Beginners guide to Islam (Vol-01)

Commonly practised Shirk-01

Idolatory

Idolatory is to worship man made idols, which is Shirk in Islam and thus totally prohibited. It is the worst action done by a man. Idolatory was widespread in ancient Arab. The people of Arab at that time were idolaters. This practice of worshipping idols still exists in many places. One of the big nation that practices idolatory is India. A muslim must stay away from making idols and worshipping them. Allah, the Exalted, said:

[74:5]

وَٱلرُّجْزَ فَٱهْجُرْ
"keep yourself away from uncleanliness [Ar Rujz]."

Regarding the meaning of "uncleanliness":

قَالَ أَبُوْ سَلَمَةَ: "وَالرِّجْزَ الْأَوْثَانَ"

"Abu Salamah said: 'Rujz' refers to idols." [Imam Bukhari recorded the Hadith in his Sahih]. Almost all the leading scholars of Tafsir like Mujahid, 'Iqrima, Qatadah, Ibn Zaid (may Allah have mercy on their souls) agrees that, this Ayah warns us about idols. Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) shares the view that, this verse warns us about all kinds of sin which includes (idolatory) Shirk as well.

From an authentic Hadith :

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَكَّةَ، وَحَوْلَ الْكَعْبَةِ ثَلاَثُمِائَةٍ وَسِتُّونَ نُصُبًا فَجَعَلَ يَطْعَنُهَا بِعُودٍ فِي يَدِهِ وَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ ‏{‏جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ‏}‏ الآيَةَ‏.‏

Narrated 'Abdullah Bin Mas'ud:

The Prophet (ﷺ) entered Mecca and (at that time) there were 366 idols around the Ka'ba. He started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting: "Truth (Islam) has come and Falsehood (disbelief) has vanished."

Worshipping the graves

Worshipping the graves of either Prophets or the saints includes making a structure over their graves, prostrating and bowing to the graves, calling upon the dead, hoping that the dead might benefit them, giving candles and blankets to the grave with expectation of fulfilling a wish and many such acts. Worshipping the grave of anyone is strictly prohibited in Islam. Making a structure over a grave itself is from one of the hated acts in Islam. Aisha reported: Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah mentioned a church they saw in Abyssinia that had graven images in it. They mentioned it to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said:

إِنَّ أُولَئِكَ إِذَا كَانَ فِيهِمُ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ فَمَاتَ بَنَوْا عَلَى قَبْرِهِ مَسْجِدًا وَصَوَّرُوا فِيهِ تِلْكَ الصُّوَرَ فَأُولَئِكَ شِرَارُ الخَلْقِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ

"Verily, when a righteous man among them would die, they would build a place of worship over his grave and carve these images within it. They will be the worst to Allah on the Day of Resurrection."

On top of making structures, which is an unlawful act, people bow and prostate to it, invoke the dead, believe in their (dead) authority in ones destiny, making this act reach the level of major Shirk. This is heavily practiced in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and some other. In such countries, people are blinded by their love for saints and ends up falling into Shirk. Thus, it is a duty upon us that we do not exaggerate the status of any creation.

Believing Jesus as Allah's begotten son

Believing that Allah has begotten a son who has inherited the qualities of Allah, is the Shirk of Christians. They make Jesus an equal to Allah which is Shirk. And Allah, the Exalted says: