{"id":63199,"date":"2018-07-23T00:32:48","date_gmt":"2018-07-23T06:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=63199"},"modified":"2018-09-05T09:52:58","modified_gmt":"2018-09-05T15:52:58","slug":"the-sin-of-shirk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2018\/07\/the-sin-of-shirk.html","title":{"rendered":"The Sin of “Shirk”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"In<\/a>
In the Arabian Peninsula, with camels
(Wikimedia Commons photo by Mohammad Nowfal)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The worst sin in Islam is shirk <\/em>(\u0634\u0631\u0643). \u00a0The word isn\u2019t pronounced like the English verb to shirk<\/em>, as in \u201cshirking one\u2019s responsibilities.\u201d \u00a0Rather, it\u2019s pronounced exactly like the English adjective sheer \u2014\u00a0<\/em>or, if you prefer, like the English verb to shear<\/em>, as in \u201cshearing a sheep\u201d \u2014\u00a0except that there\u2019s a k<\/em> at the end.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The term shirk<\/em> is often rendered as polytheism<\/em> or even idolatry<\/em>. \u00a0And, roughly, that\u2019s probably alright. \u00a0Relatively adequate. \u00a0Accordingly, a mushrik<\/em> is a polytheist or an idolater<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not precisely<\/em> correct.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fundamental meaning of the Arabic root sh-r-k<\/em>\u00a0is something like \u201cassociation\u201d or \u201csharing.\u201d \u00a0Thus, there are cognate words such as Modern Standard Arabic sharika<\/em>, \u201ccompany\u201d (or, in Egyptian colloquial Arabic, shirka<\/em>); mushtarik<\/em>, \u201cshared\u201d or \u201cmutual\u201d; ishtirakiyya<\/em>, \u201csharing\u201d or \u201csocialism\u201d; and so forth.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

With that semantic background in mind, shirk<\/em> in theological usage is probably best understood, basically, as associating something else with God in the sense that that something else is regarded as sharing in God\u2019s status or as worthy of worship alongside God.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Polytheism obviously fits this understanding, as does idolatry.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Historically, many Muslim thinkers have been suspicious (at best) of Christian Trinitarianism, considering it close to shirk<\/em> if not altogether guilty of the sin. \u00a0And the protests of mainstream, orthodox Trinitarian Christians that they are monotheists who, while not confusing the persons (in affirming the deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) nevertheless do not divide the divine substance have not fully convinced those Muslim thinkers. \u00a0For Islam truly is<\/em> monotheistic, and rigorously so, just as at least the past two or three millennia of Judaism have been. \u00a0And, also speaking historically, Muslims have been very good at mathematics. \u00a0When they hear of Father and of Son and of Holy Spirit, they can easily count up to three.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The term shirk<\/em> is, however, also applied (somewhat) metaphorically to other kinds of \u201cpolytheism,\u201d such as disproportionate devotion to wealth, status, and power. \u00a0In that sense, some recent Muslim thinkers argue that we today live in a modern jahiliyya<\/em> or \u201cage of ignorance,\u201d just like the literally idolatrous and polytheistic culture of pre-Islamic Arabia. \u00a0Of course, nobody today actually worships Allat, Manat, and al-\u2018Uzza, the three \u201cdaughters of Allah\u201d venerated by ancient Arabians, but we do very often put other things ahead of God \u2014 and that can easily be regarded as, in effect and practically speaking, a kind of worship.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Posted from Victoria, British Columbia<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 The worst sin in Islam is shirk (\u0634\u0631\u0643). \u00a0The word isn\u2019t pronounced like the English verb to shirk, as in \u201cshirking one\u2019s responsibilities.\u201d \u00a0Rather, it\u2019s pronounced exactly like the English adjective sheer \u2014\u00a0or, if you prefer, like the English verb to shear, as in \u201cshearing a sheep\u201d \u2014\u00a0except that there\u2019s a k at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Sin of "Shirk"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    The worst sin in Islam is shirk (\u0634\u0631\u0643). \u00a0The word isn't pronounced like the English verb to shirk, as in "shirking one's responsibilities."\" \/>\n<meta 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