Lecture 9

Al-Akhirah and Its Implication For Human Life

Islamic Vision of Life and Death (الآخرة )

Believing in the hereafter (الآخرة ) is the 5th principle of Arkanul Iman.

There are two types of the hereafter: القيامة الصغرى which is death and believing in البرزخ (the life in the grave), and in the reward and punishment in the grave (فتنة القبر ).

The second type of the hereafter is القيامة الكبرى , which is the total destruction of all of Allah’s creation, and we must believe in all the major and minor signs of القيامة , the resurrection and gathering in front of Allah (الحشر ), accountability (الحساب ), intercession (الشفاعة ), the balance (الميزان ), the bridge (الصراط المستقيم ), paradise and hell (الجنة و النار ).

Life in Islam is an everlasting journey, and al-Qur’an declares that all humans must pass through these four stages of life:

1.     The world of spirits ( ارواح ) before coming to this physical world, 

“O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you all of a single soul,” (4:1).\

“When your Lord took from Bani Adam their progeny from their loins and made them testify concerning themselves, Am I not your Lord? They replied, yes! We do testify, That you may not say on the day of resurrection, we were ignorant of this,” (7:172).

The world of spirits is our origin (مبدأ ) from Him, and death is our returning (معاد ), “To Him is your going back, all together—God’s promise in truth. He originates creation, then He makes it return, so that He may justly compensate those who have faith and do wholesome deeds,” (10:4).

2.     Life in this temporary physical world.

Life in this world is only a transit or a stopping place before we go into the next world. This world is nothing compares to the next world, and it is meaningless if the connection with the next world is disconnected or severed.
“Surely the abode of the next world is life, did they but know,” (29:64).

“The life of this world is naught but a sport and a diversion,” (6:32).

“Whatever you have been given is the enjoyment and adornment of this life of this world, but what is with God is better and more subsistent. Will you not use your intelligence?” (28:60).

Human beings are honored to be put in this world to carry the trust (أمانة ) as being His ‘abd and khalifah, (17:70), (33:72), and He is near to us than our jugular vein (50:16-18).

The returning (معاد ) does not necessarily occur at the time of death. Since Allah SWT is already so near to us, the returning of meeting Him can even happen in this world. This is the third component of Hadith Jibrail, which Prophet Muhammad SAW definedihsan as “to worship God as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.”

Hence human beings has the option either “to see Him” in this world or meeting Him in the next world.
“Surely death from which you flee, shall encounter you. Then you shall be taken back to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, and He will tell you what you have been doing,” (62:8).

“If you could only see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death and the angels are stretching out their hands: “Give up your souls!”” (6:93).

Every action, either internal or external, in this world, is recorded by the two angels, Raqib and ‘Atid, and it will be shown and retributed accordingly.

“Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it.” (99:7-8)

The Prophet SAW said, “As soon as a sin is committed, a black impression falls on the pure soul. If it is not removed, it remains and thus hundreds of black impressions make the whole region of the heart black. It is the duty of every man to remove these black impressions by washing them with the water of tears and repentance.” (Mishkat al-Masabih, 3:760).

The retribution of either rewards or punishment can happen either in this life or in the next life.
The Prophet SAW said, “For every misfortune, illness, anxiety, grief, or hurt that afflicts a Muslim even the hurt caused by the pricking of thorn – God removes some of his sins.” (Sayyid Sabiq, Fiqh us-Sunnah, 5:1)

3.    Life after death, i.e., the world in the grave which is called برزخ . 

Literally it means interval, break, or partition. “Till, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, return me; perhaps I will work wholesomeness in what I left behind.” No, it is but words he speaks. And behind them is a barzakh until the day they shall be raised up,” (23:99-100).

All human beings will encounter death since our life on this earth has been given within a fixed appointed time (أجل ).

“Nor can a soul die except by God’s leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude,” (3:145).

“We granted not to any man before thee permanent life (here); if then thou shouldst die, would they live permanently? Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must ye return,” (21:34-35).

Death is usually called as القيامة الصغرى or the minor Qiyamah.

In the grave, the human being will be asked by the two angels Munkar and Nakir about his God, his Prophet, and his religion.

If he is able to answer correctly, then his grave will be made spacious and comfortable and he enjoyed the blessed life in the grave until the end of the world or القيامة الكبرى .

If he is not able to answer the questions, then his grave will be made tight and he will received all sorts of punishment in accordance with his acts of disobedience.

As the Prophet Muhammad SAW said, “People are asleep, and when they die, they wake up.”
“(It will be said): “Thou wast heedless of this; now have We removed thy veil, and sharp is thy sight this Day!”” (50:22).

“And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the Day of Judgement,” (19:95).

The eternal life after resurrection (خلود ), “Their Lord gives them good news of mercy from Him and good pleasure; for them await gardens wherein is lasting bliss, therein to dwell forever; surely with God is a tremendous wage,” (9:21-22).

This is القيامة الكبرى , which is the total destruction of the whole universe including all the creatures that Allah SWT has created.

There are some minor signs ( علامات الصغرى ), such as the spread of zina, the drinking of liquor, the spread of war and the killing of innocent people, and the loss of knowledge due to the death of knowledgeable and qualified scholars.

There will be major signs such as the rising of the sun from the west, the appearance of Dajjal, and the coming of Imam Mahdi and Prophet Isa AS.

Then the angel Israfel will blow the Trumpet signifying the total destruction of this whole universe, “On the day the Trumpet is blown, whosoever is in the heavens and the earth will be terrified, excepting whom God wills. Everyone shall come to Him, all utterly abject. You shall see the mountains, that you supposed fixed, passing by like clouds,” (27:87-88)

“When the sun is enfolded, when the stars are darkened, when the mountains are taken away, when the pregnant camels are abandoned, when the wild beasts are mustered, when the seas are set boiling, when the souls are paired (with their deeds), when the buried infant is asked for what sin she was slain, when the scrolls are unrolled, when the heaven is pealed back, when hell is set blazing, when the Garden is brought near, then a soul will know what it has made present,” (81:1-4).

4.     The resurrection and gathering: 

Then the angel Israfel will blow the Trumpet for a second time, and all the creatures of Allah SWT will be resurrected and brought out of their graves, and everyone will be resurrected in their bodily forms.

“The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! From the sepulchers (men) will rush forth to their Lord! They will say: “Ah! Woe unto us! Who hath raised us up from our beds of repose?”….. (A voice will say:) “This is what (God) Most Gracious had promised. And true was the word of the messengers!” (36:51-52).

“Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tip of his fingers,” (75:3-4).

All the living creatures will be gathered together at one place called al-mahshar (المحشر ) including the angels, jinn, man and animals.
“The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books (completed), even as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfill it.” (21:104)

“That Day shall a man flee from his own brother. And from his mother and his father. And from his wife and his children. Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others,” (80:34-37).

Then comes the time of accounting (الحساب ), where even the organs of the human body will testify on behalf of the owner, “Ye did not seek to hide yourselves, lest your hearing, your sight, and your skins should bear witness against you! But ye did think that God knew not many of the things that ye used to do!” (41:22).

On that difficult day, Allah SWT will provide a shade for some group of people, which includes:

1. A just king or ruler, who has been just and responsible towards his subjects.
2. A young person who used to worship God constantly and intently during his youth.
3. A person whose heart is always towards the mosque and frequently performed his ibadah at the mosque.
4. Two persons who love each other for the sake of Allah SWT. They joined and met for the sake of Allah SWT and they separated also for the sake of Allah SWT.
5. A man who refuse to commit adultery due his fear towards Allah SWT.
6. A person who gives charity but the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand has given.
7. A person who remember Allah until he cries.

All the deeds of a believer will be put on Allah’s scale of justice. Heavier good deeds will be rewarded with paradise and light good deeds will bring the person towards hell and punishment.

“We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgement, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account,” (21:47).

“Then he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy, will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light, will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit,” (101:6-7).

Lecture 8

Prophethood and Its Relevance to the Muslim Life

Prophethood (النّبوة )

Prophethood is an appointment of selected servants of Allah SWT, who has been appointed and selected to receive His revelation and guidance, and it is being sent through the intermediary of His angel Jibrail AS.

Prophethood begins with the first human being, Prophet Adam AS, and ended with the Seal of the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad SAW.

There are two types of prophethood: نبي (a prophet) and رسول (a messenger).


A prophet is a selected servant of Allah SWT who has been given His revelation which includes the knowledge of His Oneness (tawhid) and the right and the correct way to worship Him and to obey His rules and laws.

It is not his task and his responsibility to call to other human beings to accept this message, and the revelation that has been given to him is not in the form of a Book.
Their number is unknown, and it could be many of them, that it is reported that there are 124, 000 prophets.

A messenger is also a prophet, and he is a selected servant of Allah SWT who has appointed him to receive His revelation, and make the message known to other human beings, i.e., to call them towards this message of Tawhid, and to instruct them on the correct way to worship Him and to obey His laws.
The revelation that is being sent to him is usually in the form of a Book.

“O Messenger! Proclaim the (message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission. And God will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For God guideth not those who reject Faith,” (5:67).

“Whoever follows the revelation which has just come from Allah is rightly guided. This will be reckoned for him. Whoever goes astray does so at his own cost. I [Muhammad] was not sent to compel you to follow me [but to persuade and warn],” (10:108).

“He it is Who hath sent among the unlettered ones a messenger of their own, to recite unto them His revelations and to make them grow, and to teach them the Scripture and Wisdom, though heretofore they were indeed in error manifest,” (62:2).

“We have sent no messenger save with the tongue of his people,” (14:4).

It is reported that Allah SWT has appointed 313 messengers and 25 of them are mentioned in the Qur’an.


The Necessity of Prophethood:

Human mind, by itself cannot know the Truth. A human being needs guidance and a direct revelation from his Creator and the message is conveyed through many of His Messengers.

Although all human beings come from the one and only Creator and we are born with the same fitrah, these are not enough to guide us to carry the responsibility to be his ‘abd and khalifah of Allah SWT.
We need transcendental messages for the following reasons:

• To impart and remind us again the message of Tawhid, i.e., the Oneness of Allah SWT, (112:1-4).
• To interpret the entire being, and answer the metaphysical and cosmological questions, (10:5).
• To guide people to the right path, and teaching them who is their Creator, including His Names and Attributes, (14:1)
• To establish moral bases and values in human society, (6:151).
• To correct the direct impression of human senses towards the physical world, and to make distinction between truth and fallacy, (3:71).
• To make humans capable for questioning and accounting, (4:165).
• To bring about the social justice in life, (4:135), (5:8).
• To bring peace and harmony to human community (49:13).
• Important Characteristics of the Prophets and Messengers:

Truthfulness, (23:70). They must be truthful in their words and deeds, since they carry the message and exemplify the message in their actions.

Trustworthiness. They are trustworthy in teaching the message, by exemplifying it in the best perfect manner (ihsan).

They must convey or transmit all the messages to their people (tabligh), (4:165), (5:67).

They must be smart and intelligent (fatanah). In carrying and imparting the message, it is important that they must have the wisdom on the best way to argue and make his people convince with the message, (16:125).

Moreover, a prophet and a messenger are just like any other human being. They do and act like any other humans, eating, drinking, marrying, raising one’s family, and dealing with other human affairs, (18:110).


Characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad SAW:

He is the last Prophet and Messenger to the humanity until the end of the world.
“And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind; but most of mankind know not,” (34:610).

“O Prophet! Lo! We have sent thee as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And as a summoner unto Allah by His permission, and as a lamp that giveth light,” (33:45-46).

“We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples,” (21:107).

His followers believe in all the previous Prophets and Messengers, and all the previous revealed Books.
His message addresses the human as a whole, i.e., everything about the human being, his origin, his purpose of life, his beliefs, his thoughts, his actions, and the world after his death.

Prophet Muhammad’s greatest miracle is the noble Qur’an. It is an ongoing miracle, being preserved perfectly as guidance for all humanity until the end of the world.
“O you who have faith! Have faith in God and His messenger and the Book He has sent down on His messenger, and the Book which He has sent down before,” (4:136).

“And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah or the like thereof, and call your witnesses beside Allah if ye are truthful,” (2:23).

“That (this) is indeed a noble Qur’an. In a Book kept hidden, which none toucheth save the purified, a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds,” (56:77-80).

Lecture 7

Concept of Sunnatullah (مفهوم سنة الله )

The Arabic word Sunnah in its literal sense means habitual practice, customary procedure or norm. It stands for consistency and order.

Sunnatullah is the systematic order that Allah SWT created to govern the movement of His creation and make everything function in a consistent and organized way. It is also called the pattern of God, or the order of God in nature or the laws of God.

These systematic order or the laws of Allah SWT in all His creation are the ones that make everything in the universe move and function perfectly, with no chaos or imperfection in their physical manifestation, as in Surah al-Mulk, “There is no lack of proportion in the creation of God. So turn your eyes (and look around). Do you see any defect? Again, turn your sight (and examine) a second time. But your eyes will come back to you dull and frustrated in a state worn out.” (67:3-4).

“It is the law of Allah which hath taken course aforetime. Thou wilt not find in the law of Allah any change,” (48:23).

The term Sunnah was employed in the Islamic literature to describe the way that established by the Prophet Muhammad SAW while he was applying the Qur’anic commands and practicing Islamic teachings. Sunnah of the Prophet is, therefore, the idealistic and practical reflection of Qur’anic revelation that to be followed by all Muslims as an example.

“Hast thou not seen that unto Allah payeth adoration whosover is in the heavens and and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah scorneth, there is none to give him honour. Lo! Allah doeth what He will,” (22:18).


Sunnatullah is inherent in the two kinds of His creation:

Human beings: “We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things,” (41:53).

Sunnatullah in the human domain is described in the Qur’an as “Ayatul Anfus”, which means Alllah’s Signs within human self.
“He has inspired the human self with its wickedness and its piety,” (91:8).

“He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding.” (2:269)

This is the fitrah that we share with other human beings, regardless whether they are Muslims or not, “O mankind, fear your Lord Who created you all of a single soul,” (4:1).

“Turn your face to the primordial religion as a hanif. That is the natural religion which Allah made innate to all humans. This pattern of Allah is immutable. It is the worthy religion; but most people do not know,” (30:30).

This fitrah must be strengthened and guided by revelation so that all actions of the human being are submitting to the Divine Law (Syari’ah) of Allah SWT.

Allah SWT has revealed to us Divine Books and revelation, so that we may know His pattern, laws and ruling that concern our beliefs and actions. All this guidance, revelation, legislation of Allah is consider as Allah’s laws, patterns in religion and guidance. This is called Sunan Shar’iyyah.

However, for the people who rejected the Signs of Allah SWT, either the Signs in themselves or the Ayat of His revelation, then Allah’s punishment is due upon them, “Systems have passed away before you. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for those who did deny (the messengers),” (3:137).

“Say (unto the disbelievers): Travel in the land, and see the nature of the consequence for the rejecters,” (6:11).

In the natural world and in the universe:

The whole world that surrounded us can be categorized into two types, the visible world or the seen world, and the invisible world or the unseen world.

The visible world is governed by scientific formulation that can be discovered by the human mind, while the invisible world is governed by formulation that is not directly perceivable by the human mind.

Sunnatullah in the natural phenomena, termed by the Qur’an as “Ayatul Aafaq”, is known as Sunan Kawniyyah (universal laws), because it includes the most general laws that govern the cosmic order, such as the creation of everything in pair and creation of everything in precise measures.


Sunnatullah for humans:

It is the Divine Law or Shari’ah that is due upon every human being.

Literally it means a waterhole, a drinking place. It is used in the Qur’an in Surah al-Jathiyah, “Then We put thee on the (right) Way (شريعة) of Religion: so follow thou that (Way), and follow not the desires of those who know not,” (45:18).

Shari’ah is the total sum or rules that God ordains for His servants, encompassing their belief, worship, morality, dealings and all other affairs relating to various facets of their lives, with the overriding objective of maintaining their well-being in this world and in the hereafter.

It is universal, comprehensive and practical for all human beings regardless of his location and time on earth.
It is the responsibilities and duties that are due upon human beings.

Allah’s Rights ( حق الله ) are our responsibilities:


Fardhu ‘Ain (فرض عين). This responsibility includes all the religious commands that each Muslim has to perform.

Fardhu Kifayah (فرض كفاية). Not all Muslims are required to perform this responsibility, for example being a doctor, a businessman, farmer, scholar and other various professions.

Responsibilities towards ourselves and other human beings. حق الأدم is a part of حق اللّه .

Responsibilities towards ourselves physically and spiritually since Allah SWT has created us in the most perfect manner, as in Surah al-Tin (95:4-6), “We have indeed created man in the best of moulds, Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low, Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: for they shall have a reward unfailing.” Responsibility towards ourselves also include responsibility towards our working professions.

Responsibilities towards other human beings including our parents, our children, husbands, wives, immediate families, our neighbors, our working colleagues, the Muslims ummah, and the whole humanity.

Our responsibility towards the natural environment. This is also a part of حق اللّه . Hence our utilization of the natural world should be in accordance with our role as His khalifah on this world.


Sunnatullah in nature:

Nature in Islamic vision is an ayah or an open book that guides or stands as a Sign for its Creator.

Nature has been created malleable, i.e., capable to serve mankind, the feature which al-Qur’an terms as taskhir, “See ye not how Allah hath made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and hath loaded you with His favours both without and within? Yet of mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah, without knowledge or guidance or a Scripture giving light,” (31:20).

The whole universe is operating by certain patterns of laws, termed by the Qur’an as taqdir, and it is observable to mankind, “Indeed, We have created everything with a measure,” (54:49,15:21), and “He gave everything its creation and then its guidance,” (20:50).

These laws are unchangeable, and have the characteristic of exactness and preciseness, so that human beings can predict certain natural phenomena.

The order of nature is not merely material order of cause and effect, rather it is the Will of a Wise and Omniscient Creator. Therefore, the Qur’an considers nature as always worshipping and glorifying Him (Tasbih).

In other words, nature is operating through the indirect patterns of causation law, but Allah SWT is behind all these patterns, therefore He manifests His Will and Power, sometimes, through the direct patterns which the Qur’an called as the law of Kun fa Yakun, means, when Allah wills He just say be to anything, so it be.

Lecture 6

Tawhid and its Implication on Human Life.

Tawhid is to believe that there is no other god but only one God, Allah SWT, and to believe in all His Attributes and all His Beautiful Divine Names as mentioned in the al-Qur’an, and also believing that Prophet Muhammad SAW is His Messenger.

It is the essence of Islam, the heart of Islam. The message that has been revealed to our Prophet Muhammad SAW and to all the other Prophets before him.

Tawhid is the opposite of kufr (unbelief) and if we associate Allah SWT with other gods then this is considered as shirk(polytheism, idolatry).

Tawhid is usually described into three parts: Unity of Lordship (توحيد الربوبية ), Unity of worship (توحيد الألوهية ), Unity of His Names and Attributes (توحيد الأسماء والصفات ).

Unity of Lordship: It means we believe certainly and accept that there is only one God, who is the Creator of everything in this world. He is also the Sustainer and Manager of the affairs of the whole universe. He is the one who gives life and takes it away. He knows all the affairs of His creation and He is Merciful in creating and sustaining them since everything in the seen and unseen world dependent on Him.

“Allah is Creator of all things, and He is Guardian over all things,” (39:62).

“And if thou wert to ask them: Who created the heavens and the earth, and constrained the sun and the moon (to their appointed work)? They would say: Allah. How then are they turned away?” (29:61).

“And if thou wert to ask them: Who causeth water to come down from the sky, and therewith reviveth the earth after its death? They verily would say: Allah. Say: Praise be to Allah! But most of them have no sense.” (29:63)

Unity of worship: It means we believe certainly that God is the legislator and the one who sent revelation and messengers. He is the one who deserves to be worshipped. He is the one, who deserve to be thanked, prayed and feared. He is the one who set the way on how to worship Him, and we should follow His instruction and the Shari’ah as He ordered and instructed us to do.

According to Muslim scholars, “The difference between a Muslim and a kafeer is in unity of worship. A Muslim acknowledges the unity of worship; he accepts that God has given him many gifts including his best creation, the creation of the universe with all its beauty and source, and the sending of guidance and revelation. He is thankful and grateful to Allah by worshipping Him and follows His instructions. A kafeer accepts only the gifts of Allah, but in return, he is not thankful to Allah. He denies and rejects the unity of worship. He doesn’t want to show that He is the servant of Allah.”

“Surely pure religion is for Allah only. And those who choose protecting friends beside Him (say): We worship them only that they may bring us near into unto Allah. Lo! Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Lo! Allah guideth not him who is a liar, an ingrate,” 39:3.

“Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves objects of worship which they set as rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like (that which is the due) of Allah (only). Those who believe are stauncher in their love for Allah, that those who do evil had but known, (on the day) when they behold the doom, that power belongeth wholly to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment!” (2:165).

“Whoever follows the revelation which has just come from Allah is rightly guided. This will be reckoned for him. Whoever goes astray does so at his own cost. I [Muhammad] was not sent to compel you to follow me [but to persuade and warn],” (10:108).

Unity of His Names and Attributes: It means we should believe in all His Attributes and Beautiful Names as mentioned in the al-Qur’an. We should worship Him and do supplication to Him using His Beautiful Names and Attributes.

We should only know Allah as He has referred to Himself in the al-Qur’an and as mentioned by Prophet Muhammad SAW.

There is no similarities between His Attributes and ours, and the knowledge of these Names and Attributes are hidden from us except what He has revealed in the al-Qur’an and to our Prophet Muhammad SAW.

“The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.” (49:13)


Implication of Tawhid on human life (Individual and collective level):

• It gives meaning and purpose to our life.
• It produces strong degree of patient and determination.
• It is generate in man sense of modesty and humbleness.
• It makes man virtuous and upright.
• The believer of tawhid does not broken heart under different circumstances of life.
• It produces in man highest degree of self-respect.
• It creates an attitude of peace and harmony in the community.
• It makes man deals peacefully and effectively with nature.

Kufr (كفر )


Means to cover, to hide, not to believe in Allah, to become an infidel, to be ungrateful.

It is the opposite of Iman and gratitude (شكر ). Faith is nothing but a form of gratitude, and gratitude is a form of faith.

Iman begins with the recognition of the truth in the heart. Hence kufr begins with denial of the truth in the heart.

Kufr is the rejection of the Truth and refusal to abide by them.

A kafeer is a truth-concealer and a person who is ungrateful. Someone who is ungrateful, conceal the good that has been done to them by not mentioning it.

Shirk (شرك)


Shirk means “to share, to be a partner, to make someone share in, to give someone a partner, to associate someone with someone else.”

Shirk means to give Allah SWT partners, and worshiping them along with Him.

“Worship God, and do not associate any others with Him” (4:36)

“Do not associate others with God; to associate others is a mighty wrong.” (31:13)

“God forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with God is to devise a sin most heinous indeed,” (4:48).

Shirk in Lordship: It means any acts or deeds that attempt to associate Allah SWT with other partners. It is the act of accepting and acknowledging that there are many gods, or accepting that Allah SWT is not perfect and cannot do any act by Himself and He needs someone to assist Him, or share with Him His power, knowledge or mercy.

For example, the concept of trinity is a form of shirk. Saying that Jesus AS is the son of God is shirk. Worshipping many gods in Hinduism is a form of shirk.
Accepting that other creatures, either human or jinn or shaytan can cause harm or benefit to you without the Will of Allah SWT isshirk.

Believing in all kind of superstition and attributing power and ability to certain objects can cause harm or benefit to people is another form of shirk.

Shirk in worship: It means to worship any other god or gods except Allah SWT is a form of shirk.
Worshipping Allah SWT and practicing rituals other than those mentioned in the Syari’ah and accepted by Allah SWT is shirk.

Rendering obedience to any authority against the Will of Allah SWT is a form of shirk:

“They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of God, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One God: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)” (9:31).

“Have you seen the one who has taken his own vain desire as his god? Knowing that, Allah left him astray and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Now who will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn His guidance)?” (45:23)

Shirk in Allah’s Names and Attributes: It means to deny any Names and Attributes of Allah SWT or to give Him any other Names that have not been authorized by the Syari’ah.

To make similarity between the Names and Attributes of Allah SWT and those of His creatures is an act of shirk.

To describe Allah SWT with many human qualities such as eating, drinking, marriage, having children, being jealous of one another is a form of shirk.

Other forms of shirk:

Ash-shirk al-asghar or riya’ : It means any acts of worship or good deeds being done in order to gain praise, fame, or it is intended not for Him but for other things.

A companion of the Prophet SAW reported as follows: “The Prophet came out to us from his house while we were discussing the Antichrist. He said, “Shall I tell you about something that is more frightening to me than the Antichrist?” The people replied that he should. He said, “Hidden shirk. In other words, that a man should perform the salat and do it beautifully for the sake of someone who is watching.”

Ash-shirk al-khafi (The inconspicuous shirk): This type implies being inwardly dissatisfied with the inevitable condition that has been ordained for one by Allah SWT; conscientiously lamenting that had you done or not done such and such or had you approached such and such you would have had a better condition.

Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “Ash-shirk al-khafi in the Muslim nation is more inconspicuous than the creeping of black ant on black rock in the pitch-darkness of the night.”

Hence, we asked from Allah SWT to protect us from these two great sins, kufr and shirk, by saying “O Allah! I take Your refuge from that I should ascribe anything as partner in Your worship, being conscious of that, and I beg Your pardon for that sin which I am not aware of.”
Allah SWT is the most Merciful, the most Compassionate, “With My punishment I visit whom I will; but My Mercy extendeth to all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practice regular charity, and those who believe in our Signs,” (7:156)