However, the six fatal words are as follows: Shirk (polytheism) and Mushrik (polytheist) [in the holy Quran] Ilah[^9] (God) [in "لا إله إلا الله" in the Holy Quran] Worship[^10] [in the Holy Quran] Intercession[^11] [in the Holy Quran] Supplication[^12] [in the Holy Quran] Heresy[^13] [in the Holy Quran and tradition] Polytheism (Shirk) The first vital term is 'Shirk' and 'Mushrik' . 'Shirk' in the Arab language corresponds to accompanying something and "Sharīk" is the partner.
Lisān al-Arab, for the meaning of the word "Ishtirāk"[^14] states: أشرَﻙَ بالله: جَعَلَ لَهُ شَرِيکاً في مُلکِهِ and for the meaning of the word "Shirk" states: والشِّرﻙُ أن يَجعَلَ للهِ شريکاً في رُبوبيّتِهِ and explains Shirk as ascribing a partner to God in His Sovereignty and Lordship. Rāgheb[^15] mentions in his Mufradāt[^16]: "In religion Shirk is of two kinds: the first is the 'Major Shirk' where man ascribes a partner and a fellow to God which will deprive him of Heaven[^17].
The 'Minor Shirk' is when man is concerned about other-than-God in some affairs, which is the same as ostentation or hypocrisy. The Holy Quran suggests: {وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللّهِ إِلاَّ وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ} "And most of them do not believe in Allah without ascribing partners to Him." [^18] Therefore the reality of 'Major Shirk' is to regard someone as God's counterpart and coequal in Creating and Owning, Lordship and Worship.
But if we say, his Holiness Jesus (PBUH) healed the incurable ill by God's will , and revived the dead by God's will , and through the knowledge that he had acquired from God gave news of the unknown and the hidden, neither have we sought the path of polytheism nor have we spoken falsely. Doesn’t the Quran tell in the name of Jesus (‘as): {...
وَأُبْرِىءُ الأَكْمَهَ وَالأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ} "And [he will be] an apostle to the children of Israel, [and he will declare] 'I have certainly brought you a sign from your Lord: I will create for you out of clay the form of a bird, then I will breathe into it, and it will become a bird by Allah's leave.
And I heal the blind and the leper and I revive the dead by Allah's leave. And I will tell you what you have eaten and what you have stored in your houses.