Book Of Tawhid (Fear of Shirk)

Chapter 4 

Allah--may He be praised and glorified--said: 

"Allah will not forgive associating aught with Him; but He will forgive the lesser sins to whomsoever He pleases." (Qur'an 4:48, 116)

Al-Khalil--`alayhis salam--said:

"O Allah! Grant that neither I nor my descendants ever worship idols." (Qur'an 14:35)

In the hadith we read: "What I fear most for you is the lesser shirk." When asked what it is, the Prophet answered, 'Hypocrisy.'"

In al-Bukhari's Sahih, we read that Ibn Mas'ood--radiya llaho `anho--reported:
"The Prophet of Allah--peace be upon him--said: 'Whoever dies while calling on associates to Allah shall enter Hell.'"

In Muslim's Sahih we read: Jaber--ra`a--reported that the Prophet of Allah--peace be upon him--said: 

"Whoever meets Allah on the Day of Judgment not having associated aught with Him, shall enter Paradise; and whoever meets Him having done the contrary shall be consigned to Hell.'"

Further Issues

1. Fear of shirk.
2. That hypocrisy has the constituents of shirk.
3. That hypocrisy is a lesser kind of shirk.
4. That hypocrisy is the most fearful danger to threaten the righteous.
5. Nearness of Paradise and Hell.
6. Combination of the nearness of Paradise and that of Hell in the same hadith.
7. That whoever meets Allah on the Day of Judgment not associating aught with Him shall enter Paradise; and whoever meets Him differently shall enter Hell even though he might have been of the most pious.
8. The significant prayer of al-Khalil that he and his descendants be protected from idol worship.
9. His consideration of the fate of the majority of men, as in the verse,
   "O Lord! the idols have misguided numerous people"
   (Qur'an 14:36) indicates.
10. Interpretation of the witness "There is no god worthy of worship, except Allah" as reported by al-Bukhari.
11. Virtue of the person who is free of shirk.