Putting partners to God (Shrik)

Salam,

We know that God is ever forgiving and He forgive again and again but one of the offence that raise His anger is idolatry or putting partners to be worshipped along with Him. God said:

Behold! We gave the site, to Abraham, of the (Sacred) House, (saying): "Associate not anything in worship with Me; and sanctify My House for those who compass it round, and stand up, and bow to prostrate themselves (therein in prayer). (Surah 22:26)

Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgives anything else, to whom He pleases; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed. (Surah 4:48)

Allah forgives not (The sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgive whom He please other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, has strayed far, far away (from the right path). (Surah 4:116)

The basic principle of putting partners to God is elementary when clear verses are being demonstrated as in the examples of taking many gods along with God as shown in the verses in the following forms:

Allah has said: "Take not for worship two gods: for He is just One Allah: then fear Me (and Me alone)." (Surah 16:51)

The Jews call 'Uzair a son of God and the Christians call Christ the son of God. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. God's curse is on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! (Surah 9:30)

They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Mary." But said Christ: "O Children of Israel worship Allah my Lord and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help. (Surah 5:72)

And they make the Jinns equals with Allah, though Allah did create the Jinns; and they falsely, having no knowledge, attribute to Him sons and daughters. Praise and glory be to Him! For He is above what they attribute to Him! (Surah 6:100)

However many are actually immerse in idolatrous practices because without awareness of the message of the Quran, they failed to worship Allah in the correct way by doing things which lead them in putting partners to God out of their own foolish and ignorant actions.

A common source normally will originate from the priests and the knowledgeable who make their own laws and claim it to be inspired from God. These are the practices that were invented by the priests of ancient and current times that people follow without questioning whether the sources were inspired from God’s divine Book or otherwise. God has made prior warning to this malady which is stated clearly in the Quran:

There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues: (As they read) you would think it is a part of the Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they say, "That is from Allah," but it is not from Allah: It is they who tell a lie against Allah, and well they know it! (Surah 3:78)

The following examples show a more elaborate form of putting partners to God which should be comprehended and thus avoided:

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. (Surah 9:31)

What! Have they partners (in godhead), who have established for them some religion without the permission of Allah? Had it not been for the Decree of Judgment, the matter would have been decided between them (at once). But verily the wrong-doers will have a grievous penalty. (Surah 42:21)

And God even put a challenge to those who neglect His Book the Quran in favor of other sources to initiate religious practices without His authority. The following verses provoke His challenge:

What is the matter with you? How do you judge? Or have ye a book through which ye learn- That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose? Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, providing that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand? Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that! Or have they some "Partners"? Then let them bring their partners", if they are truthful! (Surah 68:36-41)

Say: "Shall I seek for judge other than Allah? - when He it is Who hath sent unto you the Book, explained in detail." They know full well, to whom We have given the Book, that it hath been sent down from thy Lord in truth. Never be then of those who doubt. (Surah 6:114)

Say: “Is there any of your associates who guides to the truth?” Say: 'Allah -- He guides to the truth; and which is worthier to be followed -- He who guides to the truth, or he who guides not unless he is guided? What then ails you, how do you judge?' But most of them follow nothing but fancy: truly fancy can be of no avail against truth. Verily Allah is well aware of all that they do. (Surah 10:35-36)

If the Truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth, and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay, We have sent them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder. (Surah 23:71)

Follow what thou are taught by inspiration from thy Lord: there is no god but He: and turn aside from those who join gods with Allah. (Surah 6:106)

The other most commonly practice of putting partners to God or “shrik” in this world today is by being sectarian. The verse of the Quran is clear in stating that those who break their religion into formal denomination or sectarian from just being Muslims or Christian or Jews are idolatrous as proved by the following verse of the Quran:

Turn ye back in repentance to Him, and fear Him: establish regular prayers, and be not ye among those who join gods with Allah those who split up their religion, and become mere Sects, each party rejoicing in that which is with itself! (Surah 30:30-31)

The formal sectarian is common knowledge and their divisions were all due to the exaltation of the books from their Imams they have which were in derogatory to that of God’s Book. And the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) has nothing to do with these kinds of people!

And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other). But people have cut off their affair (of unity), between them, into sects: each party rejoices in that which is with itself. But leave them in their confused ignorance for a time.
(Surah 23:52-54)

Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving Clear Signs: For them is a dreadful penalty. (Surah 3:105)

As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou (Muhammad) had no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did. (Surah 6:159)

The other example of putting partners to God is one who refused to pay the alms (zakat) as this is an act of purifying and those who refusal to contribute is categorized in the same group as that of the polytheists as stated in the following verse:

Say thou: "I am but a man like you: It is revealed to me by Inspiration, that your Allah is one Allah: so stand true to Him, and ask for His Forgiveness." And woe to those who join gods with Allah, those who practice not regular charity (zakat), and who even deny the Hereafter. (Surah 41:6-7)

Even the simple etiquette of eating if one is not elaborated with the reference of the Book of God one may finish his food but end up being idolatrous as he did not mention God’s Name when he takes his food. This is the truth as the food is from God and we should be thankful to Him alone and do not let the Devil make you forget to mention God’s name when you had your provisions.

Eat of that over which God's Name has been mentioned, if you believe in His signs. (Surah 6:118)

And eat not of that over which God's Name has not been mentioned; it is ungodliness. The Satans inspire their friends to dispute with you; if you obey them, you are idolaters. (Surah 6:121)

In conclusion most of us have made these mistakes of being idolatrous and there is still time for us to repent and God is ever forgiving but time is a factor and we do not know when it is our turn to leave our loves one and to return to Him the Lord of the Universe who has made His caution as He said:

Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, "Now have I repented indeed;" nor of those who die rejecting Faith: for them have We prepared a punishment most grievous. (Surah 4:18)

One day shall We gather them all together: We shall say to those who ascribed partners (to Us): "Where are the partners whom ye talked about?" There will then be (left) no subterfuge for them but to say: "By Allah our Lord, we were not those who joined gods with Allah." Behold! How they lie against their own souls! But the (lie) which they invented will leave them in the lurch. (Surah 6:22-24)

Asar