Question 438.
How may forms can polytheism take? ?

Answer 438.
It could take many forms. We discuss below a few of them.
(i) Partnership in powers exclusive to ALLAH: This is like believing that some prophets, spiritual heads or martyrs etc., have the power to send down rains, grant son or daughter or other boons to anyone, provide livelihood, give life to or snatch it from anyone or cause good or harm to anyone. This is one form of polytheism.
(ii) Partnership is knowledge: It consists in believing that some one besides ALLAH, a prophet or spiritual head has knowledge of the Unseen, knows everything big or small or is aware of what is happening to us or has knowledge of all things far and near.
(iii) Partnership in the Attribute of hearing and seeing: It means believing someone besides ALLAH (a prophet or spiritual leader) to have the power to hear all that we say from far and near or see us and all our actions from anywhere.
(iv) Partnership in Sovereignty: It consists in considering someone besides ALLAH the master like unto Him and obey his dictates even as one would carry out the dictates of ALLAH. For example, it is also a kind of polytheism to carry out the command of one’s spiritual head to chant a certain formula before the ‘Asr prayer for such a long time that it would carry out the dictates of ALLAH. For example, it is also a kind of polytheism to carry out the command of one’s spiritual head to chant a certain formula before the Asr prayer for such a long time that is would delay or even cause to miss the prayer prescribed by ALLAH.
(v) Partnership in worship: It consists in considering someone besides ALLAH worthy of worship. Acts like falling prostrate before some holy man, or fasting in the name of some prophet, saint or Imam asking boons from objects and persons other than ALLAH or going round some grave or the residence of a holy man even as one would go round the holy Ka’bah—are all forms of polytheism in worship.