Expression of Reverence for Saints is not Shirk (Associating Others with God)
By S.
Arshad, New Age Islam
28 October
2022
Symbols of
God Must Be Revered
Main
Points:
1. Venerating
symbols of God is an expression of piety.
2. Sacrificial
animals are one of the symbols of God.
3. Respecting
symbols of God is not shirk.
4. There may be
another symbols of God.
-----
There is
much debate among the Islamic scholars over what is Shirk and what does not
constitute Shirk. Shirk (associating partners with God) is the greatest sin
according to the Quran. The holy Quran has clearly stated what constitutes
Shirk. It states that worshipping any other deity along with God is shirk. Therefore,
idol worship is shirk. Then worshipping natural objects like the sun, the moon,
trees, snakes, rivers as gods along with the Supreme God is also shirk. Again
worshipping saints and priests as God also constitutes shirk. Quran warns against
acts of shirk in harsh words:
"And one who associated partners with
Allah was misled and fell far away."(Al Nisa: 116)
"And they associate djinns with God though
He has created them and they attribute sons and daughters among djinns with God
out of ignorance."(Al Anam: 100)
"They have accepted their priests and
saints and Jesus son of Mary as their God and they had been enjoined to worship
only one God, there is no one to be worshipped except Him. He is free from what
they associate with Him."(Taubah: 31)
"Indeed God does not forgive the one who
associates partner with Him and forgives sins lesser than it of anyone He wills
and whoever associates partner with Him invites grave torment."(Al Nisa: 48)
In light of
these verses on shirk, Ulema and exegetes have formed a very rigid concept of
shirk. This has divided the Muslims in two sects. The Quranic concept of shirk
is that if a Muslim worships a human being or a natural object attributing
powers to him or it and turns to him or it for help and favours, he commits shirk.
The polytheists of Makkah or Arab believed in Allah but also worshipped deities
or idols as intercessors. Therefore, believing in the godly powers of a non
-God is shirk. But showing reverence to symbols of God is not shirk but in fact
it is described as piety of the heart by the Quran. Here are the verses of the
Quran on the issue.
"Be
upright in devotion to Allah, associating none with Him in worship. For whoever
associates others with Allah is like someone who has falken from the sky and is
either snatched away by birds or swept by the wind to a remote place. That is
so. And whoever honours the symbols of Allah, it is certainly out of the piety
of the heart."(Hajj:
31-32)
In the
verse 31, the Quran states what shirk is. And in the next verses it states that
honouring or expressing reverence to the symbols of God (Sha’airallah) is piety
of the heart (not shirk).
That the
Quran states that expressing reverence to symbols of God is piety of the heart
immediately after describing shirk indicates that the Quran draws a line
between shirk and reverence. Expressing reverence to symbols of God is piety of
the heart and not shirk.
Again, in
verse 36 of surah Hajj, the Quran says that sacrificial animals are one of the
symbols of God.
"We have sacrificial camels and cattle
among the symbols of Allah in which there is much good for you". (Hajj: 36)
Therefore,
we can infer that Hajar-e-Aswad, mosques, religious flags, religious
symbols, the holy Quran, religious books, rosary, prayer mat, skull cap and
other similar symbols of religious importance are symbols of God. Kissing Hajar-e-Aswad
is not considered shirk.
Among the
Muslims there is one section which is very cautious in expressing reverence to
religious symbols for the fear that it may be considered shirk while the other
section is very liberal in this regard. In fact both the sect go overboard in
expressing reverence and in observing caution. The former does not even show
reverence to the symbols of God which is, actualy enjoined by the Quran and the
latter shows exaggeration in showing reverence to the symbols of God coming
near the boundaries of shirk. The Quran allows expression of reverence rather
enjoins on i as piety of the heart. That is, if a believer does not show
reverence to the symbols of God, he may be considered not showing piety. On the
other hand, if the believer shows undue reverence to the symbols of God and
attributes godly powers to them, he may come near shirk.
Therefore,
it is clear from the Quranic verses that worshipping and expressing reverence
are not the same and the believers should have a balanced concept of the two
ideas. Islam is a moderate path.
-----
S.
Arshad is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/reverence-saints-shirk-associating-god/d/128286
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