So if someone fears another in matters that only Allah can control, that is major shirk, for he has diverted a form of worship from Allah to someone else. Examples include those who fear graves, shrines, jinn, or devils, imagining that these things might touch them with harm or bring down some calamity. Hoping to avert that harm—or simply out of dread—they draw near to such beings with sacrifices, vows, offerings of food, or even money. This is major shirk. One of them will say, “I am afraid that if I do not slaughter an animal for him, he will harm me, my children, or my wealth.”

The people of Hud once said, “All we can say is that some of our gods have afflicted you with evil.” They threatened and intimidated him with their deities, but he replied, “I call Allah to witness—and you too bear witness—that I am innocent of whatever you associate with Him besides Him. So plot against me all together, and give me no respite. I have placed my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord” (Hud 54–56). This is true tawḥīd: he defied all of them and their idols.

“Plot against me all together, and give me no respite”—that is, do not delay; do it right now. Yet they could do nothing to him; Allah granted him victory over them.

Therefore, whoever fears anyone other than Allah regarding something that only Allah can do has committed major shirk. This is known as fear of worship. Such fear-based shirk is widespread: people fear graves or saints, they fear Satan, they fear the jinn; and so they