SHIRK IS A GREVIOUS SIN 1

By
Shaikh Jalilu Issah

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful

Transliteration

00.23 Wa-in kuntum fee raybin mimma nazzalna AAala AAabdina fa/too bisooratin min
mithlihi waodAAoo shuhadaakum min dooni Allahi in kuntum sadiqeena. 00.24 Fa-in
lam tafAAaloo walan tafAAaloo faittaqoo alnnara allatee waqooduha alnnasu
waalhijaratu oAAiddat lilkafireena.

Translation

[And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad),
then produce a Surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah if ye are
truthful.
002.024 And if ye do it not - and ye can never do it - then guard yourselves against the
Fire prepared for disbelievers, whose fuel is of men and stones.]

Before we proceed to these verses it would be pertinent to know about some points. The
first point is about the shirk that Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala has mentioned in the verse
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of 002;022 when He said [fala tajAAaloo

lillahi andadan waantum taAAlamoona] -And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye
know (better). There is a

clear message that we should not bring anyone equal to Allah. To be equal to something

is noteworthy here. In Arabic we say , in something

singular to something or something equal. So when we say which is the plural of
it means to take something equal to something. Like a man to marry a wife. It is
highly recommended that when a man married he should marry with someone who is
equal to him. There should be the same level of understanding the same religion and so
on. So means something equal to something. Because there should be a balance in
equality. Otherwise there will not be any equality there will be disparity. So when Allah

Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala says [fala tajAAaloo

lillahi andadan waantum taAAlamoona] means do not set up anything equal to Allah.
Which is and it can be translated as a shirk (To associate partners with Allah in all
that is particular to Allah, from love, hope, fear, worship, and all other matters that are
solely due to Allah). The most of us when we say the word shirk- what comes in our
mind is someone invented or created something made of wood or rock and worship it.
We simply call it shirk. And a man who worships such entities he is Mushrik
(polytheist). In simple words we can say that a Mushrik is against the divine concept of
Ruboobiyyah. When we say Mushrik sometimes we think that a Mushrik is a man who
believes that God is divided into three. God, holy son, and Holy Spirit. It is a Christian
concept of Trinity. This is shirk. Because someone takes other entity equal to Allah
Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala. It is a stark shirk. When you come into the deep understanding of
shirk this concept is wider than this what has been mentioned above. Because shirk is
anything that if you set up something or anyone equal to Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala in
your heart or in your action, this is considered as shirk. Also Imam Jaffer (Alayh
is'Salam) said it is shirk ul khafif. He calls it Al-Riya. In this kind of shirk a man does
something in front of people to say good things about him. It is also a kind of shirk.
Sometimes a man who worships Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala he exercises Riya. He
worships Allah in such a way that the people around him may call him a good and regular
worshiper. Even such person offers prayer and raises his voice and tries to make his voice
melodious so that the people may say about him Mashallah! This kind of action for
showing others is also a shirk. On the Day of Judgment the books of the people would
be presented. And the man who had been doing such things in his life he would find
nothing in the books for him like praiseworthy in his favour. Some people go to mosque,
some go to Hajj, some help the needy, some people teach, some people go on mimbar
(Steps on which the Imam stands to deliver the Khutbah (address) on the day of the
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Shaikh Jalilu Issah

Jumah (Friday) to say things like it to have the praise of Mashallah how knowledgeable
is he! But if you did for the sake of Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala but to impress your

listeners, there will be nothing mentioned in the books in their favour to be presented on
the Day of Judgment. Such people will go to Allah and ask regarding the matter that
why their names have been omitted from the books. They would say that built a
mosque, they prayed five times a day, they went on mimber and they taught people about
the Islam and religion. These will be their queries. Malaikahs (angles) will answer that
you are true but what you did in the world that was not for the sake of Allah Subhana-
Wa-Ta’aala but it was for the sake of you. That you did all those things in order to raise
your individual and personal status in the eyes of people. You just wanted people to
praise and raise you. So now you should go to those people and get your reward (swaab)
from them. Because such people had put people equal to Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala.
They were expecting to have reward and regard from them not from Allah. This is called
shirk ul khafif (slight shirk). This is highly forbidden in Islam.
There is another kind of shirk also according to the Ahlul Bayt and according to
the infallible each is Mushrik. How? It is thought provoking. We should concentrate on
it. All of us are Mushrikûn (disbelievers in the ONeness of Allah) in some aspect. Before
we proceed ahead let us see in Surah Ya Sin what Allah says: [Alam
aAAhad ilaykum ] I did not have any commitment from you [an la
taAAbudoo] you will not worship anything equal to Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala. So we
have already given our commitment to Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala that when since we
came in this world all we have to do for the sake of Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala. And the
same commitment we daily pledge to do in our five time prayers daily. We say;
[Iyyaka naAAbudu wa-iyyaka nastaAAeenu]
you are the only one whom we serve and we are not going to serve anyone but Allah
Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala. That we are going to reject our desires and wishes just for the
sake of Allah to be the devout servant of our Rabb (Lord, Master, Sustainer, Provider,
Supporter, Nourisher and Guardian, Sovereign and Ruler). Though you are devout
Muslims but your heart tells you something else to do which you know that Allah
Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala commands not to do these things. This is also called shirk.
Though this kind of shirk is not strong. This kind of shirk is forgivable. But all wishes
Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala will not forgive if you take Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala equal

to something. Allah says in Surah An-Nisa: [Inna

Allaha la yaghfiru an yushraka bihi] - Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be
set up with Him (in worship), [wayaghfiru ma doona thalika], but He forgives
except that (anything else)to whom He wills; in other words other than that Allah
Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala He forgives everything. Anything a man does Allah says He will
forgive that on the Day of Judgment, but if a man asks for tauba (repentance)
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[Wa-in kuntum fee raybin mimma

nazzalna AAala Aaabdina]. Then after this Allah is trying to prove the miracle of the
holy Quran. This is one of the verses that proves that the holy Quran is a miracle by

saying; [WA-in kuntum fee raybin

mimma nazzalna AAala Aaabdina] that should you have any doubt should you
have [la rayba] doubt about what we have revealed on our servant
our servant. Allah says then bring or present one chapter comparable to
it. If you doubt that this holy Quran has not been sent by Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala or it
has been written by the prophet (Salla 'Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Then the holy Quran
says if you have any doubt then bring any similar book like this.. It is an open challenge
of the holy Quran that even one verse like Quran man can not compose. And then He

says . [waodAAoo shuhadaakum min dooni

Allahi] First when we call is from Du’a (invoking Allah for whatever one
desires), Du’a has two meanings. In Arabic when we say it means to call
someone or to invite someone. But in Islam when we use word Du’a it is done to ask
Allah for something. So in Islam Du’a may mean to call someone or someone may come
to you or you want someone to do for you. And then at the same time you can use Du’a
to ask Allah for you to do something.
The word Shuhadaa is not discussed which is the plural of shahid. The word
shahid also has two meanings. One of the meanings of Shahid which is commonly
known today who dies for the sake of Allah in the holy war of Islam. But the holy Quran
did not use the word Shahid with the meaning who has been killed or slain or murdered
for the sake of glorious Islam. There is no concept in the holy Quran of the Shahid with

this meaning of death. In hadith we note that Shahid is [al maqtool fi

sabeel lillha] it means that who has been killed in the holy war for the sake of Allah
Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala in Jihad ('to strive' or 'to exert to the utmost.' In Islamic parlance it
signifies all forms of striving, including armed struggle, aimed at making the Word of
God prevail). This is the concept of hadith. But the holy Quran does not say that a
Shahid is a man who has been killed in a holy war. The holy Quran gives the meaning of
Shahid is to be supportive or weakness. And the majority is found with the meanings of

weakness. So holy Quran says before you bring

something similar to it He says . This is the

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customs of Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala to send and give miracles on the prophet. He

sent the miracle according to the people of that time what they wanted to claim more
proud about. That’s why Allah sent the prophet to them that they may feel a proud to
have very different personality among them. For example if you look at the prophet
Moses, Allah sent him in the time when people used to be proud knowing the magic.
They were proud to be being the magicians. They could do many things, which could
have frightened people, and they would possess the black magic. There Allah sent
Prophet Moses with the stick. And the same stick could have changed into a big snake.
Also made the hand of prophet Moses light giving. These were the things what the
magician used to like to see and learn. And these qualities Allah proved over there that
these were created by Allah not by some man. There were many powerful magicians by
that time. But Allah gave victory to the prophet Moses. They said they said that
they believed Prophet Moses. They said that they believed in both of Prophet Moses and
Haroon. But the prophet not only had the magic in his hand but he had the magic of
convincing his opponents about the system of Allah, about the truth of Allah, about the
oneness of Allah. This was the biggest and greatest possible magic with Prophet Moses.
When Allah sent prophet Essa, he was sent in the time when the people could kill
others with different ways and they had different ways to treat / trick people. Allah sent
prophet Essa with the miracle so similar to it. He could also kill people. Not only that he
could kill people Allah also had given him the power to bring people into their lives back.
The prophet Essa would make out of clay to look like birds and the prophet Essa said;
then he used infuse life in the birds made of clay. And it used to be
the real bird that could fly like other birds. And apart from it Allah had given him the
power that he used to go to the graves of dead people he would call them by their names
and they used to come out of their graves. Allah has mentioned in His holy Quran;

[wa-ith
takhluqu mina altteeni kahay-ati alttayri bi-ithnee fatanfukhu feeha fatakoonu tayran bi-
ithnee]
That you made a bird of clay and you infused life in it and it turned into a real live bird.

[watubri-o al-akmaha waal-abrasa ]

and the people who were deaf, they could not hear properly he would go and treat them.

Allah sent prophet Essa with these miracles. [You

can raise people you give life to the dead people. with my permission.
So that is the custom of Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala. So after the prophet Essa
Allah sent Muhammad (Salla 'Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam) in the time when Arabs were
proud of their language, their grammar, their metaphors etc. They had only one great
thing and that was their language. Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala sent the holy Quran in the
language of them. It was an open challenge to the Arabian scholars that our Quran is in
the same language what you speak. It is better than your language. But it has not been
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Shaikh Jalilu Issah

written by the Muhammad (Salla 'Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam). It is from Allah Subhana-
Wa-Ta’aala. So if you have any better book than this brings it. Allah says in other verse

[OdAAu ila sabeeli rabbika

bialhikmati waalmawAAithati alhasanati] when you call Allah, if you want to preach He
says use your wisdom and one of the wisdoms is to give your proof. This was the custom

of Ahlul Bayt. They used to ask for the logical proof. The holy Quran favors the proof
and requires to have the soundest possible proof from the people who don’t believe in the
holy Quran.
On the same lines of the Quran Ahlul Bayt also proceed especially to talk to those
people who say that Shi'ah (Shi'ite) have different Quran. There is nothing like that.
Because unfortunately people say that the followers of Ahlul Bayt have another Quran.
They are entirely wrong in their thinking that Shi’ah have different Quran. May Allah
protect us from these slanderous remakes and acts.

Further will be discussed in next lecture Inshallah!

Questions of one participant

Participant: In the beginning you said that we gave a promise to Allah…

Yes

Participant: When was this promise made?

The promise we gave that when we came to this world and we were going
to worship Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala. Allah is saying:

[Wa-ith akhatha rabbuka min banee adama min thuhoorihim thurriyyatahum

waashhadahum AAala anfusihim alastu birabbikum qaloo bala shahidna an taqooloo
yawma alqiyamati inna kunna AAan hatha ghafileena] (And when your Lord brought
forth from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants, and made them bear
witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! we bear witness.
Lest you should say on the day of resurrection: Surely we were heedless of this.)

[In this verse Allay is saying that when He created

Adam , Allah took all the generations those will be born by the Adam and asked them in

general this question. I am your Lord, and then all of them said yes.

they said yes you are our Lord

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so on the Day of Judgment you

should not come and say that we forgot about this. So we have given the commitment to
Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala. But the commitment is not always by saying. The
commitment is sometimes by actions and sometimes it is in writing. Allah says that it is
not important to come and say that I have given commitment to Allah. The commitment
we are talking about that is the way Allah has created human being. Allah created prophet
Adam on the custom that he must worship something. That each one has to worship
something. But the difference is what I am going to worship and that what you and I
have the final. The prophet Ibrahim had to search the true lord. That is our responsibility
to do that. But when Allah created us then we have to worship our creator. When we
come in this world we have to worship Allah Subhana-Wa-Ta’aala.
We have two types of commitments. We have something that we call
and we have . We have a commitment that sometimes you are not
forced to abide by. And the second choice is that you have to abide by. For example that
when you go and write agreement for an apartment that you will sign the agreement for
one hour or for one year. Even the next day can you come out of that agreement after
you have signed it or you have to stay until the end of the year you have to pay the rent.
Even after you died the agreement has to keep on. So sometimes it is not necessary that
we have to even Adam according to some hadith that Adam he is the one of our fathers
who is the one who Allah has asked him to give our commitment that we did. And not
only according to the hadith of Ahlul Bayt that a man will not be born or Allah will not
create a man until he gives commitment to Allah in these things. One is that he is going
to worship Allah. And second is he has to believe that no other can deny Ahlul Bayt.
Imam Jaffer said no one will be born unless he agrees in oneness of Allah Subhana-Wa-
Ta’aala before he was created. There is hadith of the prophet he said:

each child is born on the nature (fitrat). Fitrat is the custom on

which Allah created a man. Allah said it is their

parents who change him. If a child is born in a home of a Christian he will be Christian.
Or if his parents are Jews he would also be a Jew. And if born in a home of a Muslim, he
will be a Muslim. It is the duty of us to find the truth and seek the light of the holy Quran
by using our sense and intellect.
We have given the commitment that when we will come in the world we will
worship.

Participant: Thank you sir.

My pleasure brother.
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