Trusting Only in God and Avoiding Shirk

The creation of human beings is founded upon worshipping God alone and placing trust only in Him. God is the Creator of everything, and the continuation of the existence of all beings depends solely on His will. It is God alone who grants healing, sustenance, joy, and sorrow. Apart from Him, no being possesses power, authority, or will on its own.
When people forget this truth and turn toward others besides God, placing their trust in them, they fall into the grave deviation of shirk. In the Qur’an, shirk is described as the greatest sin that leads a person to ruin both in this world and in the Hereafter. Shirk means attributing the power, will, and sovereignty that belong to God to other beings, or placing trust in others alongside God. This occurs when people seek help from others besides God or rely on intermediaries and causes instead of Him.
In Surah Ya-Sin, this deviation is described as follows:
«“And they have taken gods besides God, hoping that they might be helped. But they are not able to help them; rather, they are themselves soldiers in readiness for them.” (Ya-Sin 36:74–75)»
This verse clearly reveals the error of people who rely on beings that do not even have the power to help themselves. God commands people to turn only to Him and to seek help only from Him.
Those who place their trust in others besides God will live a life of humiliation and disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they will face an even more severe and eternal punishment. The Qur’an mentions in many verses how helpless the beings are from whom people seek help besides God.
In Surah Al-Hajj, this reality is explained as follows:
«“O people, a parable is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you call upon besides God will never create even a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly were to snatch something away from them, they could not recover it from it. Weak are the seeker and the sought.” (Al-Hajj 22:73)»
This verse clearly expresses how powerless the beings are from whom people expect help besides God. To trust beings that cannot even create a fly, and that cannot recover what a fly takes from them, shows how deeply a person has fallen into heedlessness.
The consequence of trusting others besides God in both this world and the Hereafter is expressed in Surah Al-Kahf:
«“And he had no company to help him besides God, nor could he defend himself.” (Al-Kahf 18:42–43)»
Those who fall into shirk are deprived of God’s mercy in this world, and everything they relied upon eventually disappears. In the Hereafter, they will face endless punishment. God says in Surah Ash-Shu‘ara:
«“So do not call upon another god with God, lest you be among those punished.” (Ash-Shu‘ara 26:213)»
Believers, on the other hand, trust only in God at every moment of their lives and seek help only from Him. God describes this attitude of the believers as follows:
«“Say: Nothing will ever happen to us except what God has written for us. He is our Protector. And upon God let the believers rely.” (At-Tawbah 9:51)»
The only true friend and helper is God. When a person attempts to take other protectors besides God, he actually exposes his own weakness and helplessness. This truth is expressed in the Qur’an as follows:
«“Indeed, to God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death. And you have no protector or helper besides God.” (At-Tawbah 9:116)»
Some people, instead of turning to God, visit tombs and ask the deceased buried there for help, or they fall into shirk by making and using amulets. However, even in the Torah, the practice of sorcery and amulet-making is clearly forbidden:
«“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, practices divination, sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, casts spells, consults mediums or spiritists, or who consults the dead.” (Deuteronomy 18:10–11)»
Those who think that this command applies only to Jews and Christians are greatly mistaken. The commands of God are universal and address all humanity.
Believers who rely only on God, worship Him alone, and seek help only from Him live a life filled with blessings, dignity, and honor both in this world and in the Hereafter. This truth is expressed in the Qur’an as follows:
«“God knows your enemies best. And sufficient is God as a protector, and sufficient is God as a helper.” (An-Nisa 4:45)»
Attaching oneself to God with complete submission allows a person to live a life of peace and contentment. Those who avoid shirk and turn only to God live under His mercy and protection and ultimately attain eternal happiness.