Question: What is the definition of faith according to Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah and does it increase and decrease?
Answer: Faith, according to Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah, is to affirm with the heart, with the utterance of the tongue, with the actions, so it consists of three elements:
1. Affirmation of the heart.
2. Spoken words.
3. The action of the limbs.
Since this is the case, then it will increase and decrease. This is because affirmation of the heart goes up and down and believing in something which one is told is not like believing in something which one sees with one's own eyes, nor is believing the information of one man like the believing of 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 not believe?" He (Abraham) said: "Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in faith." [Quran (2):260]
So faith increases due to affirmation of the heart, its tranquillity and its serenity. This is something one sees with himself. So when he attends a gathering in which there is some religious exhortation, and reminder of Paradise and the Hell-fire, his faith increases until it is as if he could see it with his own eyes. When there is heedlessness and he rises from this gathering, the certainty in his heart is decreased.
Likewise, faith increases through speech, for whoever mentions Allah ten times is not like one who mentions Allah a hundred times, for the latter is much greater. Likewise, whoever performed an act of worship in a perfect manner, his faith is greater than one who performs it in an imperfect manner.
Likewise deeds, when a person performs a deed with his limbs more than another, his faith increases more than the one who is deficient; and this has been mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah. I mean confirmation of the increase and decrease (of faith). Allah, the Most High says:
And We have fixed their number (19) only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may arrive at a certainty [that this Quran is the truth as it agrees with their Books regarding the number (19) which is written in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel)] and that the believers may increase in Faith (as this Quran is the truth). [Quran (74):31]
and He, the Most High says:
And whenever there comes down a Surah (chapter from the Quran), some of them (hypocrites) say: 'Which one 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, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt; and they die while they are disbelievers." [Quran (9):124-125]
And in the authentic Hadith from the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him), it is reported that he said:
I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion; a cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you. [Recorded by Bukhari (304)]
How Faith Increases
Therefore, faith increases and decreases. But what is the reason of faith increasing? There are causes for its increase:
1. Knowledge of Allah, the Most High by His Names and Attribute, for the more a person increases his knowledge of Allah and His Names and Attributes, the more his faith increases without doubt. This is why one finds the scholars who have greater knowledge of Allah's Names and Attributes then others have stronger faith than others in this regard.
2. Looking at Allah's Universal and Legislative Signs, because the more a person looks at the Universal Signs, which are the created things, his faith increases; Allah, the Most High says:
And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty. And also in your own selves. Will you not then see? [Quran (51):20-21]
And the Verses which prove this are numerous, I mean the Verses which prove that by reflecting upon and contemplating this creation, one's faith increases.
3. Perform many acts of obedience, because the more a person increases his acts of obedience, the more his faith increase thereby, whether these acts of obedience are spoken or practical deeds. For statements of remembrance of Allah increases faith, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and prayer, fasting and hajj all of these things increase faith quantitatively and qualitatively.
How Faith Decrease
As for the cause of deficiency, they are the opposite of these:
1. Ignorance of Allah's Names and Attributes causes a decrease in faith, because when a person's knowledge of Allah's Names and Attributes is deficient, his faith will also be deficient.
2. Not consider Allah's Signs, both Universal and Legislative, because this cause deficiency of faith, or at least, to be stationary without growth.
3. Committing acts of disobedience, because acts of disobedience have a pronounced (detrimental) effect on the heart and upon faith. This is why the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
The adulterer is not a believer while he commits adultery. [Recorded by Bukhari (6772) and Muslim (57)]
4. The fourth cause of a decrease in faith is abandoning acts of obedience. If the act of obedience is an obligation and one abandons it without lawful excuse, then that is a deficiency for which he should be rebuked and punished, while 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 is he punished.
This is why the Prophet (Peace be upon him) declared that a woman is deficient in reasoning and in her religion, and he explained the deficiency in her religion, and he explained the deficiency in her religion is due to the fact that when she has her menstrual period, she does not pray and she does not fast, even though she is not held blameworthy for abandoning prayer and fasting at the time of menstruation; indeed she is commanded to leave these acts, but due to the deeds which are lost to her which a man performs, she is deficient compared to him in this respect.
Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaymeen
Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islam
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