Part 7

Likewise, faith increases through speech, for whoever mentions Allah ten times is not like one who mentions Allah a hundred

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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 Qur’dn and the Sunnah. I mean confirmation of the increase and decrease (of faith). Allah, the Most High says:

i) shy CST Fa i exon WS ¢ oli EGY pele Ey “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 Qur’an 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 Qur‘an ts the truth)" and He, the Most High says:

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<aype— ps I9L5 Sgt I KMy BG Be ‘And whenever there comes down a Surah (chapter from the Quran), 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, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt; and they die while they are disbelievers,”'?)

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And in the authentic Hadith from the Prophet #%, it is reported that he said:

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“I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion; a cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.”"1 Therefore, faith increases and decreases. But what is the reason for faith increasing? There are causes for its increase:

1. Knowledge of 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 without doubt. This is why one finds the scholars who have greater knowledge of Allah’s Names and Attributes than 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?’"*!

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. Performing many acts of obedience, because the more a person increases his acts of obedience, the more his faith - increases thereby, whether these acts of obedience are spoken

"] Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Menses, in the Chapter: A Menstruating Woman Should Leave Fasting (304). (1 Ath-Thariyat 51:20-21

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or practical deeds. For statements of remembrance of Allah increase faith, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and prayer, fasting and Hajj all of these things increase faith quantitatively and qualitatively.

As for the causes 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 causes 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 # said:

“The adulterer is not a believer while he commits adultery."

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 #% declared that a woman is deficient in reasoning and 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

' Reported by Al-Bukhari, in the Book of Punishments, in the Chapter on Illegal Sexual Intercourse and Drinking Alcoholic Beverages (6772) and by Muslim in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter of the Explanation of the Decrease in Faith Due to Disobedience (57).

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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.

Q. 9. How can we reconcile the Hadith of Jibril, peace be upon him, in which the Prophet #% explained faith as being:

to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day and to believe in A/-Qadar (Divine ordainment) both the good and the bad of

and the Hadith of the delegation of ‘Abdul-Qais, in which the Prophet # explained faith by saying that it is:

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to testify that none has the right to be worshipped, Alone, without attributing partners to Him, to establish prayer, to give Zakah and to pay the Khumus.'?) 2

A. Before answering this question, I would like to say that

") Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter: Jibril’s Questioning of the Prophet 3 About Faith, Islam and Ihsan (50) and by Muslim in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter on Faith, Islam and

'2] Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter on Paying One-Fifth of the War Booty is a Part of Faith (53) and by Muslim in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter on the Order to Believe in Allah, the Most High and His Messenger # (17).

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there is never any contradiction between the Book (of Allah) and the Sunnah. No part of the Quran contradicts another part, and no part of the authentic Sunnah transmitted from the Messenger of Allah #% contradicts another part, and nothing in the Qur’an or the Sunnah contradicts any (indisputable) matter of fact, because that is true, and the Book (of Allah) and the Sunnah are true and there can be no contradiction in the truth. So if you understand this principle, many doubts will be dispelled for you; Allah, the Most High says:

4 8 tapes cee ew te Soa eager 24 Gs ag DES AI xe de OF SS Salt GLE Sélp “Do they not then consider the Qur‘an carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein many a contradiction.""")

This being understood, it is not possible that the Ahadith of the Prophet #% should contradict each other. So, if the Prophet 2 explained faith in a certain way here, and he explained it elsewhere in another way which contradicts the first way, according to your mind, then if you look carefully, you will see that there is no contradiction.

In the Hadith of Jibril, peace be upon him, the Prophet 2 divided the religion into three categories:

1. Islam. 2. Faith. 3. Ihsan

In the Hadith of the delegation of ‘Abdul-Qais, he only mentioned one category and that is Islam. Yet faith is, without any disagreement, included in Islam, because it is not possible for a person to perform the rites unless he has faith; and when Islam

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alone is mentioned, it includes faith, and if faith alone is mentioned, islam is included in it. When they are both mentioned together, (the meaning of) faith becomes related to (belief of) the heart, while (the meaning of) Islam is related to (the actions of) the limbs; and this is an important benefit for the student of knowledge. (As we have said,) when Islam is mentioned alone, faith is included in it; Allah, the Most High says:

LY Hi ee Sait 4D “Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.”""!

It is well known that the religion of Islam is creed, faith and rites; and when faith alone is mentioned, Islam is included in it; and if they are both mentioned together, (the meaning of) faith becomes related to (belief of) the heart and (the meaning of) Islam becomes related to (the action of) the limbs. This is why some of the Salaf said: Islam is apparent and faith is hidden. This is because it (i.e. faith) is in the heart; and this is why one might find a hypocrite who prays, gives charity and fasts — such a person is a Muslim to all appearances, but he is not a believer (i.e. he has no faith); Allah, the Most High says:

‘And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: ‘We

believe in Allah and the Last Day,’ while in fact they believe not,1?1

Q. 10. How do we reconcile the fact that faith means belief in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day and in A/-Qadar, the good and the bad of it and the saying of the Prophet 2: