Shirk and Kufr (Syirik Dan Kafir)

Alhamdulillah…..All the praise belongs to Allah. This one of my notes, which is about Shirk and Kufr…..

Shirk means partnership, sharing or associating Allah with others. Imam Al- Ghazali clarify that Shirk is an opponent to sincerity. Sincerity is free from other things while, Shirk likely to be mixed with other and thus make it lost its originality. Shirk is the gravest sin that can be ever committed by a human being and this sin cannot be forgiven. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

"Allah forgives not associating other with Him, but, He forgives whom He pleases other sins than this. One who associates others with Him has strayed far, far away" (Surah An-Nisa verse 116)

HISTORY OF SHIRK

The history of Shirk started with the idolatry in the ancient time. According to Abu Munzir Hisyam Al-Kalbi, Shirk came from worship of idols after the death of Adam a.s. The descendant of Adam from Bani Syit bin Adam a.s was placed Adam's body at the place where he step first when thrown to earth. Adam's body was honoured and remembered by his descendants at that time. Then one of Bani Qabil descendant said to his people, "O Bani Qabil! There is a place that is sacred for Bani Syit but for you there is none". So they started to create an idol. The idol at that time purposefully to remember and honour Adam, then, as time moves forward, the purpose has changed to the worship and they forget who should be worshipped.

CATEGORIES OF SHIRK

Muslims scholars have categorized Shirk into three portion namely, Shirk in Rububiyah, Shirk in Al- Asmaa' was Sifat and Shirk in Al-Ibadah.

Shirk Al Rububiyah is divided into types:

• Shirk by Association
  
• Shirk by Negation
  

Shirk by Association is the shirk emerges because certain people believe that they are other gods or other ultimate power who are manage this universe beside Allah. In other word they do not believe that this entire universe is controlled by Allah the only one God, and they assume that some powers or supreme Beings helped to control the universe. As example, the Christianity believe that Jesus and Holy Spirit are God's partner in all of His Dominion, in their belief, that Jesus alone pronounces judgement on the world and in their belief, the Christians are helped and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Shirk by Negation is shirk whish deny the existence of God either explicitly or implicitly. This means that in some cases, God's existence is completely denied is stated, while in other cases, His existences is claimed but the way in which He is claimed denies His existences like pantheism: the belief God is present in all nature. The examples of this shirk are one is from Karl Marx, who claimed that the origin of everything in existence is matter in motion. For him, God is man's imagination created by the ruling classes. In this case, God's non-existence is stated (Atheism). In other cases, that is pantheism, is found among some Sufi Muslims like Ibn Arab, who claimed that only Allah exist (All is Allah and All is Allah). We cannot imagine a God and give Him names and attributes like that. Allah must be referred to according to how He described Himself or how His Prophet has described Him.

"There is nothing likes Him and He is hearer and sees of all" (Surah Asy-Shura verse 11)

Secondly, Shirk in Asma Wa Sifat include both the common pagan practice of giving Allah the attributes of His creation like human qualities like eating, drinking, marriage, being injustice and etc. Other than that, the act of giving a created beings Allah's names and attributes like the ancient Arabs used to worship idols whose names were derived from the names of Allah such as their main three idols:

1. Al-Lat taken from Allah names al- Elah
   
2. Al-Uzza taken from Allah names Al-Aziz
   
3. Al-manat taken from Allah names Al-Mannan.
   

When you make the similarity between names and attributes of Allah to created being or things is fall under shirk by deification, while, when Allah is given the forms and qualities of human beings and animal is a shirk by humanization.

Thirdly is about Shirk in Al-Ibadah which means the act of worship are directed to other than Allah even though they believe that Allah is the Creator, who gives all sustenance and control the universe. In this category of Shirk, it has two main aspects: Shirk Al-Akhbar and Shirk Al-Asghar. Muslim scholars have view the Shirk Al-Akhbar into four division namely, Shirk in Desire, Assistance and Dua, Shirk in Intentions, Shirk of Loyalty and Shirk of Affections.

Shirk in Desire, Assistance and Dua is about man's attitudes that are changeable. Allah says in Surah Al-Ankabut verse no 65:

"Now, if they embark on a boat, they call on Allah, making their devotion sincerely to Him, but when He has delivered them safely to land, behold, they give a share (of their worship to others)!

In this verse, it is explained about the attitude of musyrik people. Their heart always changes. When they are in pleasant time, they give all their heart to the things they loved most, but when there are a disaster happened, they devote their heart to Allah asking for help. According to the scholar, this type of Shirk happens because certain people may say that, "Because of Allah and our leader, we are survived". In this situation, their grateful is divided to two, as for Allah and their leader.

Shirk in intentions about the behavior of the ingratitude whom practice the worship in order to satisfy their worldly desire as mentioned in Surah Hud verses 15 and 16:

"Those who desire the life of the present and its glitter,- to them we shall pay (the price of) their deeds therein,- without diminution. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but the Fire: vain are the designs they frame therein, and of no effect and the deeds that they do!"

Shirk of Loyalty is happens when people are too loyal to others than Allah as mentioned in Surah At-Taubah verse 31:

"They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah. there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)."

Then, Shirk of Affections as explained in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 165:

"Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah, as equal (with Allah.: They love them as they should love Allah. But those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only the unrighteous could see, behold, they would see the penalty: that to Allah belongs all power, and Allah will strongly enforce the penalty."

These verses tell about the musyrik who are associate Allah with other thing and love other things as equal to Allah. These are some verses from Al-Quran that tell and as reminder to humankind about attitude and behavior those who are committed Major Shirk.

The second aspect of Shirk in Al- Ibadah that is Shirk al-Asghar which means the purpose of doing an ibadah is not towards Allah but to receive rewards from others. In other words, minor shirk is about showing off, pretend in doing Ibadah. They practice the ibadah is not for Allah but because their desire towards worldly matters. This minor shirk is often done by Muslim whether we realize or not because, firstly, we assume that this shirk is nothing compared to major shirk. Secondly, it is human nature to be influenced to something that the base of minor shirk like concern about worldly matters and lastly, it is hidden.

Verily! Those who are showing off (riya) will be called with four names in the Day of Judgement: O those who are showing off, deceiver, musyrik and disbeliever.

This is a hadith of Prophet about the people who are committed minor shirk. They will be called with four names as mentioned above.

INDICATIONS OF MINOR SHIRK

1. When someone praise about one's good deeds, suddenly s/he will increase his/her devotion to Allah, but when someone condemn about their deeds, their devotion to Allah is disappearing or neglect it.
   
2. Energetic and well-behaved when performing religious obligations in a group, whereas when s/he alone, he/her become lazy.
   
3. Try to do charity, but if none of people know about his action, he will not do it.
   

KUFR

Every muslims should believe in the unity of Lordship, worship and names and attributes of Allah. If one denies one of them or all, s/he is considered as unbeliever. Literally, kufr means to cover, conceal, deny, and ignore the truth or existence of Allah. A kafir is a person who, having thus received Allah's benevolence shows no signs of gratitude in his conduct, or even act rebelliously against his Benefactor. He is a person who rejects to worship Allah and to follow his Shariah. The unbeliever has a heart disease that is why they reject the truth. The heart diseases are namely ignorance, tyranny, ingratitude and arrogance. Allah says in Surah Al-Anfal from verse 32 until 35:

"Remember how they said: "O Allah if this is indeed the Truth from Thee, rain down on us a shower of stones from the sky, or send us a grievous penalty. But Allah was not going to send them a penalty whilst thou were amongst them; nor was He going to send it whilst they could ask for pardon. But what plea have they that Allah should not punish them, when they keep out (men) from the sacred Mosque - and they are not its guardians? No men can be its guardians except the righteous; but most of them do not understand. Their prayer at the House (of Allah. is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands: (Its only answer can be), "Taste ye the penalty because ye blasphemed."

In these verses are about the arrogance of the unbelievers by challenge a Penalty by Allah. The arrogance is one of the heart diseases which belong to the unbelievers or kafir. There is a verse which proof that the unbelievers reject the truth revealed to them. The verse is from Surah Al-Zukhruf verse 78:

"Verily We have brought the Truth to you: but most of you have a hatred for Truth."

Additionally, Muslims can be a kafir if they reject the truth of unity of Lordship, worship and Al- Asma wa Sifat. Person who are kufr are likely the person who are committed a minor shirk. Kufr can be viewed from the angle of acceptance or rejection of what has revealed by Allah. If it is rejected, whether it is all of it, part of it or small amount of it, then becomes kufr.

NOTE:

Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi (737-819) also known as Ibn al-Kalbi an Arabian historian. His full name is Abu al-Munzir Hisaham bin Muhammed bin al-Sa'ib bin Bishr al-Kalbi. Born in Kufa, he spent most of his life in Baghdad. Like his father, he collected information about the genealogies and history of ancient Arab.

Here are some references that I have used:

Ungs 2030: Islamic worldview-Textbook.

Syirik written by Ab. Aziz Bin Mohd Zin

Tawhid and Shirk written by Muhammad Ibrahim Hussain.

UNGS notes

Holy Quran- Text and translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

i am sorry because the sanad for the hadith i forgot to mentioned....i will try to recall or search the hadith....this is my note for my first sem first year...ni copy balik dari hardcopy and jadikan softcopy...