What Is The Definition Of Iman (faith) According To Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, and Does Iman Increase and Decrease?

[Shehzad Sattar]

What is the definition of Iman (faith) according to Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, and does Iman increase and decrease?

By al-Faqeeh ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-'Uthaymeen Rahumahullaah.

Taken from Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islaam, Chapter Fatawa on 'Aqidah, Question 8 on Pg60 - Pg64

Iman (faith) according to Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah is: "The affirmation of the heart, (together with) the utterance of the tongue, and the actions of the limbs". So it consists of three elements:

١- Affirmation of the heart.

٢- Utterance by the tongue.

٣- Actions of the limbs.

Since this is the case, then it will certainly increase and decrease.

This is because affirmation of the heart varies in degree; believing in something which one is told is not like believing in something which one sees with his own eyes, nor is believing in news reported by a single man like believing in that reported by two men, and so on. This is why Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said:

"My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead." He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe?" He said: "Yes (I do believe), but want more confidence for my heart."
[Al-Baqarah: ٢٦٠]



As such, faith increases with regard to the affirmation of the heart, its conviction, and its reliance. This is something one feels within himself; when he attends a gathering where there is religious discourse and mention of Paradise and the Hell-fire, his faith increases so much so that it is as if he could see them (both) with his own eyes. But when there is heedlessness, and after he rises from the gathering, this certainty in his heart decreases.

Likewise, faith increases by words, for the one who mentions Allah ten times is not like the one who mentions Allah a hundred times; the latter is much greater. Likewise, whoever performed an act of worship in a perfect manner, his faith is greater than the one who performs it in an imperfect manner.

Likewise, with regard to deeds; when a person performs more deeds with his limbs than another does, his faith increases more than the later. And this increase and decrease (of faith) has been mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Allah, the Most High says:

"… and we have fixed their number (nineteen) only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the Scripture may arrive at a certainty (that this Qur'an is the truth as it agrees with their scriptures) and that the believers may increase in Faith."
[Al-Muddaththir: ٣١]

And He - the Most High - says:

“And whenever there comes down a Surah, some of them (hypocrites) say: 'Which of you has had his faith increased by it?' As for those who believe, it has increased their faith, and they rejoice. But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy), it adds further corruption to their corruption; and they die while they are disbelievers."
[At-Tawbah: ١٢٤-١٢٥]

And in the authentic Hadith from the Prophet ﷺ he said:

"I have not seen anyone deficient in intelligence and religion more skilled in sweeping a cautious sensible man of his feet than some of you (women)."[١]

Therefore, faith increases and decreases. But what causes faith to increase? There are several means for making it increase:

١- To know Allah, the Most High by His Names and Attributes; for the more a person increases his knowledge of Allah and His Names and Attributes, the more his faith increases. This is why one finds the scholars who have greater knowledge of Allah's Names and Attributes than others, they are stronger in faith in this regard.

٢- Reflecting upon Allah's Universal and Legislative Signs(٢), because the more a person looks at the Universal Signs i.e. (Allah's) creation, his faith increases. Allah, the Most High says:

"And on the earth are signs for those who have certainty of Faith. And (also) in your own selves. Will you not then see?"
[Adh-Dhariyat: ٢٠-٢١]

And the Ayaat which prove this are numerous, I mean the Ayaat which prove that by contemplating and reflecting upon this universe, one's faith increases.

٣- Plentitude of good deeds, for the more a person increases his virtuous deeds, the more his faith increases thereby, whether these deeds are verbal or practical; for Allah's Dhikr (remembrance) increases the faith quantitatively and qualitatively; and prayer, fasting and Hajj, all these (practical deeds) also increase the faith quantitatively and qualitatively.

As for the causes that lessen the Iman, they are the opposite of the aforementioned:

١- Unawareness of Allah's Names and Attributes causes the faith to diminish, because when a person's knowledge of Allah's Names and Attributes is deficient, his faith will also be deficient.

٢- Refraining from reflecting upon Allah's Signs, both Universal and Legislative, as this causes the decrease of faith, or at least, causes it to be stationary with no increase.

٣- Committing acts of disobedience, because acts of disobedience have detrimental effect on the heart and upon the faith. This is why the Prophet ﷺ said:

"The adulterer is not a believer while he commits adultery..."[١]

٤- The fourth cause of decrease in faith is abandoning the acts of obedience. If the act of obedience is obligatory, and one abandons it without lawful excuse, then that is a deficiency (in faith) for which he is blameworthy and deserves punishment. On the other hand, if the act of obedience is non-obligatory, or it is obligatory but he abandoned it with a valid excuse, then it is a deficiency for which he is not rebuked, nor deserves punishment.

This is why the Prophet ﷺ declared that a woman is deficient in her intelligence and in her religion; and he explained that the cause of deficiency in her religion is because when she has her menstrual period, she does not pray nor fast. Even though she is not held blameworthy for abandoning prayer and fasting at the time of menstruation – she is in fact commanded to abandon them -, but due to the loss of deeds which a man performs, she becomes deficient compared to him in this respect.

Footnotes:

(١) Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Menses (٣٠٤).

(٢) The legislative signs are the Qur'anic verses. Each Ayah is an Ayah (sign) for those who seek the truth. [Translator's note]

(١) Reported by Al-Bukhari, in the Book of Hudood, in the Chapter on Illegal Sexual Intercourse and Drinking Alcoholic Beverages (٦٧٧٢); and by Muslim in the Book of Faith (٥٧).

By al-Faqeeh ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-'Uthaymeen Rahumahullaah. Taken from Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islaam, Chapter Fatawa on 'Aqidah, Question 8 on Pg60 - Pg64