How much 'shirk' is OK?
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I'm just wondering why such a weird example of worshiping a tree is chosen.
What's wrong with mundane examples of which there are plenty? How many think their wealth comes from what they achieved?
What are your life goals? Having fun, be happy, get rich or die trying?
We get brainwashed by idols every day. We want the ferrari, the house with the jacuzzi - if we achieve them we earned it because we are better than others, by our own merits. Right?
The idol of happiness that gets shoved through our throats these days is by default materialistic. Thanks to a globalized industrialized world we no longer need to worry what our life goals are. They get prefabricated for us in the marketing departments of multinationals.
Peace
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dear all,
bowing to a tree,will never ever cancel his good deeds,one good deed will nullify his bowings,quran too says that good deeds nullify bad deeds.I would still like to hear from you,if you have a better suggestion?thanks
There is nothing in the Qur'an which indicates the ruling that shirk is forgiven by good deeds, and that you persist in shirk until the day you die, the shirk doesn't count.
The Qur'an seems to indicate the shirk is not forgiven if you die in a state of shirk, and that deeds are wasted for those who are losers, shirk believers included.
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GOOD deeds will never be nullified; however, the nobel prize won't be of any worth in the hereafter.
The question might be did he save the lives out of concern for the people, or because he wanted to be honored.Concerning the tree, it might happen that he will be in company of that tree instead of the company of God (but I am not the one to decide on that).
Where do you guys come off constantly making stuff up.
The good deeds of the BELIEVERS. The deeds (it doesn't say "the bad deeds" of those who die in shirk are not worth anything, they will be losers. Those are simply the rules that appear to be in the Qur'an.
Think of a game with rules. You can't just go into a soccer match and say NO, but I said the goal is this parameter and I kicked it in the goal so give me a point! The reply is No, that is not the goal area, that is the goal area over there, and you did not score a point according to the rules of this game, you do not set the rules.
The Qur'an says "shirk" will not be forgiven for those who die in the state of shirk, whereas the good deeds of the believers are counted, the deeds of the disbelievers are all wasted. They did not win according to the rules. They don't make the rules.
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It is obviously Shirk, If his object of Worship is the Tree. as God tells us not to associate anyone with him or worship any other object of worship (ilah) regardless of what they are. All his work will be in vain if He does not repent. As God says he does not forgive idolatry if continued untill death.
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Let's say there's this Muslim, who is the top surgeon in the world and has won a Noble prize. He has contributed to science, saved countless lives, and is a philanthropist. He is humble, kind, and well-liked. Everyone would say that he's the best person they've ever met and would have absolutely nothing bad to say about him.
But every morning before going to work, he would bow down to a tree outside his house, praying that his day would go well. This little ritual doesn't actually affect his day and nobody else knows about it.
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Is what he's doing 'shirk'?
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If yes, then would all his work, his entire contributions to mankind, suddenly become nothing? All of it?
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How and why does it all become null and void when his ritual doesn't affect his day or his past contributions? How and why does bowing down to or praying to a tree cancel someone's entire work in life?
If the man you're talking about would have studied the Qur'an, he would understand that the Qur'an teaches us that God is enough (3936) and all power and everything in the heavens and the earth (including that specific tree) belong to Him and are His creations and that His Throne encompasses everything (2255), and that God hears him wherever he is and is always close to us (2186). So he should be aware of the fact that bowing to some tree has nothing to do with Islam and is just superstition.
SHIRK teaches us that God is not enough and that we need other protectors, masters, maulas, hazrats, helpers, intercessors, holy objects, et cetera.
Qur'an 448 "God does not forgive that partners be set up with Him, and He forgives other than that for whom He pleases. Whoever sets up partners with God has indeed invented a great sin."A true muslim should focus his faith, his prayer, his ibadah to God alone.
Qur'an 6162 "Say "My Salat/contact prayer, and my rites, and my life, and my death, are all to God-Lord of the worlds."
Qur'an 2115 "And to God belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the face of God. God is Encompassing, Knowledgeable."
Qur'an 2177 "Piety is not to turn your faces towards the east and the west, but pious is one who believes in God and the Last Day, and the angels, and the Book, and the prophets, and who gives money out of love to the relatives, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and those who ask, and to free the slaves; and who upholds the contact prayer, and who contributes towards purification; and those who keep their pledges when they make a pledge, and those who are patient in the face of adversity and hardship and when in despair. These are the ones who have been truthful, and these are the righteous."
The Qur'an teaches me to leave all superstitions and man-made rituals and to become a rational monotheist.
God is closer to us than our jugular vein (verse 5016), so does he really need a tree to reach Him? He should focus on God alone."Nothing should stand between you and God. No imams, priests, rabbis or any other custodians of moral or religious leadership. Not spiritual masters and not even your faith. Believe in your values and your rules, but never lord them over others. If you keep breaking other people?s hearts, whatever religious duty you perform is no good. Stay away from all sorts of idolatry, for they will blur your vision. Let God and only God be your guide. Learn the Truth, my friend, but be careful not to make a fetish out of your truths." - Shams Tabrizi
Allah knows best.
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