Ramadan Day 10: Why Allah forbids associating partners in His worship

Editor's note: One of the most important things Muslims must know and pay attention to is the issue of Shirk (associating partners with Allah in worship), its seriousness and its different types, so that their Tawheed (belief in the oneness of Allah) may be complete.

In this edition, Legit.ng examines why Muslims should not associate partners with Him in worship. In the name of Allah, The most beneficent, the most merciful, whoever Allah guides, no one can lead him astray and whoever Allah sends astray, no one can guide him.

Verily the best of speech is the Book of Allah (Qur’an) and the best guidance is the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (May Allah give him peace and bless him), and the most evil matters are those that are newly invented, for every newly invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in the Hell fire. May Allah save us from the torment of Hell fire, (Aameen).

The word Shirk in Arabic means taking a partner regarding someone as the partner of another. It is used in Arabic when one wishes to express that he regards two people as equal in status; or that two people are involved in it.

In terms of Sharee'ha or Islamic terminology, shirk means ascribing a partner or rival to Allah in Lordship (Ruboobiyyah), worship (Uloohiyyah) or in His names and attributes.

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Allah forbids setting up rivals with Him and He condemns those who take them (rivals) as gods instead of or besides Allah in many verses of the Qur'an.

Allah says: “Then do not set up rivals to Allah in worship while you know that He alone has the right to be worshiped.” (Qur'an 2:222)

Shirk means directing worship to anyone other than Allaah, and du’aa’ comes under the heading of worship which must be devoted to Allaah alone and not directed to anyone else. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ is worship.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2969; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Seeking assistance from anyone other than Allaah, is a kind of calling upon (or making du’aa’ to) someone other than Allaah, hence it is a kind of shirk.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the day of resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them?

''And when mankind are gathered on the day of resurrection, they (false deities) will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping” (Al-Ahqaaf 46:6)

So Allaah tells us that those who are called upon other than Him, the prophets and the righteous, are unaware of the call of those who call upon them and will never respond to their calls, and they will be their enemies and will deny their worship of them.

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Do they attribute as partners to Allaah those who created nothing but they themselves are created? No help can they give them, nor can they help themselves.

And if you call them to guidance, they follow you not. It is the same for you whether you call them or you keep silent. Verily, those whom you call upon besides Allaah are slaves like you. So call upon them and let them answer you if you are truthful” (Al-A’raaf 7:191-194)

“And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allaah, any other ilaah (god), of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, Al-Kaafiroon (the disbelievers in Allaah and in the Oneness of Allaah, polytheists, pagans, idolaters) will not be successful” (al-Mu’minoon 23:117).

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So Allaah tells us that whoever calls upon anyone other than Allaah, among the dead etc., will never succeed because of his kufr and his calling upon someone other than Allaah.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had examined the benefits and rewards of reciting Qur'an during the months of Ramadan.

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Source: Legit.ng