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Written by faqir
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Idolatry & Its Forms
An Excerpt from:
The Divine Texts
Answering ibn `Abdul Wahhab’s
Movement
Imam Mustafa ibn Ahmad ash-Shatti
translated and annotated by
Abu Ja’far Al-Hanbali
-2-
Idolatry, Innovation and their Forms
When discussing shirk, [1] it should be known that there are two forms - the greater and the lesser. The greater form is the worship of idolatrous symbols [2] and/or idols themselves, [3] while the lesser form is looking at causes, depending upon them or showing dependence on them while being heedless of Allah. [4] Indeed Allah, He is the One who brought these things into existence. Showing off [5] is also a form of shirk, being referred to as minor shirk. The evidence for the dividing of shirk into categories has been mentioned by Allah in the Qur’an, reported in the Sunnah and agreed upon by the Consensus. Our evidence comes from the words of the Exalted One in the Qur’an:
And most of them do not believe in Allah except that they associate partners. [6]
Allah the Exalted, with this statement, has stated that most of His Slaves possess shirk while they are in a state of faith. Had the intent been major shirk, which negates faith, this would have caused a contradiction in His Word, but this is not possible as He is the One who destroys falsehood and contradiction. If we examine the context, we will know from this that there is another form of shirk, which is the lesser.
We have examples of this in the Sunnah, as explicitly stated in the following hadith from the companion, Abu Musa al-Ash`ari, Allah be pleased with him. He said, “The Messenger of Allah was giving us a speech one day, when he stated:
‘People! Beware of this shirk, for it is more inconspicuous than the tapping of an ant’s legs on a rock’.” [7]
In another narration, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stated:
“Shirk in my Ummah is more inconspicuous than the tapping of an ant’s legs on the rock.” [8]
The commentator on this hadith, Imam al-Munawi, [9] said, “This is because they are looking at causes, such as rain, heedless of the uncaused cause. Whoever makes himself content with causes, has taken protectors besides Allah. A believer does not leave his faith except by denying the uncaused cause and the witness over all, the Lord of Lords, and he indicated this by saying that it is more concealed… Up to that it was waning, coming to nothing among them. He was pleased with them for the virtue of their certainty, especially while Abu Bakr and `Umar were among them. Thus, even if it was a danger for them, the dangers were hidden and there were no traces of it in their souls, just as there is no trace of the tapping of an ant’s legs on the side of a rock.” [10]
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Written by Hamoudeh
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WHY THE MEANS TO FIRM FAITH IS OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE
Excerpt from:
A RETURN TO PURITY IN CREED
By the Imām, “The Proof of Islām” Al-Ghazzālī
Translated by Ustādh ‘Abdullāh bin Ḥamīd ‘Alī
Maybe you will say “I do not deny that firm conviction occurs in the hearts of laypersons by reason of these things, but there is not a speck of spiritual cognizance found in that approach. People have been burdened with attaining true spiritual cognizance, not mere belief that is equivalent to ignorance wherein falsehood is not distinguished from truth.” [To this] the response would be that this is an error by the one who holds this view. Rather, the happiness of the creation in believing unshakably in something according to how it really is, so that their hearts would be engraved with the image of that which is in conformity with the true nature of truth, so that when they would die, when what is concealed from them is exposed and they have witnessed matters as they believed they were, they will not be disgraced and scorched firstly by the fire of humiliation and shame, and secondly by the fire of Hell....
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