Understanding Shirk: Are Muslims Who Visit Shrines Committing Shirk?

By Ariba Razvi, New Age Islam 16 September 2024 Shirk, Or Associating Partners With Allah, Is Misunderstood. It Is Categorized Into Worship, Essence, And Attributes. Sunnis Are Free From Shirk, As They Differentiate Between Allah’s Inherent Qualities And Those Granted To Others By His Will, Debunking Accusations Of Shirk Against Them. Main Points 1. Types of Shirk: Shirk is divided into three categories: Shirk fil Ibadah (worship), Shirk fiz Zaat (essence), and Shirk fis Sifat (attributes). 2. Shirk fiz Zaat: Believing there are two essences of the Creator contradicts monotheism. 3. Shirk fis Sifat: Attributing Allah’s exclusive qualities to others, like His mercy and knowledge, is shirk in attributes. 4. Misconceptions About Sunnis: Accusing Sunnis of shirk is incorrect. Muslims believe Allah’s attributes are unique, while those of the Prophet are by Allah’s will, not equals. ---- In today's society, we often see that Muslims who visit shrines are quickly labelled as committing "Shirk." If someone kisses the sheet of a saint in reverence, it's called shirk; if someone salutes the flag, it's Shirk; even if someone slightly bows while shaking hands, it's shirk. This trend of labelling people with shirk has become quite active these days. In this article, we will explore whether it's truly that easy to label someone with shirk. Can anyone just call another person a "Mushrik" without proper understanding? Anyone who accuses Sunnis of shirk is, in fact, outside the fold of Islam. Let’s explore what shirk truly means. There are three types of shirk: 1. Shirk in worship (Shirk fil-Ibadah) 2. Shirk in essence (Shirk fiz-Zat) 3. Shirk in attributes (Shirk fis-Sifat) 1. Shirk in Worship (Shirk fil-Ibadah) Shirk in worship means considering anyone other than Allah as worthy of worship. For example, the polytheists of Makkah kept 360 idols in the Kaaba and worshipped them. They worshipped these lifeless stones instead of Allah. In essence, worshipping anyone besides Allah is shirk in worship. The declaration of faith: لا إله إلا الله “There is no one worthy of worship except Allah.” 2. Shirk in Essence (Shirk fiz-Zat) Shirk in essence refers to the belief that the Creator of the universe, Allah, has more than one entity. Such a belief is shirk in essence. Muslims, however, neither fall into shirk in worship nor into shirk in essence because they worship none but Allah and do not compare anyone to Him. 3. Shirk in Attributes (Shirk fis-Sifat) Understanding shirk in attributes is crucial. It refers to attributing the qualities of Allah to anyone else. For instance, Allah describes Himself as "Ra'uf" (kind) and "Rahim" (merciful) in the Quran: اِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوْفٌ رَّحِیْمٌ “Indeed, Allah is kind and merciful to the people.” (Quran) In another verse, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is also described as Ra'uf and Rahim: لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُوْلٌ مِّنْ اَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِیْزٌ عَلَیْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِیْصٌ عَلَیْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ رَءُوْفٌ رَّحِیْمٌ “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you, and to the believers is kind and merciful.” (Quran) One might question if this implies similarity between Allah and the Prophet (PBUH). Scholars explain this beautifully. Allah is Ra'uf and Rahim by His essence, whereas the Prophet (PBUH) is Ra'uf and Rahim by Allah’s bestowal. Allah has always been kind and merciful, whereas the Prophet became so only when Allah granted him this status. Therefore, no equivalence exists, and shirk does not arise. Further Examples: Another verse states: قُلْ لَّا یَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ الْغَیْبَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ “Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.” (Quran) However, another verse states: عٰلِمُ الْغَیْبِ فَلَا یُظْهِرُ عَلٰى غَیْبِهٖۤ اَحَدًاۙ اِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضٰى مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ “[He is] the Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His knowledge of the unseen to anyone, except whom He has approved of messengers.” (Quran) Scholars explain that in reality, only Allah knows the unseen. Without His grant, no one can have such knowledge. However, when Allah bestows it upon His beloved messengers, they too, by His permission, know the unseen. Allah knows the unseen by His essence, whereas the Prophet (PBUH) knows it through Allah’s gift. Similarly: اِنَّمَا وَلِیُّكُمُ اللّٰهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهٗ وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوا “Indeed, your ally is Allah and His Messenger and those who believe.” (Quran) Here again, there’s a distinction. Allah is the ally by His essence, while the Prophet and the believers are allies by Allah’s grant. Therefore, there's no shirk, as the distinction between the Creator and the creation remains clear. Healing and Miracles: Prophet Isa (AS) is recorded in the Quran as saying: وَ اُبْرِئُ الْاَكْمَهَ وَ الْاَبْرَصَ وَ اُحْیِ الْمَوْتٰى بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ “I cure the blind and the leper and I give life to the dead by Allah’s permission.” (Quran) Prophet Isa (AS) explicitly clarifies that he performs these miracles by Allah’s will, not by his independent power. Hence, no shirk occurs because it is always understood that these abilities are by Allah’s permission. Addressing Misunderstandings In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), hypocrites accused him of shirk because they failed to grasp this distinction between essence and bestowal. Imam Fakhruddin Razi (RA) mentions in Tafsir al-Kabir that when the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Whoever loves me, has loved Allah,” the hypocrites alleged that he was committing shirk by elevating himself to Allah’s level. In response, Allah revealed: مَنْ یُّطِعِ الرَّسُوْلَ فَقَدْ اَطَاعَ اللّٰهَۚ “Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.” (Quran) This demonstrates that loving and following the Prophet is a means of loving and following Allah, without implying any form of shirk. Conclusion It is essential to note that falsely accusing a Muslim of shirk when they are innocent of it is a grave sin. The Prophet (PBUH) warned in Sahih al-Bukhari that calling someone a disbeliever unjustly could cause the accuser themselves to leave the fold of Islam. Thus, Muslims are free from shirk, and falsely labelling them as such is not just incorrect but also dangerous for the accuser. Wallahu A'lamu wa Rasuluhu A'lam. (Allah and His Messenger know best.) ----- Ariba Razvi is a Sunni Islamic scholar, currently serving as a teacher in a girls' Islamic seminary. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/muslims-shrines-committing-shirk/d/133209 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism