Types of Shirk in Interfaith
With the rise and promotion of Interfaith, and the subsequent engagement of Muslims in Interfaith activity, there are some modernists who are trying hard to create the impression that the Shirk in Interfaith is not as bad as it is being portrayed, because everyone commits some Shirk, although it may be the minor form.
The idea expressed above is in reality, very dangerous, and is a stepping stone out into the wilderness of irreligiousness.
The idea that because everyone commits some kind of Minor Shirk, which is why participation in Interfaith activity is permitted, is not plausible, and it is worthy of rejection. Such an idea actually pushes people into the abyss of Major Shirk.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of Shirk. Shirk Asghar, or Minor Shirk, and Shirk Akbar, or Major Shirk.
Shirk Asghar:
Shirk Asghar, or Minor Shirk, has been discussed in the Ahadith. It is a lesser or weaker form of Shirk, and weak believers fall into it. However, a person will not leave the fold of Islam and Iman because of it. A form of Minor Shirk is to perform deeds for show, name and fame. Muslims are taught in the Ahadith to seek protection from this Minor Shirk, and to seek forgiveness all the time from it. Moreover, all Muslims are taught to guard their deeds from ostentation, and to plead unto Allah Ta'ala for the acceptance of their deeds.
Shirk Akbar:
Shirk Akbar is covered extensively in the Noble Qur'an. It is very severe, and Allah Ta'ala says that it will not be forgiven [Surah An-Nisa': 116]
Shirk Akbar is in the same category of Kufr, i.e., disbelief. It can never co-exist with Imaan in the same heart. Shirk Akbar takes a person into full blown disbelief. Once Shirk Akbar crystallizes and becomes firm, and a person passes away without repenting, he or she will be deprived of entry into Jannah.
If a person repents from Shirk before he or she passes away, and renews his or her faith in Allah Ta'ala, and he or she leaves this world with Imaan, then he or she will be worthy of forgiveness, the mercy of Allah Ta'ala, and entry into Jannah.
When Shirk is contrasted with Iman, then Shirk Akbar is meant.
Types of Shirk Akbar:
There are various types of Shirk Akbar. Each one of them entail disbelief. The person who engages in any of these types will fall far away from the mercy of Allah Ta'ala.
1. Shirk Istiqlal: To believe in two powers equally, like the fire worshippers, or dualists.
2. Shirk Tab'id: To take the supreme deity as a unit amongst various powers, like the Christians, who believe in the trinity. The trinity is taken as one supreme deity.
3. Shirk Taqrib: To stipulate a number of smaller deities in order to get close to the major deity. The pagan Arabs held this belief, and they would take their saints to be smaller deities. They would make statues and idols of these saints, and when worshipping, they would say that these statues and idols will take them close to Allah Ta'ala.
4. Shirk Taqlid: A person follows the polytheistic actions of someone that he sees. For example, he sees someone prostrating to a grave, so he does the same. This will be classified as Shirk Taqlid if he did not willfully adopt polytheistic beliefs, but he followed someone else. Yes, the person who willfully adopts polytheistic actions, he will be classified as an evil polytheist.
5. Shirk Asbaab: Allah Ta'ala has made the world in such a way that certain things are done and accomplished through means. The person who takes these means to be the real effector, like saying that cure lies in the medicine itself, he will be responsible for Shirk Asbaab. Cure does not lie in the medicine itself, but it causes an effect by the command of Allah Ta'ala. There are many cases where medication is taken, and it has no effect on the patient.
Similarly, there are some who feel that the turning of time is a real effector. They are committing Shirk Asbaab. According to such people, the Asbaab are the real causes and real beings behind occurrences. Those who ascribe events to time, are in effect, denying Allah Ta'ala.
6. Shirk A'maal: Deeds which are only to be done for Allah Ta'ala, a person does it for someone else. A person does a deed to please some pious person after he has passed away. Or, a person calls on a deceased person for help - like how one normally calls unto Allah Ta'ala during difficulty. Or, a person bows before a created thing, with the belief that the created being can provide sustenance, or he says that his cure lies in the hands of someone
In Interfaith activities, there are also polytheistic practices a person engages in.
Examples of Interfaith Shirk Activity:
1. A person attends a prayer where different scriptures are read and people of different faiths are bound to respect the prayer. Whilst deities besides Allah Ta'ala are being called on, attendees must honor and revere the action that entails Shirk.
2. Interfaith Workshops, where people of different faiths read their scriptures, which is then followed by a discussion on how to avoid conflict in the understanding and application of those texts.
3. Interfaith Dinners, where people of different religions get together and have dinner or iftar, ostensibly showcasing Ramadhan and Iftar to other faith groups.
4. Praying in Multi-faith prayer rooms. A multi-faith prayer room is an area where different deities are worshipped. It is open to people of all faiths.
A Muslim prays to Allah Ta'ala alone, in a Masjid - a sacred place dedicated to the worship of one Allah Ta'ala alone.
Interfaith Activities are a conglomeration of different types of Shirk, i.e., compounded Shirk. Hence, it can never be permitted for a Muslim to participate in Interfaith and Multi-faith activities.
Ignorance with regards to interfaith has led many into falling for Shirk Taqlid, i.e., they simply follow others without realizing and understanding the danger it entails. For this reason, we call on all Muslims to stay far away from Interfaith, Interfaith Activities, and everything associated with mixing the religions.
May Allah Ta'ala protect the Ummah, and may He accept us to be a means of spreading the truth and light of Islam. Ameen
Source: 'Umdat-ul-Bayan fi Ibtal Wahdat-ul-Adyan, 'Allamah Khalid Mahmud, pp.171-177, Lahore 2021]
