In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

The Origin of Shirk

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً۬ وَٲحِدَةً۬ فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لِيَحۡكُمَ بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فِيمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ‌ۚ وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡ‌ۖ فَهَدَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ بِإِذۡنِهِۦ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَهۡدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ

Mankind were one community and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. And only those to whom (the Scripture) was given differed concerning it after clear proofs had come unto them through hatred, one to another. Then Allah by His Leave guided those who believed to the truth of that wherein they differed. And Allah guides whom He wills to a Straight Path. [Surah Al-Baqarah. Aayah 213]

Allaah [The Exalted] said: [وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّآ أُمَّةً۬ وَٲحِدَةً۬ فَٱخۡتَلَفُواْ‌ۚ وَلَوۡلَا ڪَلِمَةٌ۬ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِىَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ – Mankind were but one community (i.e. on one religion – Islamic Monotheism), then they differed (later), and had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord, it would have been settled between them regarding what they differed]. [Surah Yunus. Aayah 19]

Ibn Abbaas [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father] said, “There were ten generations between Nooh and Aadam – all of them used to be upon the true path [i.e. upon Islaam – worshipping Allaah alone], then they differed and started worshipping idols, false deities and images, so Allaah sent Messengers with clear proofs and evidences”. (1)

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

وَلَقَدۡ بَعَثۡنَا فِى ڪُلِّ أُمَّةٍ۬ رَّسُولاً أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجۡتَنِبُواْ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ‌ۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ حَقَّتۡ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ‌ۚ فَسِيرُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ

And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities).” Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied (the truth). [Surah An-Nahl. Aayah 36]

Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadee [may Allaah preserve him] said, “Shirk is the greatest sin that can be committed in disobedience to Allaah. The Prophets brought the greatest knowledge and that is the knowledge of Tawheed, and they warned against the greatest wrong doing and that is to ascribed partners to Allaah. Allaah said: [ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٌ۬ – Verily! Associating partners to (Allaah in worship) is a great wrong indeed] [Surah Luqmaan’ Aayah 13] (2)

Iyaadh Ibn Himaar [may Allaah be pleased with him] reported that Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “Verily, my Lord has commanded me to teach you what you do not know, from what he has taught me this day, ‘All wealth I bestowed upon them is lawful. I have created all of My servants upon a natural disposition to incline towards worshipping Me alone, but devils come to them and turn them away from their religion (of pure Islamic monotheism). They make unlawful what has been made lawful for them, and they command them to associate partners with Me for which no authority has been revealed’. [Ṣaḥeeh Muslim 2865]

Tarot Reading and Knowledge of The Unseen

Allaah (The Most High) said: [وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ – And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He].

In his explanation of the above Ayah, Imaam Ash-Shanqeetee (may Allaah have mercy upon him] brought a number of robust proofs to demonstrate and establish that even the most knowledgeable amongst the creation- Allaah’s Messengers and Angels-do not posses knowledge of the Unseen. The Imaam [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said:

Proof A: Aa’isha (may Allah be pleased with her] was falsely accused and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] did not know whether she was innocent or not until Allaah informed him, saying: [ أُولَٰئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ- ‘Such (good people) are innocent of (each and every) bad statement which they say].

Proof B: Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) slaughtered a lamb for the angels, whilst not knowing that they were angels until they informed him that they were angels. Allaah said that the angels said to him: [إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ – We have been sent against the people of Lout (Lot). (11:70)]

Proof C: When the angels came to Prophet Lut (peace be upon him), he did not know that they were angels, and due to that Allaah said: [عَصِيبٌ سِيءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا وَقَالَ هَٰذَا يَوْمٌ – He was grieved on their account and felt himself straitened for them (lest the town people should approach them to commit lewdness with them). He said: This is a distressful day]. And because of this Allaah said that lut said: [لَوْ أَنَّ لِي بِكُمْ قُوَّةً أَوْ آوِي إِلَىٰ رُكْنٍ شَدِيدٍ – Would that I had strength (men) to overpower you, or that I could betake myself to some powerful support (to resist you). (11:80)]. He did not know the news the angels brought until they said to him: [إِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَنْ يَصِلُوا إِلَيْكَ – Verily, we are the Messengers from your Lord!]

Proof D: Prophet Ya’qoob (peace be upon him) lost his eye sight due to grieving for Yusuf (peace be upon him), whilst he was in Egypt. He did not know anything about Yusuf until Allaah reveal news about him.

Proof E: Prophet Sulaymaan (peace be upon him), even though Allaah gave him authority over the devils and subjugated the wind in his service, did not know about the people Bil Qees until the Hud’hud came with news about them. Allaah said that the Hud’hud said: [أَحَطْتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِنْ سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ – I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba’ (Sheba) with true news].

Proof F: Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) did not know that his son – who was drowned- was not from those members of his household who were to be saved, as Allaah said that Nuh said: [رَبِّ إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ الْحَقُّ – O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family! And certainly, Your Promise is true.(11:45)]

He did not know the reality of the affair until Allaah informed him, saying:

[بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۖ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ قَالَ يَا نُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ ۖ إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ ۖ فَلَا تَسْأَلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ – He said: “O Nuh (Noah)! Surely, he is not of your family; verily, his work is unrighteous, so ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge! I admonish you, lest you be one of the ignorant].

And indeed Allaah (The Most High) also stated in Surah Hud about Nuh that he said to his people: [وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ -And I do not say to you that with me are the Treasures of Allah, “Nor that I know the Ghaib (unseen)].

Proof G: And when Allaah said to the Angels: [هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ -Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful]; Allaah said that the angels replied: [قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا -They (angels) said: “Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us.

Therefore, it is very clear that the most knowledgeable amongst the creation, the Messengers and the Angels, do not know anything of the unseen except what Allaah makes known to them. Allaah (The Most High) informs His Messengers what He wishes from the knowledge of the Unseen, as Allaah stated:

[وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِنْ رُسُلِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۖ- Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Ghaib (unseen), but Allah chooses of His Messengers whom He pleases].

And Allaah said: [إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِنْ رَسُولٍ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَد- (He Alone) the All-Knower of the Gha’ib (unseen), and He reveals to none His Gha’ib (unseen).” Except to a Messenger (from mankind)…(3)

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “Sincerity to Allaah in worship and pure Islamic monotheism is a tree in the heart, its branches are the (good) deeds and its fruits is the good life in this world and everlasting bliss in the afterlife. And just as the fruits of Paradise are neither cut off (by change of season) nor are they out of reach, likewise this is the case with the fruits of pure Islamic monotheism and sincerity to Allaah in worship. Shirk, lies and showoff is a tree in the heart, its fruits – in the worldly life- are fear and anxiety, grief and distress in the soul and oppression against the heart. Its fruits in the afterlife are the tree of Zaqqoom and an everlasting punishment. And Allaah has mentioned these two trees in Surah Ibraaheem:

أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلاً۬ كَلِمَةً۬ طَيِّبَةً۬ كَشَجَرَةٍ۬ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصۡلُهَا ثَابِتٌ۬ وَفَرۡعُهَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ
تُؤۡتِىٓ أُڪُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينِۭ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهَا‌ۗ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَڪَّرُونَ
وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ۬ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ ٱجۡتُثَّتۡ مِن فَوۡقِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍ۬

See you not how Allaah sets forth a parable? A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky (i.e. very high). Giving its fruits at all times, by the Leave of its Lord, and Allaah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember. And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree uprooted from the surface of earth, having no stability. [Surah Ibraaheem. Aayaat 24-26] (4)

The Historical Connection Between Ancestor Worship (Shirk), Astrology, Magic and the Occult-

By Shaikh Abu Iyaadh [may Allaah preserve him] 

http://www.dajjaal.com/liar/articles/rwdah-the-historical-connection-between-ancestor-worship-shirk-astrology-magic-and-the-occult.cfm

The Quran, the Sunnah and Modern Astronomy: Observations on the Solar System of the Astrologers

http://www.aboutatheism.net/articles/atidxsu-the-quran-the-sunnah-and-modern-astronomy-observations-on-the-solar-system-of-the-astrologers.cfm

Chapter 29: Astrology as a means of seeking knowledge of the future: Kitāb At-Tawheed-

By Shaikh Abu Khadeejah [may Allaah preserve him]
https://abukhadeejah.com/astrology-as-a-means-of-seeking-knowledge-of-the-future-kitaab-at-tawheed-chapter-29/

Astrology is from the Types of Magic
https://www.salafisounds.com/astrology-is-from-the-types-of-magic-%E2%80%95-abu-khadeejah-abdul-wahid/

[Ref 1: Misbaah Al-Muneer Fee Ta’dheeb Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
[Ref 2: Marhaban Yaa Taalibal Ilm’ pages 104-106]
[Ref 3: An Excerpt from ‘Tafseer Al-Qur’aan Bil-Qur’aan Min Adwaa Al-Bayaan’ pages 169-170’ Daar Hady An-Nabawiy’ 2nd ed. (1431AH -2010)]
[Ref 4: Al-Fawaa’id. Pages 239-240]