Have you every heard Shia scholars warning agains the dangers of superstitions, exeggeration with Awliyah (i.e. saints, Imams) or Shirk? We not saying that you might find some lectures by more rational Shi’ites (who are closer to Sunnis) about these topics, however, the mainstream of the Imamites, their top Ayatullahs and preachers in the west constantly talk about everything in regards to the Ahl al-Bayt but the dangers of Shirk? The sheer thought of seeing the banner, video titled etc. by Shi’ites, warning against Shirk seems to abstract, in fact an oxymoron.

Iraqi Twelver Shia soldier thanking his Persian looking deity (they are fooled to believe that is ‘Ali or Hussein or Abul-Fadhl etc.) by postrating to his image. Have you ever seen such forms of extremism in Sunnis, even in it’s most esoterical form i.e. Sufism? Images of ‘Omar, people prostating to him? Of course not, it’s not the nature of Sunnism, it’s the nature of Twelver Imamism (Shi’ism) where such practices naturally envolve due to the Ghuluww with the Ahl al-Bayt.

Now what does constitute Shirk to them? This important topic must be somewhere covered by them. Is it the over-exaggeration with the Ahl al-Bayt? Dangers of grave/shrine veneration? Lets see:

Some examples of Shia understanding of shirk from their classical scholars, the pillars of their school:

Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi in “Tafsir al-Qummi” 2/218:

حدثنا جعفر بن احمد عن عبدالكريم بن عبدالرحيم عن محمد بن علي عن محمد بن الفضيل عن أبي حمزة عن أبي جعفر (ع) قال: سألته عن قول الله لنبيه ” لئن أشركت ليحبطن عملك ولتكونن من الخاسرين ” قال: تفسيرها لئن امرت بولاية أحد مع ولاية علي من بعدك ليحبطن عملك ولتكونن من الخاسرين.

Narrated Ja’far Bin Ahmed on authority of Abdul-Karim Bin Abdul Rahman on authority of Muhammad Bin Ali on authority of Muhammad Bin Al-Fazzil on authority of Abi Hamza on authority of Abi Ja’far (as) he said: I asked about Allah’s saying, ” If you commit shirk (Join others), surely your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.” He said: “The interpretation of this aya is, if you (Muhammad) command anyone with the authority (Wilayat) with Ali’s authority (wilaya) after you, then surely your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.

Fayzdhal-Kashani “Tafsir as-Safi” 2/113, with reference to “al-Kafi” and al-Qummi; Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi “Biharul anwar” 36/93:

اخبرنا الحسين بن محمد عن المعلى بن محمد عن علي بن اسباط عن على بن ابي حمزة عن ابي بصير عن ابى عبدالله عليه السلام في قوله ” والله ربنا ما كنا مشركين ” بولاية علي عليه السلام،

Al-Hasan Bin Muhammad informed us on authority of Al-Ma’alee Bin Muhammad, on authority of Ali Bin Asbaat, on authority of Ali Bin Abi Hamza, on authority of Abi Basir, on authority of Abi Abdullah (as) in His (Allah’s) saying: “By Allah our Lord, we were not those who committed shirk”..(shirk) in wilayat of Ali (as). (quoted from tafsir al-Qummi 1/200)

On authority of Abu Abdullah (as) he said: Whoever commits shirk in Imamah with Imamah of Allah’s Imam whose Imamah is not from Allah, then he has set partners with Allah.
(Al-Kafi 1/305 Book Al-Hujja)

عن الأصبغ بن نباتة أنه سأل أمير المؤمنين عن قوله تعالى ] أن اشكر لي ولوالديك إلي المصير[ قال: الوالدان اللذان أوجب الله لهما الشكر. هما اللذان ولدا العلم. ] وإن جاهداك على أن تشرك بي[ يقول في الوصية: وتعدل عمن أمرت بطاعته فلا تطعهما ولا تسمع قولهما« (الكافي 1/354 كتاب الحجة. باب فيه نكت ونتف من التنزيل في الولاية).

On authority of Al-Asbag Bin Nabatat that he asked Amirul Muaminin regarding Allah’s saying [Show gratitude to Me and to your parents: to Me is the (final) Goal] He said: Parents are those on whom Allah made gratitude obligatory. Thy are those who gave birth to knowledge. [But if they stirve to make you join partners with Me] He said (partner) with Wasi (the chosen Imam)]: Make him equal to who you were ordered to be obedient, then never obey them and never listen to them.
(Al-Kafi 1/354 Book Al-Hujja: Chapter: In it there are jokes and torn pieces regarding revelation in Wilayat)

Conclusion:

Shirk is to set partner with the Imams. Everthing in their religion is about Imams, Imams, Imams, to the point where the definition of shirk has got nothing to do with Allah or directing worship (like invocation/Du’a) to other than him, rather it’s to believe in Imams other than the Imams of the Twelvers. You be the judge dear reader, if this is not Ghuluww (extremism) and absolute alien to Islam, then what is it? Certainly not the school of the Prophet’s progeny (peace be upon them all) who are free of all these lies narrated in their names.