Shirk

Q: Can a Muslim child follow his mother or father to church in order to make them happy?

Q: What's the meaning of "Aaqa"? People refer to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as Aaqa in poetry. Is it Shirk?

Q: Please describe what is Shirk?

Q: Is raising your hands to make dua and saying a verse that starts with "O you who believe" and saying aamean shirk? 

Q: Some people say "Jesus" if something goes wrong. They just say it and I sometime say Jesus instead of saying "O my god". Can we say Jesus?

Q: My native language is Chinese. Chinese language itself contains many daily used common words and phrases that can be classified as containing shirk. Of course, the majority of Chinese speakers never know what shirk is. For example, the Chinese word for “mind, thought, attitude”, which is a commonly used word, literally means “spirit/god” in Chinese. It derives from their kufr belief that humans can become fake so called gods or spirits. I tried very hard to bypass these words, even though they are common, when talking with my mom and other Chinese speakers. However, since the language’s vocabulary system contains many shirk words, a lot of times there is only one word choice, otherwise you cannot express the meaning precisely, or not at all close.

I was talking with my mom and used the phrase that translates into “heavenly (the heaven in Chinese religion) flower falling down” (which means someone is bragging). I know you cannot understand how Chinese works, but it employs a lot of euphemisms and metaphors so the literal meaning maps to a derived meaning. I was talking and it is hard to go against your native language when I was in emotions (it is instinctive; unless I deliberately find a substitute of the word, which may or may not happen as it needs deliberately doing it). Is that kufr (disbelief) to use these words and phrases? But as you can see, a lot of times it is hard or impossible to avoid as the language itself contains these words that has shirk (imagine that english word for “brain”, or “eating a lot” are phrases that contain shirk, how do you speak it?

Q: I want to know if asking help from someone or asking to make dua on our behalf is shirk or not. 

Q: I really need to know something so badly! In my art project at school last year in year 13, it was about festivals so I looked into Diwali and wrote about what they believe in and I also did an observational drawing of one of their deity who sits on a lotus flower. I didn’t have any intention of worship at all and I did rip it out of my book but I did leave an image of one of the deity in my sketchbook and recently saw it and ripped it out. At the time I didn’t know what shirk was really and I didn’t think what I done was bad because to me it was all part of my coursework for school and the beliefs I wrote about never was something I believed. I did write about the stories and the hindu gods and wrote down what the Hindus referred to them as but I know they’re not lord or god but I had to write down that because that is what Hindus believe and so that’s what I was meant to write but it all looks so bad that I think about it. Did I do shirk?

Q: Last night myself and my husband were having an argument about him being a bully. I bowed down to my husband to prove to him he is always right and I am wrong. Not realizing what I was doing. Is this shirk and does this nullify my nikaah?

Q: I am reverted to Islam and used to be a Hindu. I do not worship idols but during some days Hindu people worship the dead people of their family to show them respect and for that they burn something like coal in name of them and prostate in front of them. I am secretly following Islam and my mother told me to prostrate in front of that even though I was a Muslim, I just sat down and took my head down. I did not touch the ground with my nose and head and was taking name of Allah. I cannot say no to my parents. Have I done shirk? I even cried after this in front of Allah and I am now feeling that I do not deserve to be a servant of Allah. What can I do now?