Allah states that most people do not think about His signs and proofs of His
Oneness that He created in the heavens and earth. Allah created brilliant stars
and rotating heavenly objects and planets, all made subservient. There are many
plots of fertile land next to each other on earth, and gardens, solid mountains,
lively oceans, with their waves smashing against each other, and spacious
deserts. There are many live creatures and others that have died; and animals,
plants and fruits that are similar in shape, but different in taste, scent,
color and attributes. All praise is due to Allah the One and Only, Who created
all types of creations, Who Alone will remain and last forever. It is He Who is
unique in His Names and Attributes. Allah said next,
[وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ
أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ إِلاَّ وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُونَ ]
(And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners
unto Him.) Ibn `Abbas commented, "They have a part of faith, for when they are
asked, `Who created the heavens Who created the earth Who created the mountains'
They say, `Allah did.' Yet, they associate others with Him in worship.'' Similar
is said by Mujahid, `Ata, `Ikrimah, Ash-Sha`bi, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and
`Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. In the Sahih, it is recorded that during the
Hajj season, the idolators used to say in their Talbiyah: "Here we rush to Your
service. You have no partners with You, except a partner with You whom You own
but he owns not!'' Allah said in another Ayah,
[إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ
لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ]
(Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong)
indeed.) [31:13] This indeed is the greatest type of Shirk, associating others
with Allah in worship. It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that `Abdullah bin
Mas`ud said, "I said, `O Allah's Messenger! What is the greatest sin' He said,
«أَنْ تَجْعَلَ للهِ
نِدًّا وَهُوَ خَلَقَك»
(That you call a rival to Allah while He alone created you.)'' Al-Hasan
Al-Basri commented on Allah's statement,
[وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ
أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ إِلاَّ وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُونَ ]
(And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners
unto Him.) "This is the hypocrite; if he performs good deeds, he does so to show
off with the people, and he is an idolator while doing this.'' Al-Hasan was
referring to Allah's statement,
[إِنَّ
الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُواْ إِلَى
الصَّلَوةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَى يُرَآءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلاَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ
إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ]
(Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives
them. And when they stand up for As-Salah, they stand with laziness and to be
seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little.) [4:142] There is
another type of hidden Shirk that most people are unaware of. Hammad bin Salamah
narrated that `Asim bin Abi An-Najud said that `Urwah said, "Hudhayfah visited
an ill man and saw a rope tied around his arm, so he ripped it off while
reciting,
[وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ
أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ إِلاَّ وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُونَ ]
(And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners
unto Him.) In a Hadith, from Ibn `Umar collected by At-Tirmidhi who said it was
Hasan, the Prophet said,
«مَنْ حَلَفَ
بِغَيْرِ اللهِ فَقَدْ أَشْرَك»
(He who swears by other than Allah, commits Shirk.) Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and
other scholars of Hadith narrated that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the
Messenger of Allah said,
«إِنَّ الرُّقَى
وَالتَّمَائِمَ وَالتِّوَلَةَ شِرْك»
(Verily, Ar-Ruqa, At-Tama'im and At-Tiwalah are all acts of Shirk.) In
another narration collected by Ahmad and Abu Dawud, the Prophet said,
«الطِّيَرَةُ شِرْكٌ
وَمَا مِنَّا إِلَّا، وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ يُذْهِبُهُ بِالتَّوَكُّل»
(Verily, At-Tiyarah [omen] is Shirk; everyone might feel a glimpse of it, but
Allah dissipates it with Tawakkul.)'' Allah said next,
[أَفَأَمِنُواْ أَن
تَأْتِيَهُمْ غَاشِيَةٌ مِّنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ]
(Do they then feel secure from the coming against them of the covering veil
of the torment of Allah) Allah asks, `Do these idolators who associate others
with Allah in the worship, feel secure from the coming of an encompassing
torment from where they perceive not' Allah said in other `Ayat,
[أَفَأَمِنَ
الَّذِينَ مَكَرُواْ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَخْسِفَ اللَّهُ بِهِمُ الاٌّرْضَ أَوْ
يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ - أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ فِى
تَقَلُّبِهِمْ فَمَا هُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ - أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ عَلَى تَخَوُّفٍ
فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ]
(Do then those who devise evil plots feel secure that Allah will not sink
them into the earth, or that the torment will not seize them from directions
they perceive not Or that He may catch them in the midst of their going to and
from, so that there be no escape for them (from Allah's punishment) Or that He
may catch them with gradual wasting (of their wealth and health) Truly, Your
Lord is indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.) [16:45-47] and,
[أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ
الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَـتاً وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ - أَوَ أَمِنَ
أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ]
[أَفَأَمِنُواْ
مَكْرَ اللَّهِ فَلاَ يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ
]
(Did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our
punishment by night while they were asleep Or, did the people of the towns then
feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were
playing Did they then feel secure against the plan of Allah None feels secure
from the plan of Allah except the people who are the losers.) [7:97-99]
[قُلْ هَـذِهِ
سَبِيلِى أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَاْ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِى
وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ]
(108. Say "This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and
whosoever follows me. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah. And I am not of the
idolators.'')
ICTruth.info