17/09/2026
من مشروع
ترجمة
شاركنا في التعليقات: مقابل المصطلح بالعربية
The Increase and Decrease of Faith
(Creed, Dialectic theology, Tafsir)
Scholars unanimously agreed that faith (Iman) increases، for whenever the believer's righteous deeds and virtuous traits increase, their faith increases too. This is in accordance with the words of the Almighty: {whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord} (Surah Al-Anfal: 2). However, they differed regarding its decrease, giving rise to four distinct views, which are:
1. Faith does not decrease; rather, it is nullified by committing major sins. This is the well-known position of the school, based on the Prophet's saying: "The adulterer is not a believer at the moment when he is committing adultery”
2. Faith does not decrease, but it weakens. This was the view of Abu Sa'id al-Kudami. According to this understanding, faith is demolished by committing sins, and experiences weakness when one slackens in performing acts of obedience.
3. Faith both increases and decreases, considering it consists of numerous traits. This was the view of Abu Khazr, al-Jitali, Abu 'Ammar, and al-Thamini
4. Faith neither increases nor decreases in its core essence as an internal asset (Tasdeeq), for stating that assent decrease implies falling into polytheism (Shirk). However, faith may increase or decrease based on other considerations external to its essence: namely, the increase or decrease of righteous deeds, the strength of evidence and proofs, and growing knowledge of the components of faith. This was the view of Qutb Tfeyche
It should be noted that each group based its ruling on the decrease of faith upon the specific aspect of the definition they adopted. Thus, their positions appear different on the surface, yet they are fundamentally in agreement and revolve around the following principles:
1. Faith does not decrease by abandoning obligatory deeds; rather, it is nullified, because such deeds are among its essential requirements.
2. Faith weakens when one falls short in striving to perform acts of obedience.
3. Faith decreases considering the fact that it consists of many traits; meaning, it weakens by abandoning some of them.
4. Faith does not decrease in its essence as an internal asset (Tasdeeq); because the absence of such affirmation leads to polytheism (Shirk).
translated by Dhikra B.
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