Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy on him) said: “As for associating partners with Allah in one’s motives and intentions, that is an ocean with no shore, and few are those who are saved from it. Whoever undertakes a deed seeking other than Allah’s Face, or harbors any aim besides drawing near to Him and hoping for His reward, has committed shirk in his intention and desire. True sincerity is to devote one’s actions, words, aims, and intentions wholly to Allah. This is the ḥanīfiyyah—the creed of Abraham—which Allah has commanded all His servants to follow; He accepts nothing else from anyone. It is the very reality of Islam, as He, the Exalted, says: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers” (Āl ʿImrān 3:85). It is the creed of Abraham (peace be upon him); whoever turns away from it is one of the fools.⦗1⦘” End quote.

From what has preceded, it is clear that there are differences between major and minor shirk, namely:

1 – Major shirk expels a person from the faith, whereas minor shirk does not.