Allah's statement,

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط·ظژط¹ظ’طھظڈظ…ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ظژظ…ظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(and if you obey them, then you would indeed be polytheists.) means, when you turn away from Allah's command and Legislation to the saying of anyone else, preferring other than what Allah has said, then this constitutes Shirk. Allah said in another Ayah,

﴿ط§طھظ‘ظژط®ظژط°ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط£ظژط­ظ’ط¨ظژظ€ط±ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژط±ظڈظ‡ظ’ط¨ظژظ€ظ†ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط£ظژط±ظ’ط¨ظژط§ط¨ط§ظ‹ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ﴾

(They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah.)﴿9:31﴾ In explanation of this Ayah, At-Tirmidhi recorded that `Adi bin Hatim said, "O Allah's Messenger! They did not worship them.'' The Prophet said,

آ«ط¨ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط£ظژط­ظژظ„ظ‘ظڈظˆط§ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژط±ظژط§ظ…ظژ ظˆظژط­ظژط±ظ‘ظژظ…ظڈظˆط§ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظ„ظژط§ظ„ظژ ظپظژط§طھظ‘ظژط¨ط¹ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظژطھظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظٹظ‘ظژط§ظ‡ظڈظ…آ»

(Yes they did. They (monks and rabbis) allowed the impermissible for them and they prohibited the lawful for them, and they followed them in that. That was their worship of them.)

﴿ط£ظژظˆظژظ…ظژظ† ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژ ظ…ظژظٹظ’طھظ‹ط§ ظپظژط£ظژط­ظ’ظٹظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ†ظڈظˆط±ظ‹ط§ ظٹظژظ…ظ’ط´ظگظٹ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط³ظگ ظƒظژظ…ظژظ† ظ…ظ‘ظژط«ظژظ„ظڈظ‡ظڈ ظپظگظٹ ط§ظ„ط¸ظ‘ظڈظ„ظڈظ…ظژظ€طھظگ ظ„ظژظٹظ’ط³ظژ ط¨ظگط®ظژط§ط±ظگط¬ظچ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظژط§ ظƒظژط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ط²ظڈظٹظ‘ظگظ†ظژ ظ„ظگظ„ظ’ظƒظژظ€ظپظگط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(122. Is he who was dead, and We gave him life, and set for him a light, whereby he can walk among men -- like him who is in the darkness from which he can never come out Thus it is made fair seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do.)