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1 — Şirk: [1] means to worship something other than, or besides,
Allâhu ta’âlâ. It means disbelief, unbelief, atheism. Disbelief is
forgiven only if the concerned person repents and believes by
heart. The hundred and sixteenth âyat of Nisâ sûra purports:
“Allâhu ta’âlâ will not forgive those who attribute a partner (or
partners) to Him, that is, disbelief.” [Of all the sins and vices,
disbelief is the worst. A person who slights one of the
commandments and prohibitions of Allâhu ta’âlâ becomes a
disbeliever. None of the goodnesses, pious and charitable deeds of
a disbeliever will do him any good in the hereafter. If a person does
not have îmân, none of his goodnesses will be rewarded. There are
kinds of disbelief. The worst, the gravest kind is (Şirk). It has been
a generally accepted rule that when several subjects are to be
referred to under one common nomenclature, the gravest one is
mentioned. For this reason, the word (şirk) used in âyat-i-kerîmas
and hadîth-i-sherîfs comprehends all sorts of disbelief. So it is
understood from the âyat-i-kerîma cited above that disbelievers
will be scorched everlastingly in Hell. A Muslim who abandons the
Islamic faith and becomes a disbeliever is called murtad
(apostate). All the former worships and thawâbs (all pious deeds
that deserve to be rewarded in the world to come) of an apostate
will come to naught. Unless an apostate repents and ceases from
his behavior that has made him a disbeliever, he shall not become
a Muslim by saying the Kalima-i-shahâdat or by performing
namâz. Therefore, one should be very much afraid of disbelief. It
is declared in a hadîth-i-sherîf, “Always say what is good and
useful. Otherwise keep quiet.” One should shy away from words
and behaviors that are not compatible with Islam. It is declared in
a hadîth-i-sherîf, “Beware from şirk. Şirk is more stealthy than the
sound of an ant’s footsteps.” Because disbelievers would remain
disbelievers if they lived forever, the punishment for their disbelief
is to be tormented in Hell forever. Therefore, it cannot be asserted
that it would be cruelty to torment disbelievers forever.]
2 — Grave sins: are the acts of violating the prohibitions of
Allâhu ta’âlâ. Homicide, theft, lying, arrogance, i.e. conceit, are
only a few examples. He who has done these, that is, who has
committed a grave sin, if he has not made tawba [2] (before dying)
[1] The first letter of the word, i.e. the Turkish letter (Ş), is an equivalent
for the English (sh).
[2] Tawba means to repent for having sinned, cease from the sin or sins
one has committed or has been committing, beg Allâhu ta’âlâ for
forgiveness, and to be resolved not to commit the same sin(s) again.
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