The opposite of Tawheed (oneness of Allah) is expressed by the Arabic term “SHIRK” derived from the root S_R_K which conveys the notion of “sharing” or “partnership”. The word “Shareek” means “partner” or “associate. This is to associate with Allah by equating other gods with Him. There is a very fine line between belief and shirk. Crossing “Hadood Allah” (the limits of Allah), in any aspect, leads us to shirk. And Allah forgives all sins except shirk.

Islam is a fiercely monotheistic faith, and rejects all forms of intermediaries with Allah. Intermediaries are none other than idols. The pagans believe that their idols are intermediaries, and they invoke them to ask God for help through them.

039:065: “And certainly, it has already been revealed to you and to those before you: “If you associate in any form, surely all your deeds will be in vain, and you will surely be among the losers.”

004:116) “Indeed Allah does not forgive shirk (setting authorities besides him) though He may forgive other than that according to His Laws. And whosoever commits shirk, then certainly he has been misguided, far away.”

MUSHRIK: One who associates with Allah, Who serves idols in any form such as statues, his own desires, forces in Nature, any of Allah’s creation = One who uncritically follows what others do = A blind follower = One who considers men as authorities instead of the Divine revelation, One who believes in clergy against the Divine revelation = Who adores saints, political or religious leaders in lieu of Allah = Who bows or prostrates physically or mentally before any creation.

ILAH: gods

AL LAH-The God, The specific God. Like “Al Kitâb”-The specific Book.

IDOLS
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The most common idols are as follows:

AHBAAR_ Scholars (9:31)
RUHBAAN_ (So called) god fearing (9:31)
HAWWA_ Desires (25:43)
FIRAUN_ Powerful person
PROPHETS (3:80)
BAAL _ Husband (37:125)
LAAT _ Defeatist Attitude (53:19)
UZZA __ Honour/Respect (53:20)
MANAAT__ Longings (53:20)
WUDA- Love
SAWWAA _ Time (71:23)
YAGHOOS Seek Aid (71:23)
YAOOQA Delay (71:23)
NASR Vulture (71:23)
SHAMS Sun (41:37)
QAMAR Moon (41:37)

When any of the above is pursued beyond a limit, then it becomes an idol. And therefore it becomes” idol worship” or “shirk”. . In Islam, we must not ask, pray, or supplicate to anyone other than Allah. This is why we repeat several times a day in our prayers, “You alone do we worship, and from You alone we seek assistance.” Yet people set up partners with Allah almighty.

012:106) “The majority of those who believe in Allah, also commit SHIRK (idol worship in different forms)”.

AHBAAR AND RUHBAN = SCHOLARS AND GOD FEARING:
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People take religious scholars and (so called) God fearing people as nourishers/sustainers in practice by following their doctrines, and by following their rulings on what is lawful when it is at variance to the law or doctrines prescribed by Allah’s revelation.

009:031: “They have taken their scholars and priests as nourishers/sustainers besides Allah, and also Messiah, the son of Mariam. And yet they were only commanded to serve one God, there is no god except Him. Glorified is He above what they associate with Him.”

009:034: “O you who believe! Indeed most of the religious scholars (Clergy of any religion) and the (so called) God fearing, consume the wealth of people with falsehood and hinder from the way of Allah. And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah, give them tidings of a painful punishment.”

HAWA = DESIRES
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These are the desires within you and to achieve these desires, one goes beyond the limits of Allah, such as, desire for big houses, cars, wealth, sons etc.

045:023: “Have you considered him who makes his own desires his god? Consequently Allah lets him astray despite his knowledge and seals up his hearing and his heart and places a veil over his vision? So who shall guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember? (This admonition)”

FIRAUN:
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Firaun depicts powerful persons. In our society some people are impressed with powerful persons, because they expect favors from them. Secondly, they feel privileged and important in their society.

002:188: “So, knowingly, do not consume the wealth and property of one another with falsehood, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their rightful belongings. While you know (it is unlawful)”

ANBIYA or PROPHETS:
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Yet another form is to treat prophets as equal to Allah, such as Jesus, Moses, Mohammad. This is “shirk” in worship. None is to be worshiped besides Allah the Exalted, not even a saint, an angel, a messenger or a prophet.
All the prophets should be respected equally as humble servants of Allah and not equal to Allah. If any one of them is pursued beyond a limit; it becomes an idol/shirk.

003:080: “And He does not command you that you take the malaika and prophets as nourishers/sustainers. Would he order you to disbelief after you have submitted to Him (Muslims)? “

JESUS:
====

005:072: “Certainly the rejecters say: “Messiah, the son of Mariam is God.” While the Messiah said: “O Children of Israel, serve Allah, my Nourisher/Sustainer and your Nourisher/Sustainer.” Indeed, he who associates others with Allah, then Allah will certainly forbid the Garden for him, and his abode will be the Fire. And there will be no helpers for the oppressors.”

LAAT= DEFEATIST ATTITUDE:
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It means “to lose hope in the Mercy and Bounties of the Nourisher/Sustainer.” One who is hopelessly wandering in ignorance.

This weakens your faith and you lose your trust in Allah and then you become impatient in achieving certain goals and consequently follow your own desires while Allah always asks us to seek help through patience, with a hope in Allah.

007:056: “So, do not spread corruption on earth after it has been set in order. Invoke Him in fear and hope. Indeed the mercy of Allah is close for those who excel in good deeds. [Fear the consequences of violating His commands and hope for His grace since His promise is always true].”

002:218: “Indeed, those who believe and those who migrate ( from the domain of evil) and strive in the cause of Allah, it is those who can rightfully hope for the grace of Allah. Allah is the Forgiving, The Merciful.”

BAAL = HUSBAND:
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Women obey their husband to such an extent that they even forget the Laws and Commandments of Allah. They submit to their husbands as to Allah. It is generally perceived that the husband is the head of the family so he can rule over his wife.

Husbands are the caretakers of their wives. So the wives expect them to fulfill their desires or to provide them with all the materialistic things of this worldly life.

Secondly, because husband are considered as source of the process of reproduction. That is why Allah says:

037:125: “Do you call upon Ba’l and leave the Best of creators.”

WUDDA = LOVE
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It is an emotion given by Allah to love your parents, children, siblings and among the believers. But it becomes an idol when a person is involved in love to such an extent that he overpasses the Orders and Laws of Allah .e.g. love of prophets, women, wealth and sons.
.
002:165: “Yet among mankind is one who takes others besides Allah as equals, they love them as they should love Allah. But the believers are staunch in their love for Allah. And if you see the oppressors when they will face the punishment, they would then realize that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment. ”

003:014: “Beautiful seem to mankind the love of desires from women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the benefits of worldly life, and Allah, with Him is the best return.”

MANNAT = LONGING:
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It means: “Strong, persistent desire or craving.” esp. for something unattainable or distant. It is connected with love and desire. When a strong feeling or wish of wanting something arouses in you, a longing will originate in you. And to attain this longing, you pray to Allah and try to barter it with additional prayers. e.g.: to gain educational success, career success, sons etc., you ask Him to give you and in return you will do such and such.

041:051: “And when We bestow favor upon man, he turns away and distances himself; but when evil touches him, then he is full of lengthy supplication.”

UZZA = HONOUR
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A person is greedy for honour and respect. He expects to be superior in the eyes of others. This intellectual defect leads to pride, arrogance, and self-delusion. Best example is killing someone to save his honour. (Honour killings)

002:206: “And when it is said to him: “Take guard against evil for Allah,” the arrogance (of false pride and honour) takes hold of him and involves him in sin. Sufficient for him is Hellfire, and surely it is an evil place”

Praising Ourselves: We introduce our qualifications as, “my knowledge, my strength, my intention, my wealth etc. Rather one should say, my knowledge, which is bestowed upon me by Allah , my strength which is imparted to me by Allah, my intention that is assisted by Allah , my wealth which is from Allah. One can be a true believer in the Oneness of Allah, if his words and actions both are in consonance with each other. Such a person is more humble and lowly when he addresses his Creator and is in constant dread of the sin of thanklessness. Another characteristic of such a person is that he is never pleased when others praise him.

031:018: “And do not turn your cheek toward people (do not be arrogant with people), and do not walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not love any self-deluded and boastful person.”

SUWAA = TIME:
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Most people are running after time to fulfil their desires beyond the limits of Allah, neglecting their spiritual duties such as connection, prayers, Quran etc.

019:059: “But there came after them successors who perished the Salat (neglected the Connection between them and Allah) and pursued their desires; So soon they shall wander in ignorance.”

YAGHOOS = SEEK AID:
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Most people instead of approaching Allah directly, they seek help and aid through prophets, saints, graves and those who are regarded as “Close to Allah”. Whereas Allah tells us to always approach Him directly. In the Qur’an, Allah tells us that He is “closer to us than our own jugular vein” (050:016), and that He knows our innermost thoughts, before we even express them.

He also guarantees that no matter how ugly our sins are, we can always call upon Him directly, without any intermediary. He has also promised to answer us, as long as we turn to Him sincerely, following His Divine Laws. How many times do we recite Surah Al-Fatiha each day? Saying: “You (Allah) Alone we serve and You Alone we ask for help”. Yet people approach others for help: “for off spring or gain in business or whatever they desire”.

Praying for help to those who have died is a clear Shirk. Allah says: “Pray to Me and I will answer your prayer.” Then do you choose to pray to someone else other than Allah? Whereas it is He who is nearer to you than your jugular vein? Whereas it is He who can really benefit or harm you? Or that are there those who know the Unseen as well as Allah.

This is very common misconception in general. That people believe that their imams and saints have knowledge of the unseen. It is also shirk to believe that there is someone who bestows mercy in a manner that is befitting only for Allah, so he shows mercy as Allah does and he forgives sins and overlooks the bad deeds of his worshippers.

• Make du’aa’ or pray to someone other than Allah, or seek his help or seek refuge with him with regard to matters over which no one has control except Allah, whether the person called upon is a Prophet, a Wali (“saint”), an angel or a jinn, or some other created being.

• One, who sacrifices, prays or prostrates to someone or something other than Allah, or one who promulgates laws to replace the rulings of Allah and makes that the only law to which people are obliged to refer for judgement; or one who supports the rejecters and helps them against the believers.

• Hanging up “hands”, turquoise beads etc on such grounds that they offer protection or that they ward off the evil eye. But Allah has not made them the means of such protection [Translator’s note: the “hands” referred to are objects made of metal, pottery etc, usually blue or turquoise in colour, that some people hang up to ward off the evil eye, according to their mistaken belief.

• Wearing talismans, strings, amulets and the like, and other words and deeds. Amulets are things that are hung on children such as turquoise beads or black threads, which they claim will protect them from the evil eye.

039:003: “Beware!, Pure religion is for Allah. And yet those who take protectors besides Him [saying], “We only serve them so that they may bring us nearer to Allah.” Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Indeed, Allah does not guide the one who is a liar and rejecter.”

005:076: “Say: “Do you serve besides Allah that which possesses no power to harm or benefit you. While Allah is the one who is The Hearer, The Knower?”

002:186: “And when My servants ask you, about Me, so indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the suppliant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me so that they may be guided”

035:014: “If you invoke them (the dead saints), they do not even hear your call, and even if they hear, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association. And none can inform you like the One Who is Aware.”

• Sehr (witchcraft): Including spells to turn one person against another or to make someone love another. Love spells are something that they do, claiming that it will make a woman beloved to her husband and a man beloved to his wife.

002:102): “But neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)”

• Supporting the Mushrikeen and helping them against the Mominun.

005:051: “O! You who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliyaa’ (friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa’ of oneanother. And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa’), then surely, he is one of them. Indeed Allah does not guide the wrongdoers.”

• Superstitious Beliefs

YAOOQ = DELAY:
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Most people in authority delay or linger on a weak person’s requirements on purpose.

002:188: “So, knowingly, do not consume the wealth and property of one another with falsehood, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their rightful belongings. While you know (it is unlawful).)

NASR = VULTURE:
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A person who preys on or exploits others. A person who uses the weaknesses of helpless people for his own advantages or gains. E.g. Wealthy people exploit the poor.

026:022) “Musa is saying to Firaun. “And that is the favor of which you remind me – that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?”

SHAMS AND QAMAR = SUN AND MOON
=======================

People pursue sun, moon and planets in the form of horoscopes and zodiac signs to such an extent that it becomes a form of Idol worship, just to determine their future.

041:037: “Among His signs are the night and day as well as the sun and moon. Prostrate neither the sun nor the moon, but prostate to Allah, who created them, if it is Him that you wish to serve.”

CONCLUSION
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022:018: “Do you not see that to Allah submits whosoever is in the multiverse and whosoever is on the earth, and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and all kinds of living beings and many of the human beings? But there are numerous human beings upon whom the punishment has been justified. Whoever disgraces himself according to Allah’s law, for him, there is none that can raise him to honor. Allah has control over all things and events and He does everything according to His laws.”

040:060: “And your Nourisher/Sustainer said: “Call upon Me and I shall respond to you.” Indeed, those who are too proud to serve me will enter Hell, disgraced.”

029:025: “You have chosen idols (and their priests) instead of God, out of regard for your social bonds in this worldly life. But on the Resurrection Day you will disown one another and curse one another. The fire will be your home, and there will be no helpers for you.”

By: Asma Waseem

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