1. Internal Causes

As for the first category, it is made up of the internal causes or inherent factors, which bear effect upon the eemaan by decreasing it. These are many factors; (i) Ignorance This is one of the most significant causes for the decreases of eemaan, just as knowledge is one of the greatest causes for the increase of eemaan. The knowledgeable Muslim does not preferthe constitutes his benefit, success and rectification. The ignorant person on the other hand, because of his excess ignorance and deficient knowledge, he may give preference to some of these things over that which contains his success and rectification. This is because the scales with him have been turned upside down and it is because of his feeble perception.

Knowledge lies at the root of all good and ignorance lies at the root of all evil. The primary reason for love of oppression, transgression, embarking upon obscene acts and committing unlawful deeds is ignorance and the corruption of knowledge, or the corruption ofintent, and the corruption of intent traces back to the corruption of knowledge. Hence, ignorance and corruption of knowledge form the main and primary reason for the corruption of actions and weakness of eemaan. Ibn al-Qayyim writes: "It has been purported that the corruption of intent is caused by the corruption of knowledge. Since, if the person truly knew of the harm and its implications within the detrimental action, he would not have preferred it.

This is why when one has knowledge that a particular desirous and delicious food contains poison, he does not dare approach it. Thus, his knowledge of the various types of harm present within the harmful act is weak and his resolve to avoid what he could fall into as a result of committing the act is also weak. This is why eemaan is in accordance to this. The one who has true eemaan in the Fire in the way he is supposed to have, to the extent as if he is viewing it, will not take the path that leads to it, let alone strive along that path with his might. The one who has true eemaan in Paradise in the way he is supposed to have, his soul will not consent to refrain from seeking it.

This is a matter that a person can see in himself concerning the benefits he strives for or the harms that he tries to deliver himself from in this world." [Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, 3/133] Hence, the soul is fond of that which will harm it and not benefit it because of its ignorance of the harmful effects. In this light, one who examines the Noble Qur'aan, will find the greatest indication that ignorance is the cause for sins and obedience. Allaah says: "...They said, 'O Moosa, Make for us a deity just as they have deities.' He said, 'Verily, you are a people who are ignorant.' " [surah al-A'raaf (7):138] Allaah says: "And remember Loot. When he said to his people, 'Do you approach vile sins while you see (each other). Do you approach men in your lusts rather than women.

Rather, you are a people who are ignorant" [surah an-Naml (27):54-55] Allaah says: "Say, 'Do you order me to worship other than Allaah, O you ignorant people." [surah az-Zumar (39):64] Allaah says: "And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance ..." [surah al-Ahzaab (33):33] Additionally, there are other texts of this like, which show that the greatest reason for the shirk, kufr, iniquities and embarking on sins that people fall into, is ignorance of Allaah, His names, His attributes and of His reward and punishment. For this reason, whoever disobeys Allaah and commits some form of sin is an ignorant person, as understood from the Salaf in the explanation of His saying: "Allaah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil out of ignorance and repent soon afterwards. It is they to whom Allaah will forgive and Allaah is ever All-Knowing, All-Wise" [surah an-Nisaa' (4):17] And in His saying: ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds, then surely, He is oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [surah al-An'aam (6):54] And His saying: "Moreover, your Lord is towards those who do evil out of ignorance and afterward repent and do righteous deeds, verily, your Lord thereafter, is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [surah an-Nahl (16):119] The meaning of "...out of ignorance..." in these aayaat, i.e., out of the doer's ignorance of its consequences and obligation of the anger and punishment of Allaah. It is his ignorance of thefact that Allaah sees and observes him and ignorance of the decrease of eemaan that returns to him or its complete disappearance. Thus, everyone who disobeys Allaah, then he is ignorant in this respect, even if he is aware of the prohibition.

Indeed, having knowledge of the prohibition is acondition for it to be regarded as disobedience and punishable. [Tafseer Ibn asSa'dee, 2/39] A group of the Salaf reported this type of understanding on the aayah. At-Tabaree related several of these reports in his tafseer. He relates on Aboo al-'Aaliyah that he used to mention that the Companions used to say: "Every sin that a slave is afflicted with; it is out of ignorance." Qataadah relates: "The Companions assembled and concluded that concerning everything that Allaah is disobeyed with, it is out of ignorance, whether intentionally or not." Mujaahid said: "Everyone who disobeys his Lord; he is an ignorant person, until he comes away from his disobedience." He also said: "Anyone who commits disobedience of Allaah, that is ignorance on his behalf until he leaves off his disobedience." As-Siddee states: "As long as he is disobeying Allaah, then he is an ignorant person." Ibn Zayd says: "Every person who commits some form of disobedience of Allaah, then he will always be an ignorant person until he retracts from it." [Refer to these reports and others in Tafseer at-Tabaree, 3/229 and 5/209; Tafseer al-Baghawee, 1/407; al-Fataawa of IbnTaymiyyah, 7/22 and Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/463] Hence, ignorance is a dangerous disease and a lethal illness. It draws on the person numerous disastrous calamities and consequences. If this disease takes command of him and dominates a person, do not even bother to question his devastation.

For he will be sinking into the darkness of disobedience and sins, deviating from Allaah's straight path and giving way to the demands of misconceptions and desires. Unless the mercy of Allaah embraces and emends him with the aid of the heart, the light of vision and key to all good: beneficial knowledge, which produces righteous action. As there is no other cure for this illness besides knowledge. This disease will not separate from the person except if Allaah teaches him that which will benefit him and inspires him with good conduct. Therefore, whomever Allaah desires good, He will teach him that which will benefit him, grant him understanding of the religion and enlighten him about what constitutes his success and happiness, so Allaah will lead him away from ignorance.

Whenever Allaah does not desire good for a person, He leaves him upon his ignorance. We ask Allaah to aid our hearts with knowledge and eemaan and that He protects us from ignorance and transgression. ii. Heedlessness, Aversion and Forgetfulness These three matters constitute immense cause for the decrease of eemaan. One who is stricken with heedlessness, troubled with forgetfulness and turns away, his eemaan will decrease inaccordance to the presence of some or all of these three matters. It will impose on him ailment of the heart or its death because of its prevalence by misconceptions and desires. reprehensible mannerism, which is from the code and conduct of the disbelievers and hypocrites.

Allaah also warns against it very severely. Allaah says: "And surely, We have created for Hell, many (a people) from the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they understand not, they have eyes with which they see not and they have ears with which they hear not: they are like cattle. Rather, they are even more astray. Theyindeed, are the heedless ones." [surah al-A'raaf (7):179] Allaah says: "Verily, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present world and those who are heedless of our signs; those, their abode will be the Fire because of what they used to earn." [surah Yoonus (10):7-8] Allaah says: "... and verily, many among mankind are heedless of our signs." [surah Yoonus (10):92] Allaah also says: "They know only the outside appearance of the life of this world whilst they are heedless of the Hereafter." [surah ar-Room (30):7] Allaah also says to His Messenger: "And remember your Lord (by your tongue and) within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words in the mornings and in the afternoons and be not of those who are heedless." [surah al-A'raaf (7):205] Thus heedlessness, which is defined as negligence that occurs as a result of a lack of care and alertness, is a dangerous disease.

If it afflicts a person and overwhelms him, he will not bother with obedience of Allaah, His remembrance and worship. Instead, he will be occupied with matters of distraction, which distance him from the remembrance of Allaah. Moreover, if hedoes perform certain deeds in obedience to Allaah, he does them in an inadequate state and inappropriate manner, so his actions are void of humility, humbleness, repentance, fear,tranquility, truthfulness and sincerity. Thus, these are some of the bad effects that heedlessness has on eemaan. As for aversion, Allaah mentions in the noble Qur'aan that it has many ill effects and destructive results and consequences.

Of these, Allaah has described the one who turns away as being the most oppressive and that he is amongst the criminals, as Allaah says: "And who is more oppressive than one who is reminded of the signs of His Lord, then he turns away from them? Verily, We shall extract retribution from the criminals." [surah as-Sajdah (32):22] Allaah also informs that He has set a veil and locks upon the heart of the one who turns away, so he does not comprehend or come upon the right path, ever, as in Allaah's statement: "And who is more oppressive than one who is reminded of the signs of His Lord, but turns away from them forgetting what (deeds) his hands have sent forth. Truly, We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand it (i.e., the Qur'aan), and in their ears, deafness. And if you call them to guidance, even then they will never be guided."[surah al-Kahf (18):57] This aversion on the person's part also causes a life of hardship and constriction in this world and the Hereafter. Allaah says: "But whoever turns away from My reminder, verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection."[surah Taa Haa (20): 124] associates from amongst the Shayaateen, whom thereafter corrupt his religion, as Allaah says: "And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent, We shall appoint for him a Shaytaan to be an (intimate) companion." [surah az-Zukhruf (43):36] Furthermore, Allaah informs that the one who turns away will bear a heavy burden of sins on the Day of Resurrection and that he will enter a severe punishment.

Allaah says: "Whoever turns away from it (i.e., the Qur'aan), verily, he will bear a heavy burden (of sins) on the Day of Resurrection." [surah Taa-Haa (20):100] Allaah also says: "... and whosoever turns away from the reminder of his Lord, He will cause him to enter into a severe torment." [surah al-Jinn (72):17] Similarly there are many other aayaat in which Allaah talks of the dangers and harms of aversion. The most dangerous of these is the fact that it poses as an obstacle and barrier toacquiring eemaan for the one who does not yet believe and that it weakens the eemaan of one who already believes. It is the extent of the person's aversion that will determine his allotment of these consequences and dangers. As for forgetfulness, which is defined as one leaving the exactness of that which he has already safeguarded. This occurs because of the weakness of his heart, or as a result of negligence on his behalf or out of deliberate intention until any trace of it is removed from his heart. [Basaa'ir Dhaway at-Tamyeez of al-Fayroozabaadee, 5/49] This has a profound effect upon eemaan.

It is a cause for its weakness; its presence decreases acts of obedience and greatens acts of disobedience. The forgetfulness mentioned in the Qur'aan is of two types. The first type is one that a person is not excused for. This is in reference to the type that occurs deliberately, as in His saying: "And do not be like those who forget Allaah, thereupon Allaah caused them to forget their own selves." [surah al-Hashr (59): 19] The second type is one in which the person is excused. This is in reference to when the reason for the forgetfulness does not emanate from the person (whereby he intends that), as in thesaying of Allaah: "...

Our Lord, do not hold us to account if we forget or commit mistakes …" [surah al-Baqarah (2):286] It has been recorded in a hadith (in connection to this aayah) that Allaah said: "I have done so[i.e., Allaah will not hold to us to account if we forget or commit mistakes... - and all praise is for Allaah. [t]]." [Related by Muslim 1/116 from the hadith of Ibn Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him.] The Muslim is required to fight his soul and to distance it from falling into this, so that he does not become harmed in his religion and eemaan. iii. Committing Disobedience and Embarking upon Sinful Deeds The harm and bad effect of this factor upon eemaan is well known to all. Thus eemaan, as stated by more than one of the Salaf, 'increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience'. Just as accomplishing the obligatory and recommended deeds that Allaah has ordained increaseseemaan, then likewise, performing the forbidden and disliked deeds that Allaah has not enjoined decreases eemaan. However, sins vary greatly with respect to their rank, the evils they entail and the intensity of their harm.

This is as Ibn al-Qayyim has mentioned: "Without doubt, kufr; fusooq anddisobedience are of levels just as eemaan and righteous actions are of levels. Allaah says: do." [surah Aal-'Imraan (3):163] He says: "For all there will be degrees, according to that which they did. And your Lord is not unaware of what they do." [surah al-An'aam (6):132] He says: "The postponing (of a sacred month) is indeed an addition to kufr ..."[surah atTawbah (9):37] He also says: "... As for those who believe, it has increased their eemaan and they rejoice. But as for those whose hearts is a disease, it will add rijs [i.e., suspicion, doubt and disbelief. [t]] to their rijs." [surah at-Tawbah (9):124-125] Statements of this kind are many in the Qur'aan." [Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, 2/142] The Qur'aan and Sunnah show that sins are of major and minor types.

Allaah says: "And if you avoid the major of the sins that you are forbidden from, We shall remit for you your (minor) sins and admit you to a noble entrance." [surah an-Nisaa' (4):31] Allaah also says: "Those who avoid major sins and al-Fawaahish except the small faults ..." [surah an-Najm (53):32] It is recorded in sahih Muslim, that Aboo Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, relates the Messenger of Allaah as saying: "The five prayers, the Friday prayer to the (next) Fridayprayer and Ramadaan to (the next) Ramadaan; they expiate all (sins committed) between them as long as the major ones are avoided." [sahih Muslim, 1/209] As recorded in the Saheehayn, 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Abee Bakrah relates from his father that he said: "We were with the Messenger of Allaah when he questioned three times, "Shall I not inform you o f the greatest of the major sins? Committing shirk with Allaah, disobedience to parents and issuing a false testimony" [Al-Bukhaaree, (10/405 Fath) and Muslim, 1/91] Also recorded in the Saheehayn, the Messenger of Allaah was asked, 'Which sin is the greatest before Allaah?' He replied, 'That you ascribe to Allaah an equal whilst it is He who created you.'It was asked, 'Then which?' He said, 'That you kill your child in fear that he will also need nourishment alongside you.' It was asked, 'Then which?' He answered, 'That you have a sexual relationship with the wife of your neighbor' [Al-Bukhaaree, (12/187 Fath) and Muslim, 1/91, from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ood, may Allaah be pleased with him] Many other texts also show the varying levels of sins and that they are classified into major and minor ones. Furthermore, from another perspective, these sins can be classified into four categories:Malikiyyah, Shaytaaniyyah, Sab'iyyah and Baheemiyyah; all sins can be classified under these types. Malikiyyah sins are committed when one takes upon himself qualities of Lordship, which are not befitting for him, such as majesty, pride, domination, subjugation, highness, enslavement of people and other qualities of this type. Sins belonging to this category are of the most serious type.

As for Shaytaaniyyah sins, it is by resembling Shaytaan in envy, oppression, cheating, hatred, deception, plotting evil, ordering disobedience of Allaah and beautifying it, prohibitingobedience of Allaah and censuring it, committing innovations in the religion of Allaah and the call to innovations and deviation. This category is placed second to the first type with respect toits harms, even though its harms are lesser. incapable. This gives birth to many types of harms to fellow humans and boldness towardscommitting oppression and transgression. As for Baheemiyyah sins, examples of this are gluttony and the desire to satisfy lusts of the stomach and genital organs. This gives rise to fornication, adultery, theft, consumption ofwealth belonging to orphans, miserliness, avarice, cowardice, restlessness, impatience and much more besides these.

This particular category is where most of the sins are perpetrated by people because of their incapability of committing sins of the Saba'iyyah and Malikiyyah type. It is from this category where they enter into the remaining categories, since this leads them to the rest by the reigns. Thus, as a result of this category they enter into the area of Saba'iyyah sins, then the Shaytaaniyyah, then finally, towards contesting the Lordship and committing shirk in the oneness of Allaah. In any case, these matters show us that sins vary in their effect upon eemaan and upon its decrement and weakening of it. This diversity of sins and of their effect upon eemaan trace back to a variety of considerations.

Some of these are: the class of the sin, its amount, the degree of its harmful effects, the place, the time, with regard to its doer and other such considerations. Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, says: "On the whole, the levels of alFaahishah (i.e., lewd and illicit deeds) are determined by their corresponding evils. Thus, the issue of a man who befriends a woman or a woman who befriends a man is deemed less evil than the issue of a man or woman who has an (illegal) sexual relationship." The one who does the crime in secret is less sinful than the one who does it publicly. The one who conceals his sin is less sinful than the one who relates it publicly to the people; this one isfar removed from receiving well being and pardon from Allaah ... Likewise, having a sexual encounter with a woman who has no husband is less sinful than having a sexual encounter with one who has a husband, because of the oppression andtransgression it entails against the husband as well as ruining his bed.

The sin of this person can be greater or lesser than the mere sin of fornication. To have a sexual encounter with the wife of a neighbor is more severe than having a sexual encounter with one who is far from home, because of its connection to harming the neighbor and not maintaining the instruction of Allaah and His Messenger with regard to the neighbor. Similarly, having a sexual relationship with the wife of a soldier on Allaah's cause is worse than having a sexual relationship with the wife of another ... Just as its levels differ in relation to the person one has a sexual encounter with, then likewise, it also differs according to the place, the time, the circumstances and the doer. To fornicate or commit adultery for example, in the days and nights of Ramadaan is more sinful than at any other time.

Its occurrence in the blessed and virtuous places is more sinful than in any other places. As for its difference in relation to its doer, it being committed by a free person is more vile than it being committed by a slave. This is why the punishment of the slave is half of that of the free person. It is more repugnant from the married person than the virgin; likewise the same applies for the old person in relation to the young person. It is more repulsive from the scholar than from the ignorant, because of the former's awareness of its abhorrence and consequences and of having embarked upon it with insight, and it is worse from one who is able to do without it than from one who is poor and weak.

However, presence of particular matters, which when associated to the types of sins that are less sinful, can deem them even greater sins than those that were initially more sinful. For example, if one associates to this faahishah, a type of passionate love, which imposes the heart to be occupied with the loved one; deifying this person; glorifying, being humble and she orders over and above obedience to Allaah and His Messenger. Hence, the matters that become connected to the love and glorification of this intimate companion, to the allegiance of whom the companion shows allegiance to, to the enmitytowards whom the companion shows enmity towards and towards loving and hating that which the companion loves and hates are such that they can have a more harmful effect upon the person than simply embarking upon the lewd sin. Shaykh Muhammad al-'Uthaymeen states: "As for the decrease of eemaan, it has causes: 1. Committing acts of disobedience, Eemaan decreases according to the class of sin, its amount, the indifference the person has towards it and the strength or weakness of the incentive to perpetrate it.

As for its class and amount; the decrease of eemaan by major sins is greater than that by the minor sins. The decrement of eemaan by killing a soul unlawfully is greater than (illegally)devouring valued wealth. Its decrease by two acts of disobedience is greater than one act of disobedience and so on. As for being indifferent to the sin; if an act of disobedience emanates from a heart that thinks little of who it is disobeying and has little fear of Him, then the resultant decrease will be greater than if it were to emanate from a heart that glorifies Allaah and is very fearful of Him except that an act of disobedience inadvertently occurs from him. Concerning the strength of the motive for committing the sin; if an act of disobedience emerges from a person whose incentives for doing the sin are weak, then the resultant decrease of hiseemaan will be much greater than if it were to emerge from one whose incentives for doing the sin are strong.

This is why the display of arrogance by a poor person and an illegal sexual encounter by an old person are more sinful than the display of arrogance by a rich person and an illegal sexual encounter by a young person. As in the hadith [Related by at-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer, 2/301; al-Bayhaqee in ash-Shu'ab. 3/220. AI-Haythamee declares in Majma' az-Zawaa'id, 4/78: "Its narrators are narrators of as-sahih." Al-Albaanee declared it sahih, see sahih al-Jaami', 3/74] : "Three (types of people) whom Allaah will not speak to. He will not look at them on the Day of Resurrection or sanctify them and they will have a painful punishment." Mentioned amongst these three are the gray-haired fornicator and the poor person who is arrogant, because of the lack of strong motives they have for embarking on these disobedientacts." [Fath al-Bariyyah, page 65] With what has preceded, the conclusion is that sins decrease eemaan and that the amount of decrease varies in accordance to a multitude of considerations. Some of these are: 1 . The class of the sin