Shirk
Usually translated as “association with God.” More technically, however, it refers to seeing anything as separate or independent from God. Shirk can be both conceptual as well as experiential. Conceptual shirk has been divided into several levels, the most important of which are shirk jali and shirk khafi. Experiential shirk is to experience things in real time as separate from God, even though, if one is asked, one would affirm that it is not. For example, when one is driving a car, and experiences the brakes as keeping one safe, without feeling its connection to God as The Protector.
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