while you know.” (2:22)

This is the major form of shirk (polytheism), for in the Sacred Law shirk is of two kinds:
• Major shirk.
• Minor shirk.

Major shirk contradicts the very core of tawḥīd (monotheism) and can occur with respect to Allah’s Lordship, His Divinity, or His Names and Attributes. Nevertheless, the form most widespread among past and present nations is shirk in worship.

Shirk in worship is to render any act of worship to someone alongside Allah. In terms of their submission to Allah, people fall into three categories:

1. The monotheist (muwaḥḥid): one who submits to Allah by worshipping Him alone, without partner.
2. The polytheist (mushrik): one who submits to Allah and to others, worshipping Allah while also worshipping another beside Him.
3. The arrogant rejecter (mustakbir): one who does not submit to Allah at all, but haughtily refuses to worship Him.

Allah the Exalted says, “Whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant—He will gather them all to Himself.” (4:172) He also says, “But as for those who disdained and acted arrogantly, He will punish them with a painful punishment, and they will find for themselves, apart from Allah, neither protector nor helper.” (4:173)

Thus, a Muslim who is a monotheist and then commits shirk has apostasised from Islam. As for one who was a polytheist from the outset, he is not called an apostate, for he never embraced Islam in the first place.