Everything smaller than these vast creations is, a fortiori, His handiwork, for it is subject to the influence of those mighty beings. The One who brings the full cause into existence must inevitably be the Creator of its effect.
[Types of Shirk]
In sum, shirk is of two kinds:
- Shirk in His Lordship (rubūbiyyah): to assign to anyone besides Him any measure of governance or control. The Exalted says,
“Say: ‘Invoke those you claim apart from Allah. They do not own so much as the weight of an atom in the heavens or on the earth, nor do they have any share in either, nor is any one of them a helper to Him.’” (Sabaʾ 22)
Thus He makes plain that they possess not even an atom’s weight independently, share nothing with Him, and offer Him no assistance. Whoever is neither owner, partner, nor supporter has no connection whatsoever.
- Shirk in His Divinity (ulūhiyyah): to call upon any other with the invocation of worship or the invocation of request, as the Most High says,
“You alone we worship, and from You alone we seek help.” (al-Fātiḥah 5)
Just as acknowledging created things as causes does not undermine the oneness of Lordship, does not negate that Allah is the Creator of all things, and does not require that a creature be invoked in worship or for deliverance, so too recognizing that certain forbidden acts—whether shirk or otherwise—are among the causes does not impair the oneness of Divinity. It does not negate that Allah alone deserves pure devotion, nor does it compel us to employ words or deeds containing shirk—especially when Allah detests such conduct and punishes the servant for it, and its harm outweighs any benefit. Indeed, all goodness lies in worshipping none but Him and seeking aid from none but Him.
Most Qur’anic verses affirm this fundamental principle, to the point that He, glorified be He, has completely severed