The Origins of Shirk

Shaikh Naasir ud-Din al-Albaani

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 Allah, to other than Allah)
gradually overcame them. The basis for this is the saying of Allah - the Most Blessed, the
Most high:

"Mankind was one Ummah, then Allah sent prophets bringing good news and warnings."
(Surah Baqarah 2:213)

Ibn 'Abbas - 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 Allah sent prophets as bringers of good news and
as warners"(1)

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"(2)

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 `alaihi wasallam) ) saying that he related from his
Lord (Allah) : "I created all my servants upon the true Religion (upon Tawheed, fre 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."(3)

Secondly:His (the prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) ) 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: "Allah's fitrah with which He created mankind.
There is to be no change to the creation (Religion) of Allah."(Surah ar-Rum 30:30)(5)
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 Allah - 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."
(Surah Nooh 71:23)

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 Allah - the most high - and he whispered to them that this is what their
forefathers used to do!!!

So Allah sent to them Nooh (as), commanding them to worship Allah alone. However
none responded to hiscall except a few. Allah - the mighty and majestic - related this
whole incident in surah 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."(6)

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 Allah 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 Allah. He then said :" This was the first idol worshipped other than
Allah, and they called this idol Wadd"(7)

Thus the wisdom of Allah - the Blessed, the Most High - was fufilled, when he sent
Muhammed (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) 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 bee prohibited.

All of these lead to excessiveness and lead to the worship of other than Allah - 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 Allah alone - the Blessed, the Most High.

Notes

(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) Related by Muslim (8/159) and Ahmad (4/162) from 'Iyaadh ibn Himaar al-
Mujaashi'ee radiallaahu 'anhu
(5) [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 Islam. 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 Allah - the Most High -
"Allah's fitrah with which He created mankind." is Islam
(6) Related by Al-Bukhaaree (11/418) and Muslim (18/52)
(7) Realted by al-Bukhaaree (8/534)
(8) 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