Committing Shirk is the Greatest Sin
Translated & Compiled by Abbas Abu Yahya
A Definition of Shirk:
From Abdullaah bin Mas’ood who said:
سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺَ :أَيُّ الذَّنْبِ أَعْظَمُ ؟
‘I asked the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ which is the greatest sin?’
He said:
أَنْ تَجْعَلَ لِلَّهِ نِدًّا وَهُوَ خَلَقَكَ
‘That you place a partner with Allaah while He is the One who created you.’ [Collected by Bukhari & Muslim]
1 – Shirk is the greatest Oppression
Allaah Ta’ala said:
إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ
《 Verily! Joining others in worship with Allaah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.》[Luqman:13]
2 – Allaah does not forgive the one who does not repent from Committing Shirk
Allaah Ta’ala said:
{إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا}
Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.》[Nisa:48]
3 – Paradise is forbidden for the one who dies upon Shirk
Allaah Ta’ala said:
إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّة وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍ
《 Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) there are no helpers.》 [Maidah: 72]
4 – Committing Shirk negates all Good Actions
Allaah Ta’ala said :
{وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ}
《 But if they had joined in worship others with Allaah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them.》 [An’aam:88]
Allaah Ta’ala said:
{وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ}
《 And indeed it has been revealed to you, as it was to those (Allaah’s Messengers) before you: “If you join others in worship with Allaah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.’》 [Zumar:65]
5 – The Worst of the Major Sins
From Abu Bakr -RadhiAllaahu anhu- who said that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said:
أَلَا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِأَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ ؟
‘Shall I not inform you of the worst of the major sins?’ – three times.
We said yes of course O Messenger of Allaah.
The Messenger ﷺ said:
‘الْإِشْرَاكُ بِاَللَّهِ ، وَعُقُوقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ. . . ‘
‘Associating partners with Allaah and disobedience to parents. . .’ [Collected by Bukhari and Muslim]