Calling Oneself a God

· 26 Dhuʻl-Hijjah 1439 AH1 min readFatwa 40921English

Question

Is it a same degree of shirk when a person calls himself a god, and when someone calls Jesus (the messenger of God) a god?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

If a person refers to anyone as God besides Allah, that is shirk and kufr of the highest degree. All forms of such shirk are equal in crime and sin.[1]

Allah Ta‘ala says:

Indeed, Allah does not forgive that a partner is ascribed to Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. (Surah an-Nisa, 4:48)

And Allah Ta‘ālā Knows Best.

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

{إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ} [النساء: ٤٨]

[1]

الفتاوى الهندية - ط. دار الفكر (٢/٢٦٢)

ولو قال من خدايم على وجه المزاح يعني خود آيم فقد كفر كذا في التتارخانية

بريقة محمودية في شرح طريقة محمدية وشريعة نبوية (٢/٣٣٩)

( الْأَوَّلُ الْكُفْرُ بِاَللَّهِ تَعَالَى الْعِيَاذُ بِاَللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنْهُ ) أَيْ نَوْعٌ كَمَا قِيلَ الْكُفْرُ كُلُّهُ مِلَّةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ ( وَهُوَ أَعْظَمُ الْمُهْلِكَاتُ ) فِي الدُّنْيَا لِإِيجَابِ إهْدَارِ النَّفْسِ وَالْأُسَرِ وَإِبَاحَةِ الْأَمْوَالِ ، وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ لِإِيجَابِهِ الْخُلُودَ فِي النَّارِ ( عَلَى الْإِطْلَاقِ ) ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي أَنْوَاعِهِ تَفَاوُتٌ فِي نَفْسِهِ بِإِيجَابِ زِيَادَةِ الْعُقُوبَةِ الْأُخْرَوِيَّةِ ؛ لِأَنَّ جَزَاءَ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا ؛ لِأَنَّهُ إذَا كَانَ نِهَايَةً فِي الْجِنَايَةِ اقْتَضَتْ الْحِكْمَةُ أَنْ يُجْزَى بِمَا يَكُونُ نِهَايَةً فِي الْعُقُوبَةِ ، وَهُوَ الْخُلُودُ ... ( هُوَ ) أَيْ الْكُفْرُ ( عَدَمُ الْإِيمَانِ عَمَّنْ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ أَنْ يَكُونَ مُؤْمِنًا )

Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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