English Translation
The mushrikūn of our time are more severe in their shirk than the early mushrikūn — because the early ones gave their shirk to Allah only in times of ease and were sincere in hardship, whereas the later ones commit shirk in both ease and hardship. The proof is: 'And when they board a ship, they call upon Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him.' (al-‘Ankabūt 29:65).
Scholarly Commentary
Shaykh al-Fawzan: 'This is one of the most powerful arguments — even Quraysh in their shirk had moments of pure tawheed under duress; the late polytheists do not even reach that level.'
Key Benefits
- 1Calling upon other than Allah at any time — ease or hardship — is shirk.
- 2Today's shirk is often more deeply rooted than the shirk of the early Arabs.