Hidden Shirk of the heart,

 

Concerning tainted intention, this is the most common type of minor shirk that even the most righteous of worshipers and scholars on earth feel no security from, but may even be in full paranoia over. The Prophet ﷺ once came to his companions and said, “Shall I not inform you of what I fear for you more than the anti-Christ?” They said, “of course O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Hidden shirk. It is when a man stands up to pray, and he beautifies his prayer because he sees another man looking.”

This shirk has also been described as being more hidden that a tiny black ant crawling on a black rock on a moonless night. When the companions asked how to protect themselves against shirk like that, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught them a du’a that every Muslim should recite daily if not during every prayer. “Oh Allah, I seek protection in You from committing shirk knowingly and I ask You to forgive me for what I do unknowingly.” [Recorded by Abu Ya’laa al-Mosili [no. 60] from Abu Bakr.]

Allaahumma innee a’oothu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a’lamu; wa astaghfiruka mimmaa laa a’lam.

To demonstrate how terrible this sin truly is, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,

The first of people whose case will be decided on the Day of Judgment will be a man who died as a martyr. He shall be brought (before the Judgment Seat). Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them. Then, Allah will say: What did you do (to compensate for these blessings)? He will say: I fought for You until I died as a martyr. Allah will say: You have told a lie. You fought so that you might be called a ‘brave warrior’. And you were called so. Then, orders will be passed against him and he will be dragged on his face and cast into Hell.

Then a man will be brought forward who acquired knowledge and imparted it to others and recited the Qur’an. He will be brought and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them. Then will Allah ask: What did you do (to reimburse these blessings)? He will say: I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur’an seeking Your pleasure. Allah will say: You have lied. You acquired knowledge so that you might be called ‘a scholar,’ and you recited the Qur’an so that it might be said: ‘He is a Qaari’ and such has been said. Then orders will be passed against him and he shall be dragged on his face and cast into the Fire.

Then a man will be brought whom Allah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them. Allah will (then) ask: What have you done (to suit these blessings)? He will say: I spent money in every cause in which You wished that it should be spent. Allah will say: You are lying. You did so that it might be said about You: ‘He is generous’ and so it was said. Then will Allah pass orders and he will be dragged with his face downward and thrown into Hell.

Showing off is called riyaa’ and sum’ah. Riyaa’ is desiring to be seen (ra’aa) and sum’ah is desiring that people hear (sam’) and talk about you.

All such deeds which contain a hint of these intentions are rejected by Allah. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Allah said: ‘I am the most independent/rich of all the partners from needing association, so whoever associates something else in the worship of Me, I leave them with their shirk.’” This means, if someone does a deed for less than 100.00% for Allah’s sake, then Allah has no need for it, but whatever else was desired by the deed has more need for it if it is worthy of gaining any portion of worship.

As a note, showing off in worship is certainly a reprehensible act, but leaving off certain acts of worship, or making all of one’s worship secretive is also blameworthy. Sure, Allah condemns those who show off,

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُمْ بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَى كَالَّذِي يُنْفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْدًا لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ (264)} سورة البقرة

“O you who believe! Do not render your Sadaqah (charity) in vain by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen by people, and he does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” [2:264]

Yet, Allah also praises those who mix between doing good deeds publicly and privately,

{وَالَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنْفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ (22)} سورة الرعد

“And those who remain patient, seeking their Lord’s Countenance, perform the salaah, and spend out of that which We have bestowed on them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good, for such there is a good end.” [13:22]

It is very important for people to worship Allah in public just as they do in private. The reason being, if everyone left off public worship for fear of showing off, then it would seem like no one is worshiping Allah at all, and if someone did so, they would immediately be accused of poor intention. So it is important to make worship, whether it be charity, recitation of the Quran, learning and teaching, and being courageous all highly visible acts in the Muslim world to serve as an inspiration to the rest. Some people start a day fasting but when asked to enjoy a bite of food, they break their fast out of fear of showing off by admitting that they’re fasting. Had they instead continued fasting, they might unknowingly inspire others to fast more often and gain lots of good deeds for resurrecting a Sunnah. So instead, it seems like Muslim only fast during Ramadhan, which is not true, nor should it be.

What if you do feel that part of yourself desires others to see or hear about you and be impressed with your worship, knowledge and contributions as a Muslim? Quite simply, continue praying to Allah, before, during and after any act where you suspect that part of you is desiring any kind of recognition. But never put off an action due to this suspicion you have, but rather confront it and seek Allah’s Help to make you among His sincere worshipers only desiring what He has.

That is the most famous kind of unapparent shirk. There are other kinds which may straddle in between being major shirk and minor shirk, depending on what that disease could lead a person to do. So these are mostly feelings of the heart which should be directed primarily or entirely towards Allah.

Examples include:

 

Love (hubb or mahabbah) of others more than Allah

 

{وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْدَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعَذَابِ (165)} سورة البقرة

“And of mankind are some who take others besides Allah as rivals (to Allah): they love them as they love Allah. But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else). If only, those who do wrong could see, when they will see the torment, that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is Severe in punishment.” [2:165]

There is natural love we may have for people we share commonality with. There is faith-based love which should be higher than that, for the faith itself and its practitioners. Then there is love of Allah which should be the only unconditional love on earth. If one’s love for someone else or something else competes with their love for Allah or even eclipses, then it is a kind of shirk. This is the case from Christians who love Jesus as much as or even more than “the Father”.

 

Fear of others more than Allah

 

{إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (175)} سورة آلِ عمران

“It is only Shaytaan that suggests to you the fear of his friends; so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are believers.” [3:175]

Fear is one of, if not the most influential of human emotions. People may even believe in Islam, realize the consequences of rejecting it, yet due to fear of society or what a few people whom they don’t even like might say or think, and will thus continue their lives without true faith. Allah calls such individuals “the weak” while those who set social trends and did all the fear mongering and hate-stirring against Allah’s religion were called “the arrogant”,

{وَبَرَزُوا لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا فَقَالَ الضُّعَفَاءُ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا إِنَّا كُنَّا لَكُمْ تَبَعًا فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُغْنُونَ عَنَّا مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ قَالُوا لَوْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ لَهَدَيْنَاكُمْ سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا أَجَزِعْنَا أَمْ صَبَرْنَا مَا لَنَا مِنْ مَحِيصٍ (21)}

“And they all shall appear before Allah (on the Day of Resurrection); then the weak will say to those who were arrogant: ‘Truly, we were following you; can you avail us anything against Allah’s torment?’ They will say: ‘Had Allah guided us, we would have guided you. It makes no difference to us now whether we rage, or bear this with patience; there is no place of refuge for us.’” [14:21] – both will abide in Hell forever.

Blameworthy fear also includes the fear of the supernatural and non-existing. Recent converts to Islam who experience difficulty in life are often told that “Jesus is punishing them” by their relatives. If they were to begin to fear “Jesus” so much then that it made them subservient and turning away from Islam, then that fear would be the crux of their shirk. The polytheists of Hud’s community did the same,

{إِنْ نَقُولُ إِلَّا اعْتَرَاكَ بَعْضُ آلِهَتِنَا بِسُوءٍ قَالَ إِنِّي أُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ وَاشْهَدُوا أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ (54)} سورة هود

“We only say that some of our gods have possessed you with evil. He said, I call Allah to witness, and I am a witness, that I am innocent of what you associate!” [11:54]

 

Feeling secure from ever being reckoned by Allah

 

{أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ (99)} سورة الأعراف

“Did they then feel secure against the Plot of Allah? None feels secure from the Plot of Allah except the people who are the losers.” [7:99]

Most people believe they will enter heaven when they die. Consider also the story of the man with the two gardens (see 18:32-43) and how this man felt secure, in spite of his unsurety about the resurrection. This is the mentality of most people today, “I don’t expect any life after death, but if there is, it’ll be even better.”

 

Despair of Allah’s Mercy or Capacity to compassion

{قَالَ وَمَنْ يَقْنَطُ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلَّا الضَّالُّونَ (56)} سورة الحجر

“He [Ibrahim] said: ‘And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?’” [15:56]

Some Muslims, rather than recognize that Allah loves to forgive, have a misconceived notion that Allah hates to forgive and that Allah is even stingy or limited with forgiveness. Sure, those who never seek Allah’s forgiveness nor want it will not be forgiven for sure, but as for those who seek it, Allah loves it. Thus, despair is frequently a consequence of the following…

 

Ill suspicion about Allah, the opposite of tawakkul,

 

Nearly every time Allah incites the believers towards tawakkul (reliance and trust in Allah) He addresses their faith,

{…وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (23)} سورة المائدة

“And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed.” [5:23]

But when someone lacks that trust and fears that Allah is “out to get them” or would never help or forgive them, then they have ill suspicion about Allah.

{وَيُعَذِّبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكَاتِ الظَّانِّينَ بِاللَّهِ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ عَلَيْهِمْ دَائِرَةُ السَّوْءِ وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَنَهُمْ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا (6)} سورة الفتح

“And that He may punish the hypocrites men and women, and also the polytheists men and women, who think evil thoughts about Allah; for them is a disgraceful torment, and the Anger of Allah is upon them, and He has cursed them and prepared Hell for them – and worst indeed is that destination.” [48:6]

 

Letting other pursuits, goals or desires, like greed, hunger for power and lust become you

{أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنْتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا (43)} سورة الفرقان

“Have you seen him who has taken as his ilaah his own vain desire? Would you then be a representative over him?” [25:43]

Lust and greed are of the most powerful desires. Most people though, if left for several hours alone and entrusted with a sack of money could leave it untouched. However, if they were entrusted with an attractive and impressionable member of the opposite gender in a room alone for several hours; that, only the truly saved by Allah would survive unblemished. Lust is a very powerful entity.

{يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُخَفِّفَ عَنْكُمْ وَخُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ ضَعِيفًا (28)} سورة النساء

“And humanity was created weak.” [4:28] – in reference primarily to the oft-repeated need for sexual fulfilment.

 

Yet it is important to understand that the classic sins which lust, greed, substance addiction or other diseases might drive a person to commit of theft and fornication are not disbelief, nor may those “heart diseases” themselves be shirk. This is another point where Christianity and Islam take separate roads. Paul said that lust was idolatry of the heart, and similar “sins of the flesh” and sinfulness in general was loving the sin more than God, even if only for the moment of the sin. Such a preference was akin to idolatry, and therefore, humanity needed a savior. Many of the khawaarij also followed that line of thought, and so they declared sinful Muslims as apostates. Allah says different. Lust and other diseases of the heart only reach the level of shirk if they would propel a person to commit shirk. For example, if a man’s lust for a woman reached the point that if she said, “I’m yours if you leave Islam for a day,” and if he accepted that offer, then he has apostated from Islam even before the day began. Similarly, if someone’s greed for a promotion took him to the level that if the director said, “the big corner office and all that comes with it is yours if you prostrate to me.” As soon as he begins to say “yes”, he has left Islam even before he moves a joint of his body. A true Muslim, even if plagued by lust and greed would hold back before reaching this stage. They would say something like, “I may have a lot of problems and be a poor representative of my faith, but this is where I have to stop and remind myself of who I am and want to be.”