Fear of Shirk

Allah , says:


" Verily, Allah forgives not that partners be set up with Him [in worship] but He forgives other than that to whom He pleases; and whoever sets up partners with Allah [in worship], he has indeed invented an enormous wrong" (Qur'an 4:48)

Shirk is the most dangerous of all sins, the wickedest and the most severely punished because of the dishonour and denigration of the Rabb, Almighty, All-powerful, and the likening of Allah to His creation which it entails. Allah informs us in this verse that He will not forgive the one who commits Shirk and dies as a Mushrik,1 but as for the one who dies believing in the Oneness of Allah , although he may have committed some sins, Allah has promised him forgiveness in accordance with His Will. Then He explains why the mushrik will not be forgiven, saying that by his association of partners with Allah , he has rejected Him and belied Him and committed a sin the like of which there is no other.

Benefits Derived From This Verse


1. That whoever dies being guilty of Shirk Akbar, will assuredly go to the Fire.

2. Whoever dies believing in the Oneness of Allah, although he may have committed major sins, may be forgiven if Allah, Most Glorified, Most High Wills.

3. In the verse is a reply to the khawarij,2 who charged those guilty of major sins with disbelief, and to the mu'tazilah,3 who believed that those guilty of major sins would spend eternity in the Fire.

4. Confirmation of the Divine Will which is one of His Attributes.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves that Allah Will not forgive those who are guilty of Shirk and this should be a warning to all.

..ooOOoo..

Allah , says:


" And [remember] when Ibrahim said: "My Rabb! Make this city one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols" (Qur'an 13:35)

Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us that Ibrahim (as ) supplicated Allah to make Makkah a place of safety and stability, because fear and chaos prevent people from performing their religious rituals. Then he followed this with another request to his Rabb: That He preserve him and his family from idol worship, for he knew the danger of that and he knew how easily people can be seduced by it.

Benefits Derived From This Verse


1. The virtue of Makkah over other cities.

2. Ibrahim's prayer for the security and stability of Makkah.

3. Evidence of the benefit of supplication.

4. That the original religion of all the Messengers is one: Belief in the Oneness of Allah.

5. The desirability of one's supplicating on behalf of his family.

6. The forbiddance of worshipping idols.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves that Ibrahim, with his strong faith, fears for himself and his family that they may be affected by Shirk; thus, the obligation upon us to fear Shirk is that much greater.

..ooOOoo..

It is reported that the Prophet said: "Of the things which I fear for my Ummah, the thing which I fear most is minor Shirk. Then he was asked about minor Shirk, and he said: "It is ar-riyaa."4

The Prophet informs us in this Hadith that he fears for us, and that what he fears most for us is minor Shirk. This shows how kind-hearted and compassionate the Prophet was towards his Ummah, and how concerned he was for their good: He knew the dangers of minor Shirk, how it can strongly manifest itself in the community, polluting the pure monotheism of the Muslims, especially since it can afflict them without them even knowing it. This is why the Prophet warned them to beware of it.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith


1. The care and concern shown by the Messenger of Allah for his Ummah.

2. The division of Shirk into two categories: Major and minor.

3. That riyaa` is considered Shirk.

4. The obligation of asking the people of knowledge about matters which confuse them.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed

That the Hadith proves that Allah's Messenger feared for his Companions that they might unwittingly fall into minor Shirk; this, in spite of their strong faith and understanding of Islam and Tawheed. Therefore, we, with our comparatively weak faith and little knowledge, are even more obligated to fear both major and minor Shirk.

..ooOOoo..

It is reported on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (ra) that the Messenger of Allah said:


"Whoever died while supplicating another deity besides Allah , will enter the Fire." (Narrated by Bukhari)

The Prophet informs us in this Hadith that whoever adulterated that which should be purely for Allah (i.e. worship), by worshipping others besides Him, and died in this state, will have his abode in the Hell-fire.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith


1. Whoever died as a Mushrik will enter the Fire - If it was major Shirk, he will abide therein forever, but if it was minor Shirk, then Allah will punish him as much as He wishes, then he will be allowed to leave the Fire.

2. That a person will be judged upon his last act in this world.5

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed

That the Hadith proves that whoever died calling upon a deity other than Allah , will enter the Hell-fire, therefore it is incumbent upon us to fear Shirk.

..ooOOoo..

It is reported by Muslim, on the authority of Jabir (ra), that Allah's Messenger said:


"Whoever meets Allah , without associating partners with Him, will enter Paradise; and whoever meets Him as one who associated anything with Him, will enter the Fire.

The Prophet informs us in this Hadith that whoever died without associating partners with Allah - either in Rabbship or worship or in His Divine Names and Attributes is promised an abode in Paradise, while whoever died as a Mushrik, will abide in the Hell-fire.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith


1. Confirmation of the existence of Paradise and Hell.

2. That a person will be judged upon his last act in this world.

3. Whoever died believing in the Oneness of Allah , will not dwell forever in the Hell-fire, but will find his eternal abode in Paradise.

4. Whoever died as a Mushrik must dwell eternally in the Hell-fire.

Relevance of the Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed

That the Hadith proves that whoever died as a Mushrik will enter the Fire, and the knowledge of this obliges us to fear Shirk in all its manifestations.


Footnotes

1. Mushrik: One who commits Shirk.
2. Khawaarij: A deviant sect, who claimed that committing major sins takes a person out of the fold of Islam.
3. Mu'tazilah: A deviant sect, who denied the Divine Attributes of Allah (swt), and claimed that those who committed major sins would dwell eternally in the Hell-fire.
4. Narrated by Imam Ahmad.
5. It is reported on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr (ra) that Allah's Messenger said: "...verily, he whose abode will be Paradise, his final deed will be of the deeds of the people of Paradise, whatever he did (previously), and verily, he who is destined for the Hell-fire, his final deed will be of the deeds of the people of the Hell-fire, whatever he did (previously)." (Narrated by Ahmad and At-Tirmizi, who said it is hasan-saheeh-ghareeb i.e. somewhere between the classifications of saheeh (authentic) and hasan (good), though narrated at some point(s) in its sanad by only one narrator.

Make sincere supplications to Allah to destroy the enemies of
Islam who are killing our brothers and sisters



"Allah Our God, Quran Our Book, Sunnah Our Path, Shari'ah Our Law, Heaven Our Desire"

RABBANA WA LAKAL_HAMD-
'Our Lord, Praise if yours', said after rising from ruku after saying 'sami Allahuliman hamidah'
[which means 'Allah listens to the one who praises him']


RADIYALLAHU ANHA-
The formula 'May Allah be pleased with her' used after a female companion
[usually abbreviated as RA or RAA]


RADIYALLAHU ANHU-
This is an expression to be used by muslims whenever a name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammed is mentioned or used in writing. IT means 'May Allah be pleased with him'
[usually abbreviated as RA or RAA]


RADIYALLAHU ANHUM-
The formula, 'May Allah be pleased with them', used after a group of companions
[usually abbreviated as RA or RAA]


RAHIMAHULLAH-
The formula, 'May Allah have mercy on him'


ASSALAMU ALAYKUM
'Peace be upon you' the greeting of the muslim
[the reply is 'wa alaikumus salam' which means 'and peace be upon you. The fuller version reads, 'assalam u alaikum wa rahmatulahi wa baakatuhu' which means 'peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of Alllah' the reply is 'wa alaikumus salam wa rahmatulahi wa baakatuhu']


SALLAHU ALAYHI WA SALLAM-
'May Allah bless him and grant him peace', the formula spoken after the mentioning of the Prophet Muhammed SAW
[usually the following two sets of abbreviations are used for this phrase (pbuh) which means 'peace be upon him' and is the technical reply for all Prophets or (saws) the correct suffix when referring to the Prophet Muhammed SAW]


SAMI ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH-
'Allah heard him who send praise to Him', said by someone praying when he rises from ruku (unless he is following an imam in prayer)
[if he is following an imam in prayer he says 'Rabana wala kalhamd' only]


SAYYIDUNA-
'Our Master', a term of respect
[usually used to refer to the Prophet Muhammed SAW, however many people use it to refer to learned man / scholar, a practise I am not keen on - and Allah knows best]


SUBHANALLAH-
'Glorified is Allah.' To honour Allah andmake Him free from all (unsuitable evil things) that are ascribed to Him, (or 'Glorified be Allah')


SUBHANAHU WA TA'ALA-
'Glorified is He and exalted,' an expression that muslims use when the name of Allah is pronounced or written
[this us usually abbreviated as (swt)]


TA'ALA-
'Exalted is He', an expression used after the name of Allah is mentioned
[i.e. Allah Ta'ala meaning, Allah, exalted be He]


TAAWWUDH-
Saying, 'I seek refuge in Allah...' (audhu billahi minash shaitan nirajeem)


TABARAKALLAH-
The formula 'Blessed is Allah'


TAHMID-
Saying the expression 'alhamdulillah', which means 'Praise belongs to Allah'


TAKBIR-
Saying 'Allahu akbar', which means 'Allah is Great'


TALBIYA-
Saying 'Labbayk', which means 'At your service' during the hajj


TAMJID-
Glorifying Allah


TARDIYA-
Saying one of the expressions which begin with 'radiyallahu....'


TASBIH-
Glorification, saying 'SubhanAllah', which means 'Glory be to Allah'


TASHMIT -
Uttering a prayer for the sneezer which thes the form, 'yarhamuk Allah' which means 'may Allah have mercy on you'
[when a person sneezes he says, Ahamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), a person who hears the sneeze says 'yarhamuk Allah' and the sneezer replies 'Yahdikumul-lah wa Yuslih balakum' which means 'May Allah give you guidance and improve your condition.']


WAJHULLAH -
'The face of Allah', meaning for the sake of Allah, irrespective of any reward in this life, purely for Allah'


, also however used in the context of referring to a learned individual e.g. scholar or imam, a concept I am not too keen on supporting and Allah knows best]


RABBANA WA LAKAL_HAMD-
'Our Lord, Praise if yours', said after rising from ruku after saying 'sami Allahuliman hamidah'
[which means 'Allah listens to the one who praises him']


RADIYALLAHU ANHA-
The formula 'May Allah be pleased with her' used after a female companion
[usually abbreviated as RA or RAA]


RADIYALLAHU ANHU-
This is an expression to be used by muslims whenever a name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammed is mentioned or used in writing. IT means 'May Allah be pleased with him'
[usually abbreviated as RA or RAA]


RADIYALLAHU ANHUM-
The formula, 'May Allah be pleased with them', used after a group of companions
[usually abbreviated as RA or RAA]


RAHIMAHULLAH-
The formula, 'May Allah have mercy on him'


ASSALAMU ALAYKUM
'Peace be upon you' the greeting of the muslim
[the reply is 'wa alaikumus salam' which means 'and peace be upon you. The fuller version reads, 'assalam u alaikum wa rahmatulahi wa baakatuhu' which means 'peace be upon you and the blessings and mercy of Alllah' the reply is 'wa alaikumus salam wa rahmatulahi wa baakatuhu']


SALLAHU ALAYHI WA SALLAM-
'May Allah bless him and grant him peace', the formula spoken after the mentioning of the Prophet Muhammed
[usually the following two sets of abbreviations are used for this phrase (pbuh) which means 'peace be upon him' and is the technical reply for all Prophets or (saws) the correct suffix when referring to the Prophet Muhammed ]


SAMI ALLAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH-
'Allah heard him who send praise to Him', said by someone praying when he rises from ruku (unless he is following an imam in prayer)
[if he is following an imam in prayer he says 'Rabana wala kalhamd' only]


SAYYIDUNA-
'Our Master', a term of respect
[usually used to refer to the Prophet Muhammed SAW , however many people use it to refer to learned man / scholar, a practise I am not keen on - and Allah knows best]


SUBHANALLAH-
'Glorified is Allah.' To honour Allah andmake Him free from all (unsuitable evil things) that are ascribed to Him, (or 'Glorified be Allah')


SUBHANAHU WA TA'ALA-
'Glorified is He and exalted,' an expression that muslims use when the name of Allah is pronounced or written
[this us usually abbreviated as (swt)]


TA'ALA-
'Exalted is He', an expression used after the name of Allah is mentioned
[i.e. Allah Ta'ala meaning, Allah, exalted be He]


TAAWWUDH-
Saying, 'I seek refuge in Allah...' (audhu billahi minash shaitan nirajeem)


TABARAKALLAH-
The formula 'Blessed is Allah'


TAHMID-
Saying the expression 'alhamdulillah', which means 'Praise belongs to Allah'


TAKBIR-
Saying 'Allahu akbar', which means 'Allah is Great'


TALBIYA-
Saying 'Labbayk', which means 'At your service' during the hajj


TAMJID-
Glorifying Allah


TARDIYA-
Saying one of the expressions which begin with 'radiyallahu....'


TASBIH-
Glorification, saying 'SubhanAllah', which means 'Glory be to Allah'


TASHMIT -
Uttering a prayer for the sneezer which thes the form, 'yarhamuk Allah' which means 'may Allah have mercy on you'
[when a person sneezes he says, Ahamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), a person who hears the sneeze says 'yarhamuk Allah' and the sneezer replies 'Yahdikumul-lah wa Yuslih balakum' which means 'May Allah give you guidance and improve your condition.']

Kur'an

WAJHULLAH -
'The face of Allah', meaning for the sake of Allah, irrespective of any reward in this life, purely for Allah'
Whoever Fulfilled the Requirements of Tawheed Will Enter Paradise Without a Reckoning

Allah (swt ), says:

" Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah [a leader, good and righteous] obedient to Allah, Haneefan [worshipping none but Allah], and he was not one of the polytheists" (Qur'an 16:120)

Allah (swt ), informs us in this verse that His Messenger, Ibrahim (as ) was a leader in religion, a teacher of goodness, always humble and obedient to his Rabb; and that he rejected Shirk, in all its manifestations and devoted himself exclusively to the worship of Allah (swt ), Alone, without falling into Shirk, either in word, deed or belief.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. That Tawheed is the basis of all religion.

2. The obligation to follow Ibrahim, by sincerely worshipping Allah, Alone.

3. It is an obligation upon the daa'iyah1 to set a good example to the people in all that he does.

4. The unchanging nature of true worship as exemplified by the Prophets.

5. Tawheed is not acceptable without rejections of Shirk.

6. Rejection of the claim of Quraish in the days of ignorance that in practising their Shirk, they were following the religion of Ibrahim.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That the verse proves that whoever exemplified these four attributes, has earned the right to Paradise, as did Ibrahim (as ), without reckoning or punishment.


Islam is not a mere collection of certain rituals, dogma and ceremonies but it provides us with a complete code of life. Islam gives us the absolute analysis of political, economic and social life the first and foremost point of emphasis in Islam is Monotheism (Tauheed). Tauheed (Oneness of Almighty Allah) creates the concept that God is one. Men have been negating this on account of weak belief, the man with external and superficial excitement says the name of Allah but actually he has circumscribed all of his hopes around things. Allah has created man on the best form but man has been degrading himself by those attributes which amount to polytheism or "Shirk".

Allah Says in Quran, "And verily we have given respect to the Children of Adam." Islam has given superiority to men over certain other creatures. This superiority is due to the knowledge and intellect given to him.

The power of knowledge must be revealed through best deeds. But the truth of the matter is that we have strayed from the right path and in doing so, we have lowered our selves. Allah says, "And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels Verily, I am going to place (mankind) generation after generation on cart." The verse reveals that man is the representative (Khalifa) of Allah on earth. Right to give has not been bestowed on any exalted individual or to any group. It is rather declared as a sacred responsibility devolved on all faithful.

The political system of Islam gives us the principle of responsibility rather than authority.

Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone. By conscious recognition of Allah as the sole Master, all individuals become subservient to His will, Government of an Islamic polity can command political obedience on the part of people so long as it performs its duties according to Shariah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] is reported to have said, "There is no obedience in sinful mothers, it is obligatory only in the matter of righteousness. "

He further said, "No obedience is due to him, who does not obey Allah".

Allah says in Quran, "He is the Master of all powers."

In Islam politics and religion (Din) are not separated, Islam and government are twin. None of two can remain isolated. Islam is like a building while government is its guardian. A building without foundation demolishes and a person is robbed if he has no guardian. So, as Muslims we should implement the constitution of Islam which consists of Quran and Sunnah of the prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. Islam lays great emphasis on education (Knowledge).

Allah's Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, "Acquisition of knowledge is obligatory to all the Muslims".

The Quran says, "Allah will exalt the grades of those who have become believers among you and who have been given knowledge."

So the verse of Quran indicates the dignity of knowledge i.e. the knowledge of Quran and Sunnah (Hadiths). But we should also get wordly knowledge of Science and Technology and other branches, to meet the needs of changing worldly condition.

Islam believers in the inductive method, which regards reason and experience as the instruments of knowledge together with nature and History as the resources of knowledge. Induction is a great gift of Islam to humanity. Prophet Muhammad's [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] constant prayer was, "Oh Allah add to my knowledge."

Islam aims at banishing evil from human society not merely through words but through deeds also.

Allah says in Quran: "You are the best nation that has ever been raised up from mankind you enjoin justice and forbid evil. You believe in Allah".

It is the duty of every Muslim to contribute to the process of Daawa (Call for righteousness) we must strengthen this process through every step at our disposal. We would be held accountable before Allah, on the Day of Judgment, if we indulge in ignorance. We must convey the message of Islam to all people the Prophet Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, "The most honorable amongst you is the one who fears Allah, fearing the most."

"Fear of Allah" does not simply imply the saying of prayers regularly, keeping fasts, paying Zakat and performing Hajj. It also implies fair and just dealing and kind treatment towards one's fellow being.

For the enforcement of justice, Islam believes neither in un controlled economic pattern as portrayed by capitalist nor the socialistic solution in which the whole life of individual is subjected the excessive legal restraints. Islam on the other hand adopts its delimit modes to chanelize the collective efforts for the betterment of the whole society. Implementation of "Zakat" is an obligation on state for the creation of economic justice, Islam has prescribed such solid principles of economic ills. It prohibits usury, which is the root cause of all socio-economic ills.

Every Muslim is expected to spend his wealth in the way of Allah.

Almighty Allah say, "They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah, unto then give tidings (O Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]) of a painful doom".

Islam does not believe in so called clan war as upheld by Monism. Islam is a universal religion. Allah says, "It is He, who has sent His Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] with guidance and the religion of trough. (Islam to make it superior over all religions".

It means that system of Islam must be implemented in the whole universe. In this way, He wants to test the faiths and beliefs of His men. Islam is above consideration of caste, colour, race and nation. It teaches universal human brother hood. It is the duty of Muslim Ummah to propagate the message of Islam and a universal constitution to implement Islamic system of prayers is obligatory on the (Khalifa) ruler.

Allah says, "And when they are given government on the earth, they establish the system of prayer (Salaat) and give Zakat and enjoin the right conduct and forbid evil."

To achieve these far reaching effects, the Muslims are required to adopt the methods of Daawa (call for righteousness) and Jihad. It is the distinction of Muslim Ummah, so we need to mould our selves according to Shariah. Our character can impress other to adopt am Islamic way of life. Then we must disseminate our point of view with best possible login.

Allah says. "Call the people toward the path of Allah with wisdom (Login) and good advice and discussion with the best possible way."

Islam has given to women a respectable place in society. The Quran reveals the equality of rights of women with men in their good conducts and characteristics. The Quran says, "Muslim men and women, obedient men and women, faith full men and women, truthful men and women, pious men and women, Good fearing men and women".

Women should knockout those organized conspiracies, which are distracting their minds. In this respect, we must firmly stick to the guidance of Quran and Sunnah to fail the devilish designs of the enemies. Our salvation lies in following the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.

Islam is a complete code of life and this code must be implemented as constitution to acclaim the cherished goal.