The Origins of Shirk


Author: Shaykh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albani


From that which has been established in the Sharee’ah


(prescribed law) is that mankind was – in the beginning – a


single nation upn true Tawheed, then Shirk (directing any part


or form of worship, or anything else that is solely the right of


Allaah, to other than Allaah) gradually overcame them. The


basis for this is the saying of Allaah – the Most Blessed, the


Most High:


“Mankind was one Ummah, then Allaah sent prophets bringing


good news and warnings.” [Al-Baqarah 2 : كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً } [ 213


{فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ


Transliteration: Kana alnnasu ommatan wahidatan


fabaAAatha Allahu alnnabiyyeena mubashshireena


wamunthireena


Ibn ‘Abbaas – radiallaahu ‘anhu – said: “Between Nooh


(Noah) and Adam were ten generations, all of them were upon


Sharee’ah (law) of the truth, then they differed. So Allaah sent


prophets as bringers of good news and as warners.” [2]


Ibn ‘Urwah al-Hanbalee (d.837 H) said: “This saying refutes


those historians from the People of the Book who claim that


Qaabil (Cain) and his sons were fire-worshippers.” [3]


I say: In it is also a refutation of some of the philosophers and


athists who claim that the (natural) basis of man is Shirk, and


that Tawheed evolved in man! The preceeding aayah (verse)


falsifies this claim, as do the two following authentic hadith:


Firstly: His (the prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saying


that he related from his Lord (Allaah) : «I created all my


servants upon the true Religion (upon Tawheed, free from


Shirk). Then the devils came to them and led them astray from


their true Religion. They made unlawful to people that which I


had made lawful for them, and they commanded them to


associate in worship with Me, that which I had sent down no


authority.» [Related by Muslim (8/159) and Ahmad (4/162)


from 'Iyaadh ibn Himaar al-Mujaashi'ee radiallaahu 'anhu] « إني


خلقت عبادي كلهم حنفاء وإنهم أتتهم الشياطين فاجتالتهم عن دينهم وحرمت عليهم ما


رواه مسلم » أحللت لهم وأمرتهم أن يشركوا بي ما لم أنزل به سلطانا


Secondly: His (the prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)


saying: «Every child is born upon the Fitrah [4] but his parents


make him a jew or a christian or a magian. It is like the way an


animal gives birth to a natural offspring. have you noticed any


born mutilated, before you mutilate them.


Abu Hurayrah said: «Recite if you wish: “Allaah’s fitrah with


which He created mankind. There is to be no change to the


creation (Religion) of Allaah.” [Ar-Rum 30 :30]» [Related by Al-


Bukhaaree (11/418) and Muslim (18/52)] « ما من مولود إلا يولد على


الفطرة فأبواه يهودانه وينصرانه ويمجسانه كما تنتج البهيمة بهيمة جمعاء هل تحسون فيها


من جدعاء ثم يقول أبو هريرة واقرءوا إن شئتم فطرة الله التي فطر الناس عليها لا تبديل


رواه البخاري ومسلم واللفظ لمسلم » لخلق الله


After this clear explanation, it is of the upmost importance for


the Muslim to know how Shirk spread amongst the believers,


after they were muwahhideen (people upon Tawheed).


Concerning the saying of Allaah – the most perfect – about the


people of Nooh:


“And they have said : You shall not forsake your gods, nor


shall you forsake Wadd, nor Suwaa’, nor Yaghooth, nor


Ya’ooq, nor Nasr.” [Nooh 71: وَقَالُوا لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَ دا وَلَا } [ 23


سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا {نوح 32


Transliteration: Waqaloo la tatharunna alihatakum wala


tatharunna waddan wala suwaAAan wala yaghootha


wayaAAooqa wanasran


It has been related by a group from the Salaf (Pious


Predecessors), in many narrations, that these five deities were


righteous worshippers. However, when they died, Shaytaan


(Satan) whispered into their people to retreat and sit at their


graves. Then Shaytaan whispered to those who came after


them that they should take them as idols, beautifying to them


the idea that you will be reminded of them and thereby follow


them in righteous conduct. Then Shaytaan suggested to the


third generation that they should worship these idols besides


Allaah – the most high – and he whispered to them that this is


what their forefathers used to do!!!


So Allaah sent to them Nooh alayhis-salaam, commanding


them to worship Allaah alone. However none responded to


hiscall except a few. Allaah – the mighty and majestic –


related this whole incident in Soorah Nooh Ibn ‘Abbas relates:


«Indeed these five names of righteous men from the people of


Nooh. When they died Shataan whispered to their people to


make statues of them and to place these statues in their


places of gathering as a reminder of them, so they did this.


However, none from amongst them worshipped these statues,


until when they died and the purpose of the statues was


forgotten. Then (the next generation) began to worship them.»


[Related by al-Bukhaaree (8/534)] « عن ابن عباس رضي الله


عنهما:….أسماء رجال صالحين من قوم نوح، فلما هلكوا أوحى الشيطان إلى قومهم: أن


انصبوا إلى مجالسهم التي كانوا يجلسون أنصابا وسموها بأسمائهم، ففعلوا، فلم تعبد، حتى


رواه البخاري ». إذا هلك أولئك، وتنسخ العلم عبدت


The likes of this has also been related by Ibn Jareer at-


Tabaree and others, from a number of the salaf (Pious


Predecessors) – radiallaahu ‘anhum. In ad-Durral-Manthoor


(6/269): ‘Abdullaah ibn Humaid relates from Abu Muttahar,


who said: Yazeed ibn al-Muhallab was mentioned to Abu


Ja’far al-Baaqir (d.11H), so he said: He was killed at the place


where another besides Allaah was first worshipped. Then he


mentioned Wadd and said: “Wadd was a Muslim man who


was loved by his people. When he died, the people began to


gather around his grave in the land of Baabil (Babel),


lamenting and mourning. So when Iblees (Satan) saw them


mourning and lamenting over him, he took the form of a man


and came to them, saying : I see that you are mourning and


lamenting over him. So why don’t you make a picture of him


(i.e. a statue) and place it in your places of gatherings so that


you maybe reminded of him. So they said: Yes, and they


made a picture of him and put in their place of gathering;


which reminded them of him. When Iblees saw how they were


(excessively) remembering him, he said : “Why doesn’t every


man amongst you make a similar picture to keep in your own


houses, so that you can be (constantly) reminded of him.” So


they all said “yes”. So each household made a picture of him,


which they adored and venerated and which constantly


reminded them of him. Abu Ja’far said: “Those from the later


generation saw what the (pevious generation) had done and


considered that……..to the extent that they took him as an ilah


(diety) to be worshipped besides Allaah. He then said : «This


was the first idol worshipped other than Allaah, and they called


this idol Wadd» [5]


Thus the wisdom of Allaah – the Blessed, the Most High – was


fufilled, when he sent Muhammed sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa


sallam as the final prophet and made his Sharee’ah the


completion of all divinely Prescribed Laws, in that He


prohibited all means and avenues by which people may fall


into Shirk – which is the greatest of sins. For this reason,


building shrines over graves and intending to specifically travel


to them, taking them as places of festivity and gathering and


swearing an oath by the inmate of a grave; have all been


prohibited. All of these lead to excessiveness and lead to the


worship of other than Allaah – the Most High.


This being the case even more so in an age in which


knowledge is diminishing, ignorance is increasing, thre are few


sincere advisors ( to the truth) and shaytaan is co-operating


with men and jinn to misguide mankind and to take them away


from the worship of Allaah alone – the Blessed, the Most High.


FOOTNOTES:


1. Tahdheerus-Saajid min Ittikhaadhil-Quboori Masaajid


(pp.101-106)


2. Related by Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree in his tafseer (4/275) and


al-Haakim (2/546) who said: “It is authentic according to the


criterion of al-Bukhari.” Adh-Dhahabee also agreed.


3. Al-Khawaakibud-Duraaree fee Tarteeb Musnadul-Imaam


Ahmad’alaa Abwaabil-Bukhaaree (6/212/1), still in manuscript


form.


4. [From the Editors] Ibn-al-Atheer said in an-Nihaayah


(3/457): “Al-Fitr: means to begin and create, and al-Fitrah is


the condition resulting from it. The meaning is that mankind


were born upona disposition and a nature which is ready to


accept the true Religion. So if he were to be left upon this,


then he would continue upon it. However, those who deviate


from this do so due to following human weaknesses and blind


following of others…..” Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar said in Al-Fath


(3/248): “The people differ concerning what is meant by al-


Fitrah and the most famous saying is that it means Islaam. Ibn


‘abdul-Barr said: That is what was well known with most of the


salaf (pious predecessors), and the scholars of tafseer are


agreed that what is meant by the saying of Allaah – the Most


High – “Allaah’s fitrah wiht which He created mankind.” is


Islaam


5. Related by Ibn Abee Haatim also, as is in al-Kawaakibud-


Duraaree (6/112/2) of Ibn ‘Urwah al-Hanbalee, along with an


isnaad which is Hasan, up to Abu Muttahar. However, no


biography could be found for him, neither in ad-Dawlaabee’s


al-Kunaa wal-Asmaa, nor Muslim’s al-Kunaa, nor any one


elses. And the hidden defect here is that he is from the


Shee’ah, but his biography is not included in at-Toosee’s al-


Kunaa — from the index of Shee’ah narrators.