading act that exists<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is \u2018shirk\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Shirk\u2019 in the Islamic term means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The verses of the holy Qur\u2019an clearly show that \u2018shirk\u2019 is a very grave act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First Quranic verse:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shirk is the biggest crime that exists<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBehold, Luqman said to his son admonishing him \u201cO my son! Join not in worship (Others) with Allaah: for false worship is indeed the highest wrong-doing .\u201d (Surah 31 Luqman, verse 13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Murder, terrorist attack (killing innocent people through terrorism), stealing, are some of the greatest crimes of man. Many people think that these serious crimes are the most offensive ones that can be committed people. But there is one crime that is more serious than all these serious crimes put all-together. That crime is the act of committing \u2018shirk\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no doubt that those mentioned crimes above are very serious crimes indeed but \u2018shirk\u2019 is the number one most serious crime than any of these. \u2018Shirk\u2019 is the number one crime on the top of the list of the most serious crimes. Any other crimes other than \u2018shirk\u2019 come after it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So the question we ask ourselves is, how is it possible that \u2018shirk\u2019 is the most serious crime that exists?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a person commits \u2018shirk\u2019 he commits a very grave injustice towards the One who provides for him his necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter, air, water, sun, etcetera) to sustain him. All his life, every second of it, his Creator keeps on bestowing him with His infinite favours, bounties and blessings. So, is it not then a great offence to commit \u2018shirk\u2019 towards Allaah Ta\u2019alah who has blessed us so abundantly? If this is our way of thanking Him, then it is our ingratitude in its most extreme form. How ungrateful are we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minimum or the least that we could do to show Allaah our gratitude is to distance ourselves from all and any kind of \u2018shirk\u2019 and be His obedient servant all our life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second Quranic verse:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shirk is an unforgivable sin<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the holy Qur\u2019an, there are many places where Allaah says that \u2018shirk\u2019 is an unforgivable sin. \u201cAllaah does not forgive that partners should be set up with Him, but forgives anything else, to whom He pleases; to set up partners with Allaah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed.\u201d (Surah 4 an-Nisaa, verse 48)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note carefully what Allaah Ta\u2019alah is telling us here that He will forgive any other sins except \u2018shirk\u2019. This means that all other sins are forgivable but \u2018shirk\u2019 is not! That verse itself is enough to make us think, reflect and understand what kind of sin \u2018shirk\u2019 is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a person has committed other sins (not shirk) and has repented later, Allaah will forgive him. If he has died without having repented, it is possible that Allaah Ta\u2019alah will forgive him. Or Allaah Ta\u2019alah will punish him in the hell fire and when his punishment is over, He will allow him to be admitted in Jannat(Paradise).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, a person who has committed \u2018shirk\u2019 and died without repenting, Allaah Ta\u2019alah will never forgive him and jannat (paradise) is forbidden for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third Quranic verse:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jannat (Paradise) is forbidden for he who commits \u2018shirk\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dWhoever joins other gods with Allaah, \u2013 Allaah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.\u201d (Surah 5 Al-Maida, verse 72)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the above verse the message is clear that he has associated partners to Allaah Ta\u2019alah \u2018jannat\u2019, that is Paradise, will be forever forbidden for him. He will dwell in the hell fire for eternity and will never come out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fourth Quranic verse:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who commit \u2018shirk\u2019 nullify all their good deeds<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201dBut it has already been revealed to you, \u2014 as it was to those before thee,\u2013 \u201cif you were to join (gods with Allaah), truly fruitless will be your work (in life), and you will surely be among the losers\u201d (Surah 39 Az-Zumar, verse 65)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a person commits \u2018shirk\u2019 all his good deeds go in vain. Allaah Ta\u2019alah wipes out all his good actions. And therefore in his book of accounts there are no good deeds at all. In other words zero good deeds for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Allaah Ta\u2019alah is warning us that \u2018shirk\u2019 is a dangerous and catastrophic thing. It destroys, wipes out, nullifies and cancels all the good actions (or good deeds) that a person has done in his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Biggest Loser<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person may have spent his entire life doing good things but because he was negligent of \u2018shirk\u2019 and did not stay away from it, this is what will happen to him on the Day of Judgment:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the Day of Judgment, he will find out that he is the biggest loser. Irrespective of all his good deeds and sacrifices that he has put behind them, his balance of good deeds in his book will be zero and \u2018jannat\u2019 (paradise) will be forbidden for him as he will not be allowed to enter it. He will dwell in the hellfire forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Oh regret, Oh regret\u2019 but it will be Too Late, Too Late !!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fifth Quranic verse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Shirk\u2019 is an injustice and an oppression<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is those who believe and confuse not their beliefs with wrong \u2013 that are (Truly) in security, for they are on (right) guidance.\u201d (Surah 6 al-An\u2019am verse 82)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hazrat Muhammad (sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) has explained that \u2018shirk\u2019 is \u2018zulm'(wrong) :- associating partners with Allaah Ta\u2019alah. So, those who do commit \u2018shirk\u2019, will be guided and there is security for them in \u2018akhirat (life after death) and these people will be guided.Sixth Quranic verse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who commit \u2018shirk\u2019 are impure<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cO you who believe! Truly, the Pagans are unclean\u2026\u201d (Surah 9 at-Taubah, verse 28)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The above verse describes those who commit as filthy, unclean and impure and they can only be purified through having \u2018imaan'(belief in the Oneness of Allaah).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why should \u2018shirk\u2019 be known and feared?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Allaah Ta\u2019alah created humans with Tawheed (belief in the Oneness of Allaah Ta\u2019alah) in them. But it is only after they (humans) have been created that they became pagans (that is, they started committing \u2018shirk\u2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMankind was [of] one religion [before their deviation]\u2026\u201d (Surah 2 Al-Baqara, verse 213)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hazrat Muhammad (sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) has said: \u2018 Each child is born is on \u2018fitra\u2019, that is, he is naturally pre-disposed to accept Allaah as One God (this is called \u2018tawheed\u2019), but it is his parents that make him a Jew or a Christian\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is because of this that it is important for a Muslim to know what \u2018shirk\u2019 is and how it has been propagated by people when in fact at the origin mankind was created in \u2018tawheed\u2019 (belief in the oneness of Allaah).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To avoid \u2018shirk\u2019 we should learn what it is and how it manifests in people\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many Muslims think that they are safe from \u2018shirk\u2019 and that they are not affected by it because they have read the \u2018kalimah\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is the kalimah? It is the Islamic creed that one reads to testify that \u2018there is no god worthy of worship, except Allaah, and that the prophet Muhammad \u2018sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam\u2019 is His last messenger.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hazrat Muhammad (sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) has said: \u201cthe thing that I fear most for my people is \u2018shirk Al-Asghar\u2019 (minor shirk)\u201d [Tabrani]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hazrat Muhammad (sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) was talking to his \u2018sahabas\u2019 (sahabas were the best people after the prophets \u2013 his companions) and he was telling them that the thing he feared most for them was \u2018shirk\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, it is very important that we strive hard to remove all traces of \u2018shirk\u2019 from our belief and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fear \u2018Shirk\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd [mention, O Muhammad], when Ibrahim said: \u201cMy Lord, make this city [i.e. Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.\u201d ( Surah 14 Ibrahim, verse 35)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis salaam), was the father of prophets, The Friend of Allaah Ta\u2019alah and he believed in the oneness of Allaah Ta\u2019alah, and here he was asking, supplicating and invoking Allaah Ta\u2019alah: \u201cOh Allaah, protect me and my family from \u2018shirk\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A du\u2019a (prayer of supplication) that Hazrat Muhammad (sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) used to ask<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Allaahummah inni a\u2019ouzou bika an ushrika bika wa ana a\u2019lam wa astaghfiruka lima la a\u2019lam\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Oh Allaah I seek refuge in You from committing \u2018shirk\u2019 (associating partners) with You and I ask You to forgive for things that I do unknowingly.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hazrat Muhammad (sal lal laahu alaihi wa sal lam) and the \u2018sahabas\u2019 used to ask Allaah Ta\u2019alah to protect them from \u2018shirk\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do we truly fear \u2018shirk\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do we ask Allaah Ta\u2019alah to protect us from \u2018shirk\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, it is important that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n