Causes of Increase and Decrease in Imaan pdf

Causes of Increase and Decrease in Imaan

CAUSES OF INCREASE AND DECREASE IN IMAAN

From the translator: aThe greatest blessing Allaah, the Most High, can bestow upon a person in this world is the blessing of eemaan.

It is as the author points out in his introduction the source to all the good in this world and Hereafter However; as the texts unequivocal show and as a simple glance at the various types of people will show, eemaan is of levels.

It is of degrees and forever fluctuating.

This is a matter that a person can witness in himself: when he is active and obedient, he senses a strength of eemaan and when he is falling short of the mark and disobeying Allaah he feels that his eemaan is weak.

Anyhow, this discussion before you is not to establish the fact that eemaan is of parts and that it increases and decreases – the evidences that point to this fact in the Qur’aan and Sunnah are numerous – even though this matter is extremely important as there does exist amongst Muslims the belief that eemaan is something whole and solid, which is not made up of parts and that everyone holds the same eemaan.

The severity of this corrupt belief can be comprehended when one realizes that the holder of this belief will not therefore seek to find out the ways that will increase his eemaan in order to implement them and nor will he averse himself with the matters that can weaken his eemaan so that he can avoid them because of his lack of belief in the increase and decrease of eemaan!

This person has therefore sealed this tremendous door and bars himself from entering to succeed in obedience and shun disobedience. This is

exactly what happened to the groups who held such a belief One group held that since eemaan does not increase and decrease, actions do not affect it and hence, they concluded that sins have no bearing upon ones Eemaan whatsoever.

 Another group did hold that eemaan is affected by action but as they again did not recognize that it was of levels and parts, they held that a person who commits a major sin is no longer a Muslim and he will reside in the Fire forever since his eemaan completely vanishes on account of the sin as it cannot decrease!

Look at how Shaytaan deceives and plots against humankind to drive them towards disobedience in belief and action; we seek Allaah’s protection from the constant bombardment of his whispers.

The discussion before you is directly connected to practical issues that relate to this subject: How does one actually increase in his eemaan? How can one safeguard himself from those matters that would otherwise weaken his eemaan?

 It is indeed a lofty discussion, which calls out to its reader to comprehend and implement it

The author of this excellent discussion is Shaykh ‘Abdur- Razzaaq, the son of the illustrious scholar; Shaykh ‘Abdul- Muhsin ibn Hamad al-Abbaad al-Badr who is one of the scholars of al-Madeenah anNabawiyyah and a lecturer at the Prophet’s – sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam – mosque, may Allaah preserve them both.

Shaykh ‘Abdur-Razzaaq himself is a distinguished person of knowledge and he is an associate professor at the Department of Aqeedah in the Faculty of Da’wah and Usool ad- Deen at the Islamic University in al-Madeenah.

As the book before you is actually a single chapter – the third -from the Author’s original work, a short preliminary discussion on the correct conception of Eemaan – discussed by the author in the first chapter – is therefore most befitting to be outlined here.

The necessity for this is further appreciated when one understands that the translation of eemaan as faith is insufficient and only covers half of its meaning. I will summarize certain points found in the original work and else- where, which  should  help  one towards the correct understanding of the term Eemaan.

1. Lexically, let alone from the Sharee’ah viewpoint, eemaan is not synonymous with tasdeeq (belief or faith).

• It is much closer in meaning to the word iqraar, which embodies the belief of the heart, which is tasdeeq as well as the action of the heart, which is inqiyaad (compliance and submissiveness).

• One can understand this even more so if he were to examine the contents of the Sharee’ah. The scrutinizer will find that it consists of two categories: (khabr) information and (amr) command. When Allaah tells us in the Qur’aan that we will be raised up after we die and that we will face him, this is information and one responds to it with belief in the heart (tasdeeq). However when Allaah orders us to fast the month of Ramadaan, we do not respond by saying: ‘Yes we believe’.

Rather, what is required is compliance, since this is a com- mand. The compliance intended here is the willingness in the heart to accept the command and enact it. It is inconceivable for someone to actually remain holding Eemaan if his heart is void of any willingness to obey the commands of Allaah.

• Whether the actual obedience takes place or not is not the issue here, what is intended here¹, is the minimal level of compliance for eemaan to exist which is the general willingness of the heart to enact the commands; to want to obey Allaah.

• Eemaan has a core or basic level, which if it is not in the heart, then eemaan cannot exist in such a heart. The last point is exactly this basic level: the belief of the heart and the basic levels of certain actions of the heart, such as the minimal level of compliance, love of Allaah, fear of Allaah, hope in Allaah and so on. Added to this, is the articulation by the tongue of the Shahaadah for the one who wishes to embrace lslaam and has the ability to speak. The reasons and wisdom behind this ruling are beyond the scope of this brief discussion. This type of Eemaan is what is termed as being a condition for the correctness and validity of eemaan.

• Eemaan has higher parts and levels, above the core level. This is where those who possess Eemaan become of different ranks and this is where the increase and decrease occurs. Hence, with regard to the actions of the heart, some have a greater love of Allaah than others, while others fear him more and rely on him more. Others are superior in their sincerity and

 The issue of not praying is seen to be an exception here to those of the noble scholars who hold that it is a requirement for the establishment of the basis of eemaan.

Indeed, it is a serious issue where a difference of opinion is present and Allaah knows best, therefore pray my brother and sister so that you come away from the point of contention. glorification of Allaah in their hearts and so on.

 Again, concerning the actions of the tongue, some recite Qur’aan more than others, some engage in much remembrance, speak only good etc. Likewise, people differ in the actions of the limbs: some pray tahajjud, perform jihaad etc in contrast to others. This type of eemaan is what is termed as being a condition for the perfection of one’s Eemaan.

• Eemaan in the Sharee’ah is defined how the Prophet – sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam – defined it when questioned by jibraa’eel: Eemaan in Allaah, the Angels, the Books, the Messengers, the Last Day and al-Qadar. As for the nature of eemaan and where it manifests itself this is where the scholars have defined it with five important matters: it manifests itself in the heart the tongue and upon the limbs and it increases and decreases.

• Lastly, know that a misconception or error concerning the term eemaan is not like any other error concerning most other terms, because the rulings of this world and the Hereafter are connected to the terms of eemaan, lslaam, kufr, nifaaq etc. This important field of study, which embodies all of this, is referred to by some of the scholars as Baab al-Asmaa wa al- Ahkaam (the field of names and rulings) and Allaah knows best.