Ask the People of the Reminder If You do not know. (Q21:7)
Question: Will Allah forgive us for shirk? Can we repent from shirk? How do we repent? Is there any special prayers we must offer (any duaas)?
Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Shirk is the greatest of sins, because Allaah has told us that He will not forgive the one who does not repent to Him from it, but in the case oflesser sins the matter is subject to His will: if He wills, He will forgive the one who meets Him with that sin unrepented for, and if He wills, He will punish him. This means that we should fear shirk greatly, as it is so serious before Allaah. [Fath ai-Majeed, p. 58.] Hence we must repent from all kinds of shirk, whether it is major shirk or minor shirk.
If a person repents sincerely then Allaah will accept his repentance and forgive him his sins. After mentioning shirk in the verse in which He says: "And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah" (Q25:68) and stating that its people will abide forever in Hell, Allaah says: "Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful" (Q25:68-70)
Repentance from shirk means giving it up and submitting to Allaah alone, regretting ones neglect of Allaahs rights and resolving never to go back to it. Allaah says: "Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven" (Q 8:38). "If they cease" means, give up their kufr, by submitting to Allaah alone with no partner or associate. (Tafseer al- Sadee) The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Islam destroys that which came before it" i.e., of sins. (Muslim) He also said: "Allaah will accept His slaves repentance so long as the death rattle has not yet reached his throat. "( Saheeh al-Jaami).
Whoever commits major shirk that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam must repent sincerely from that, put his actions straight and correct his intention. It is also prescribed for him to do ghusl after repenting, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Qays ibn Aasim to do that when he became Muslim. (Ahmad) Fataawa al- Lajnah al-Daaimah, 5/317]
With regard to minor shirk, the. Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against it, fearing that his Ummah might fall into it. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The thing I fear most for you is minor shirk." (Ahmad).
Also he said: "Shirk among you is more subtle than the sound of the footsteps of an ant on a rock Shall I not tell you of something which, if you do it, it will take that away from you, both minor and major forms of it. Say: Allaahumma inni aoodhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana alam wastaghfiruka lima laa alam (0 Allaah, I seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for that of which I am unaware). "[Saheeh al-Jaami]