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Shirk: associating partners with Allah, its forms and how to avoid it
Shirk is associating another with Allah. It is the gravest of sins and the opposite of monotheism, the heart of Islam.
Shirk in the Quran
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.”
Surah An-Nisa, 4:48Luqman advised his son: “O my son, do not associate anything with Allah. Indeed, association is a great injustice” (Surah Luqman, 31:13).
The forms of shirk
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Major shirk | Praying to or invoking other than Allah, prostrating to a grave, sacrificing for other than Allah |
| Minor shirk | Showing off in worship, swearing by other than Allah (Abu Dawud, 3251) |
| Hidden shirk | Lengthening one’s prayer because someone is watching |
| Forbidden practices | Amulets, talismans, fortune-telling, sorcery |
The dua against shirk
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I ask Your forgiveness for what I do not know.”
Al-Adab al-Mufrad of Al-Bukhari, 716To protect yourself from harm without falling into forbidden practices, see lawful ruqyah and the evil eye.
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You may be wondering…
What is shirk?
It is associating another with Allah in what belongs to Him alone: worship, lordship or His attributes. It is the opposite of tawhid and the greatest of sins (Sahih al-Bukhari, 6001).
Is shirk forgiven?
“Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills” (Surah An-Nisa, 4:48). This concerns someone who dies without repenting: sincere repentance erases every sin, including shirk.
What is minor shirk?
It is shirk that does not take one out of Islam but remains very serious: showing off (riya’), swearing by other than Allah, saying “if Allah and you will”. The Prophet ﷺ said: “What I fear most for you is minor shirk: showing off” (Ahmad, 23630).
Are fortune-telling and horoscopes shirk?
Believing that a fortune-teller knows the unseen is grave: “Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad” (Abu Dawud, 3904). Only Allah knows the unseen (Surah An-Naml, 27:65).
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