What is minor shirk?
Short answer
It is what the Shari'ah has called shirk and which has not reached the major shirk that takes one out of the religion; examples include showing off, and swearing by other than Allah in principle unless accompanied by a belief that raises it to major.
Evidence and explanation
The Shaykh mentioned the criterion of minor shirk, and among its examples swearing by other than Allah, showing off and making what is not a cause a cause.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin
ما هو تعريف الشرك الأصغر؟ — محتوى ٦٠٤٩- Question
«من تعريفات الشرك الأصغر أنهم قالوا: أن تجعل ما ليس سبباً سبباً فما رأيكم؟ وهل هذا على إطلاقه؟»
English translation (unreviewed): Among the definitions of minor shirk they said: that you make what is not a cause a cause. What do you think? And is this absolute?
- From the text of the answer
«لا ليس هكذا، هذا من الشرك الأصغر وليس هو الشرك الأصغر، الشرك الأصغر كلما أطلق الشرع عليه أنه شرك ولا يخرج من الملة، وهذا كـ «من حلف بغير الله فقد أشرك» و(سئل عن الشرك الأصغر؟ فقال: «هو الرياء» المهم الضابط هو: أن الشرك الأصغر كل ما جاء في الكتاب والسنة أنه شرك وليس مخرجاً عن الملة، ومنه: أن تجعل ما ليس بسبب سبباً، مثل: القلادة ووضع الأشياء عن العين.»
English translation (unreviewed): No, it is not like that. This is from minor shirk, but it is not itself the (definition of) minor shirk. Minor shirk is whatever the Shari'ah has called shirk and which does not take one out of the religion; this is like “Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk” and (when he was asked about minor shirk, he said: “It is showing off”). The criterion in sum is: minor shirk is everything that has come in the Book and the Sunnah as shirk and does not take one out of the religion; and part of it is that you make what is not a cause a cause, such as the necklace and putting things on against the evil eye.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
What is the definition of minor shirk?
Title of the original page (Arabic): ما هو تعريف الشرك الأصغر؟
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on him