Sayyiduna Ma'qil bin Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I went with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "O Abu Bakr! Indeed, the shirk (polytheism) found among you is more hidden than the crawling of an ant." Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Is shirk not that someone makes another god besides Allah? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, shirk is more hidden than the crawling of an ant. Shall I not tell you such words that when you say them, the minor and major (shirk) will be removed from you?" The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Say this: «اللهم إني أعوذ بك أن أشرك بك وأنا أعلم، وأستغفرك لما لا أعلم» "O Allah! I seek refuge in You from associating partners with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for that which I do not know."