Explanation of the author's statement: "And that faith increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience"
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The Shaykh :"And that faith increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience".
First: We must affirm the increase and decrease of faith. The people of the Sunnah and the community say: Faith increases and decreases. They cite evidence for this from the Book and the Sunnah.
From the Book is the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:124] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Muddaththir 74:31]. This is explicit in affirming the increase.
As for the decrease, it is established in the two Sahihs that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) admonished the women and said to them:Sahih al-Bukhari 304 The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke the truth Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2613Sahih (Darussalam) See Sahih al-Bukhari 304 So he affirmed the decrease of religion.
Then, even if we suppose that no text exists affirming the decrease, affirming the increase necessitates the decrease. Because as long as we say this person's faith increased, it means it was previously deficient relative to this increase. So every text, therefore, we say: Every text that indicates the increase of faith includes, by implication, its decrease. There is no doubt in this.
Now. The author says that it increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.
The meaning of obedience is: Everything that brings one closer to Allah.
And on this basis, we say: The causes of the increase of faith are three:
The first: Knowing Allah the Exalted by His names and attributes. For as a person's knowledge of Allah and His names and attributes increases, his faith increases. For this reason, we should always reflect and think about the meanings of Allah's names and attributes, because as we reflect on them, great meanings become clear to us therein, which necessitate the increase of faith, the love of Allah, and the fear of Him (Glorified and Exalted is He). This is one cause.
The second cause: Reflecting on the cosmic and legislative signs of Allah:
Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ghashiyah 88:17-20]. And He the Exalted said: [Yunus 10:101] Why? So that they may increase in faith [Yunus 10:101].
So reflecting on the cosmic signs of Allah increases a person's faith without a doubt.
And as a person's knowledge increases of what Allah the Exalted has deposited in the universe of the wonders of creation and the perfect wisdoms, his faith in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) increases.
Reflecting on the legislative signs of Allah also increases a person's faith, because when you look at the legislative signs, which are the rulings brought by the messengers, you find therein what astounds the minds of perfect wisdoms and great secrets by which you know that this Shari'ah was revealed from? From Allah, and that it is built upon justice and mercy, so you increase thereby in faith in Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The third cause: The abundance of acts of obedience, for the abundance of acts of obedience increases in faith, because deeds are included in faith, and if they are included in it, it follows that it increases with their abundance.
For example, the one who prays four rak'ahs has more faith than the one who prays two rak'ahs.
Now, we can add a fourth cause.
The fourth cause: The goodness of the deed, for the goodness of the deed built upon sincerity and following increases in faith. So the better the deed is, the greater the increase of faith by it. Clear? So the person who prays two rak'ahs sincerely to Allah in them and following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in them as much as he can is more perfect in faith than the one who prays two rak'ahs not in this manner.
So the causes of increase are four: Knowing Allah the Exalted by His names and attributes, reflecting on the cosmic and legislative signs of Allah, the abundance of deeds, the goodness of deeds. Clear? Now.
The causes of the decrease of faith. If we know the causes of increase, we know the causes of decrease, do we not? Now, so the causes of decrease are therefore four:
First: Turning away from knowing Allah the Exalted and His names and attributes. That a person turns away from them and does not care, and it is as if the names pass by him or the attributes pass by him, rather they pass over a bare, smooth heart like a stone that is not affected by them. We ask Allah for safety and well-being.
The second: Turning away from reflecting on the cosmic and legislative signs, for this necessitates heedlessness and hardness of the heart, and indeed it necessitates that a person's times pass by him in vain, as He the Exalted said:[Al-Kahf 18:28].
The third: The scarcity of deeds. And indicating this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): So the one who prays two rak'ahs has less faith than the one who prays four.
The fourth: The badness of the deed, and that a person does not bring it in the most perfect manner. So the worse the deed is, the less it is in faith. For this reason, now you find us praying the five prayers, and the Companions pray the five prayers. The prayer of the Companions forbids immorality and wrongdoing, and our prayers, uh, do not forbid. You find a person enters his prayer and exits as he entered, his heart is not affected, it is as if he is not now standing before Allah speaking to Him.
I believe that if you sat with a king from the kings of this world and spoke to him and stood up from him, you would be affected by this session with him? Uh? You would be affected without a doubt. If you are affected by the session with a king from the kings of this world, and he does not benefit you or harm you, why are you not affected when you are with Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? Because the person who prays is speaking to Allah, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, but we are not affected. Why? Because our deed is not in the most perfect manner. But a man enters his prayer, remembering that he is before Allah (Mighty and Majestic), doing what he should do in his prayer, exits and his heart has changed and been illuminated, until he finds the taste of this prayer after long times. He still finds its taste whenever he remembers it. So the causes of its decrease, what are they? Four, just as the causes of its increase are four. So faith increases and decreases, and the causes of its increase are four and the causes of its decrease are four. Yes?
The student: Those who say that faith does not increase or decrease, how do they answer these explicit verses?
The Shaykh : They have no answer, they have no answer at all.
The student: They argue with you.
The Shaykh : If they argue with you, we say these verses break the backs of the arguers.
Now, we remain with a simple point. We understood that faith increases with these things. Is it possible that the faith which is the affirmation of the heart increases? Uh? Yes, the faith which is the affirmation of the heart increases. As for the claim of the Murji'ah that it is not conceivable that the affirmation of the heart increases, it is a refuted claim without a doubt. For the affirmation of the heart of a thing, without a doubt, varies. Indicating this from the auditory evidence is the saying of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when he said to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He):[Al-Baqarah 2:260] And this indicates that the report is not like direct observation, and this is auditory evidence.
The sensory evidence: A trustworthy person from the trustworthy ones informs you of the arrival of Zayd, for example, so you are reassured by this and believe. Then another trustworthy person comes to you and informs you, does your certainty increase or not? Uh? It increases. Then a third comes to you and informs you, it increases more. Then a fourth comes and says Zayd has not come, and those who informed you were mistaken. Does it decrease or not? It decreases. See, it increases and decreases. There is no doubt in this. Every person feels that. So the certainty which is the certainty of the heart and the reassurance of the heart can increase and can decrease. As for their claim that it does not increase or decrease, it is a claim that, no, the senses and the Shari'ah refute it.
First: We must affirm the increase and decrease of faith. The people of the Sunnah and the community say: Faith increases and decreases. They cite evidence for this from the Book and the Sunnah.
From the Book is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
As for those who believed, it has increased them in faith, while they are rejoicing.
فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَاناً وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَthat those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith
لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَيَزْدَادَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِيمَاناAs for the decrease, it is established in the two Sahihs that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) admonished the women and said to them:
I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.
ما رأيت من ناقصات عقل ودين أذهب للب الرجل الحازم من إحداكنI have not seen any among those lacking in intellect and religion
ما رأيت من ناقصات عقل ودينI have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.
ناقصات عقل ودين أذهب للب الرجل الحازم من إحداكنThen, even if we suppose that no text exists affirming the decrease, affirming the increase necessitates the decrease. Because as long as we say this person's faith increased, it means it was previously deficient relative to this increase. So every text, therefore, we say: Every text that indicates the increase of faith includes, by implication, its decrease. There is no doubt in this.
Now. The author says that it increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.
The meaning of obedience is: Everything that brings one closer to Allah.
And on this basis, we say: The causes of the increase of faith are three:
The first: Knowing Allah the Exalted by His names and attributes. For as a person's knowledge of Allah and His names and attributes increases, his faith increases. For this reason, we should always reflect and think about the meanings of Allah's names and attributes, because as we reflect on them, great meanings become clear to us therein, which necessitate the increase of faith, the love of Allah, and the fear of Him (Glorified and Exalted is He). This is one cause.
The second cause: Reflecting on the cosmic and legislative signs of Allah:
Allah the Exalted said:
(17) Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created? (18) And at the sky - how it is raised? (19) And at the mountains - how they are erected? (20) And at the earth - how it is spread out?
أفلا ينظرون إلى الإبل كيف خلقت، وإلى السماء كيف رفعت، وإلى الجبال كيف نصبت، وإلى الأرض كيف سطحتSay, "Observe what is in the heavens and earth."
قُلِ انْظُرُوا مَاذَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِBut of no avail will be signs or warners to a people who do not believe
وَمَا تُغْنِي الْآياتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ لا يُؤْمِنُونَSo reflecting on the cosmic signs of Allah increases a person's faith without a doubt.
And as a person's knowledge increases of what Allah the Exalted has deposited in the universe of the wonders of creation and the perfect wisdoms, his faith in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) increases.
Reflecting on the legislative signs of Allah also increases a person's faith, because when you look at the legislative signs, which are the rulings brought by the messengers, you find therein what astounds the minds of perfect wisdoms and great secrets by which you know that this Shari'ah was revealed from? From Allah, and that it is built upon justice and mercy, so you increase thereby in faith in Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The third cause: The abundance of acts of obedience, for the abundance of acts of obedience increases in faith, because deeds are included in faith, and if they are included in it, it follows that it increases with their abundance.
For example, the one who prays four rak'ahs has more faith than the one who prays two rak'ahs.
Now, we can add a fourth cause.
The fourth cause: The goodness of the deed, for the goodness of the deed built upon sincerity and following increases in faith. So the better the deed is, the greater the increase of faith by it. Clear? So the person who prays two rak'ahs sincerely to Allah in them and following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in them as much as he can is more perfect in faith than the one who prays two rak'ahs not in this manner.
So the causes of increase are four: Knowing Allah the Exalted by His names and attributes, reflecting on the cosmic and legislative signs of Allah, the abundance of deeds, the goodness of deeds. Clear? Now.
The causes of the decrease of faith. If we know the causes of increase, we know the causes of decrease, do we not? Now, so the causes of decrease are therefore four:
First: Turning away from knowing Allah the Exalted and His names and attributes. That a person turns away from them and does not care, and it is as if the names pass by him or the attributes pass by him, rather they pass over a bare, smooth heart like a stone that is not affected by them. We ask Allah for safety and well-being.
The second: Turning away from reflecting on the cosmic and legislative signs, for this necessitates heedlessness and hardness of the heart, and indeed it necessitates that a person's times pass by him in vain, as He the Exalted said:
and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
ولا تطع من أغفلنا قلبه عن ذكرنا واتبع هواه وكان أمره فرطاThe third: The scarcity of deeds. And indicating this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
I have not seen anyone more likely to divert a wise man than one of you who is deficient in intellect and religion. They said: O Messenger of Allah! How are they deficient in religion? He said: Is it not the case that when she menstruates, she does not pray and does not fast?
ما رأيت من ناقصات عقل ودين أذهب للب الرجل الحازم من إحداكن. قالوا : يا رسول الله ! كيف نقصان دينها؟ قال : أليس إذا حاضت لم تصل ولم تصم؟The fourth: The badness of the deed, and that a person does not bring it in the most perfect manner. So the worse the deed is, the less it is in faith. For this reason, now you find us praying the five prayers, and the Companions pray the five prayers. The prayer of the Companions forbids immorality and wrongdoing, and our prayers, uh, do not forbid. You find a person enters his prayer and exits as he entered, his heart is not affected, it is as if he is not now standing before Allah speaking to Him.
I believe that if you sat with a king from the kings of this world and spoke to him and stood up from him, you would be affected by this session with him? Uh? You would be affected without a doubt. If you are affected by the session with a king from the kings of this world, and he does not benefit you or harm you, why are you not affected when you are with Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? Because the person who prays is speaking to Allah, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, but we are not affected. Why? Because our deed is not in the most perfect manner. But a man enters his prayer, remembering that he is before Allah (Mighty and Majestic), doing what he should do in his prayer, exits and his heart has changed and been illuminated, until he finds the taste of this prayer after long times. He still finds its taste whenever he remembers it. So the causes of its decrease, what are they? Four, just as the causes of its increase are four. So faith increases and decreases, and the causes of its increase are four and the causes of its decrease are four. Yes?
The student: Those who say that faith does not increase or decrease, how do they answer these explicit verses?
The Shaykh : They have no answer, they have no answer at all.
The student: They argue with you.
The Shaykh : If they argue with you, we say these verses break the backs of the arguers.
Now, we remain with a simple point. We understood that faith increases with these things. Is it possible that the faith which is the affirmation of the heart increases? Uh? Yes, the faith which is the affirmation of the heart increases. As for the claim of the Murji'ah that it is not conceivable that the affirmation of the heart increases, it is a refuted claim without a doubt. For the affirmation of the heart of a thing, without a doubt, varies. Indicating this from the auditory evidence is the saying of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when he said to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He):
"My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [Allah] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied."
رب أرني كيف تحيي الموتى قال أولم تؤمن قال بلى ولكن ليطمئن قلبيThe sensory evidence: A trustworthy person from the trustworthy ones informs you of the arrival of Zayd, for example, so you are reassured by this and believe. Then another trustworthy person comes to you and informs you, does your certainty increase or not? Uh? It increases. Then a third comes to you and informs you, it increases more. Then a fourth comes and says Zayd has not come, and those who informed you were mistaken. Does it decrease or not? It decreases. See, it increases and decreases. There is no doubt in this. Every person feels that. So the certainty which is the certainty of the heart and the reassurance of the heart can increase and can decrease. As for their claim that it does not increase or decrease, it is a claim that, no, the senses and the Shari'ah refute it.