Outcomes of Shirk
The Quran points out some of these consequences:
1- Ruining Good Deeds
Shirk causes our good deeds to be abolished. The Quran calls this Habt (destruction of deeds). So Shirk ruins our good deeds. Sometimes a little act destroys all of the good deeds of someone. It is like a student who has studied throughout the school year but fails to attend the examination at the end of the year.
Or someone observes the rules of hygiene all his life but then one day he drinks poison. This little act destroys all of his efforts to remain healthy throughout his life.
Shirk is like that. It ruins all of one’s efforts in life. The Holy Quran says:
“It has already been revealed to you and to those who have gone before you, that if you associate (partners) with Allah, your works would be annulled and you will be among the losers.” (Verse 65 of Surah Az-Zumar)
2- Anxiety and Worry
Obviously, we cannot keep everyone pleased because there is a large number of people around us and each one has expectations. A monotheistic person only seeks to please God and does not care what other individuals or groups say and this brings about a certain calm and peace in life.
The Quran says in Verse 39 of Surah Yusuf: “Say which is better, many gods at variance, or Allah the One, the Conqueror?”
We also read in Verse 29 of Surah Az-Zumar: “God tells a parable in which there is a company of quarrelsome people and only one of them is well disciplined. Can they be considered as equal? It is only God who deserves all praise. In fact, most of them do not know.”
3- Shaky Character
The Holy Quran says: “He who associates others with Allah is like he who falls from heaven and is snatched away by the birds or carried by the wind to some faroff place.” (Verse 31 of Surah Al-Hajj)
This is what happens to someone with Shirk whereas a monotheistic person who is committed to “There is no God but Allah” will be in a safe and strong divine castle: As the Hadith goes: “(God says) ’La ilaha illallah’ is My Castle. Whoever enters My Castle shall be protected from My punishment.”
4- Discord and disunity in society
In a monotheistic society, the only thing that rules is the law of God and path of God and people have one leader. But in a society suffering from Shirk, there will be different ways and laws. According to the Quran, “God has never given birth to a son and there is no other god besides Him. If there were, each god would have taken away his creatures and claimed superiority over the others. God is too exalted to be as they believe Him to be.” (verse 91 of Surah Al-Muminun)
In polytheistic society, people are not servants of God but have to obey this and that person. “We obeyed our masters and our eminent ones, but they misled us from the way.” (Verse 67 of Surah Al-Ahzab)
People in that society seek dominance over one another: “… some of them would have risen above others.” (Verse 91 of Surah Al-Muminun)
And every group only care about what they want: “… those who have divided their religion, and become sects, each rejoicing in what they have.” (Verse 32 of Surah Ar-Rum)
5- Disgrace and humiliation on Resurrection Day
Humiliation and disgrace in the hereafter are also among the consequences of Shirk. In the Quran there are many verses in which it is said that polytheists will be addressed on the Day of Judgment and criticized. The Quran warns people not to associate anyone with Allah: “Do not consider anything equal to God lest you be thrown into hell, despised, and driven away from God's mercy.” (Verse 39 of Surah Al-Isra)
