to increase ur eemaan (faith) ...

Abu Sarah

Allahu Akbar
Staff member
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According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah,

eemaan (faith) is “belief in the heart,

words on the tongue and actions of the body.

” This includes three things:

1. Belief in the heart

2. Words on the tongue

3. Actions of the body



As this is the case, then it will increase and decrease. That is because the degree of belief in the heart differs from one person to another. Believing in what someone tells you is not the same as believing something that you see with your own eyes. Believing in what one person tells you is not the same as believing what two people tell you, and so on. Hence Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) said:

“ ‘My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.’ He (Allaah) said: ‘Do you not believe?’ He [Ibraaheem (Abraham)] said: ‘Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in Faith’”
[al-Baqarah 2:260]

Eemaan may increase with regard to belief, contentment and tranquillity in the heart. A person may experience that in himself when he attends gatherings of dhikr where he hears a lesson. Remembering Paradise and Hell increases eemaan to the point where it as if you can see them with your own eyes. But when a person is negligent and leaves those gatherings, this certain faith is reduced in his heart.

Eemaan in the sense of words may increase similarly. Whoever remembers Allaah a few times is not like one who remembers Him one hundred times. The latter is far better in eemaan.

And the one who does an act of worship in a perfect manner will have more faith than one who does it in an imperfect manner.

The same applies to righteous deeds. If a person does good deeds physically more than another, the one who does more will have more eemaan than the one who does less. This is stated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah – I mean the fact that eemaan may increase and decrease.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“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’aan is the truth as it agrees with their Books regarding the number (19) which is written in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] and that the believers may increase in Faith
[al-Muddaththir 74:31]

“And whenever there comes down a Soorah, 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

[al-Tawbah 9:124-125]

According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have never seen any women lacking in reason and faith who have a more negative impact on the mind of a serious man than you.”

Thus eemaan increases and decreases.



Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 1, p. 49)




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The things that make faith decrease are as follows:
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1. Ignorance of the names and attributes of Allaah makes a decrease in faith inevitable, because if a man is lacking in knowledge of the names and attributes of Allaah, he will be lacking in faith.

2. Neglecting to think about the signs of Allaah in the universe and the signs of sharee’ah (i.e., verses of the Qur’aan and miracles of the Prophet :saw:(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), etc.). This causes a decrease in faith or at the very least it causes it to stagnate and not grow.

3. Committing sins, because sin has a profound effect on the heart and on faith. Hence the Prophet :saw: (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The adulterer at the time when he is committing adultery is not a believer.”

4. Neglecting to do acts of worship, because neglecting to do acts of worship causes a decrease in faith. But if the act of worship is obligatory and a person neglects it with no excuse, then he is to be blamed and deserves punishment. If the act of worship is not obligatory, or it is obligatory but a person does not do it for a valid reason, then he is lacking but is not to be blamed. Hence the Prophet :saw: (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described women as lacking in reason and in religion, and he explained their lacking in religion as being because of the fact that when they menstruate, they do not pray or fast. But they are not to be blamed for not praying or fasting during their menstruation; rather they are commanded not to do these things at that time. But because they miss out on doing some of the things that men do, they are regarded as lacking in this regard.



Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 1. p. 57



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There are several means of increasing faith:

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The first means is learning about Allaah through His names and attributes. The more a person learns about Allaah through His names and attributes, the more he will increase in faith, without a doubt. Hence you find that the scholars who know more about the names and attributes of Allaah than others do, are stronger in faith than others in this regard.

The second means is looking at the signs of Allaah in the universe and the signs of sharee’ah (i.e., verses of the Qur’aan and miracles of the Prophet :saw:(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), etc.). The more a person looks at the signs of Allaah in the universe, the more he increases
in faith.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty.
And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see?”


[al-Dhaariyaat 51:20-21]


The verses which indicate that are many, I mean the verses which indicate that by pondering and thinking about this universe, man can increase in faith.

The third means is doing many acts of worship, for the more acts of worship a person does, the more he will increase in faith thereby, whether those acts of worship involve words or actions. So dhikr increases faith in quantity and quality, and prayer, fasting and Hajj also increase faith in quantity and quality.



Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 1. p. 49




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to strengthen ur faith ..

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There follow two pieces of advice from major scholars, in addition to the above, summing up what is required on your part:

1 – We advise you to read Qur’aan a great deal, listen to its recitation and ponder the meanings of what you read and listen to, as much as you can. If you find anything difficult to understand then ask the scholars in your country or write to other Sunni scholars for advice.

We also advise you to remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr) with the dhikrs narrated in the saheeh ahaadeeth, such as “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (there is no god except Allaah)”, “Subhaan-Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god except Allaah and Allaah is Most Great)”, and so on. For more information on this see al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Ibn Taymiyah; al-Waabil al-Sayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim; Riyaadh al-Saaliheen [available in English]; al-Adhkaar al-Nawawiyyah by Imaam al-Nawawi, and so on.

Remembering Allaah (dhikr) increases faith and brings peace of mind.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest”

[al-Ra’d 13:28]

Regularly perform acts of worship such as prayer, fasting and the other pillars of Islam, whilst hoping for the mercy of Allaah and putting your trust in Him in all your affairs. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur’aan) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);

Who perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat‑as‑ Salaah) and spend out of that We have provided them.

It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise).”

[al-Anfaal 8:2]

Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, 3/185, 186



2 – Faith is also increased by obeying Allaah, and it decreases when one disobeys Him. So adhere to doing that which Allaah has enjoined such as performing the prayers on time in congregation in the mosque, praying zakaah willingly to purify yourself of sin and show compassion towards the poor and needy, sitting with good and righteous people so that they will help you to apply sharee’ah and guide you to that which will bring you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.

Avoid the followers of bid’ah and sinners, lest they tempt you and weaken your resolve to do good.

Do a lot of voluntary good actions, turn to Allaah, and ask Him for strength.

If you do that, Allaah will increase you in faith and you will make up for lost time, and Allaah will increase you in goodness and steadfastness in adhering to Islam.

Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, 3/187.


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<wasalam>

islamicfajr
 

Hajjerr

He is Dhul-Jalali Wal-Ikram
Salam aleikum

~~The more a person learns about Allaah through His names and attributes, the more he will increase in faith.~~
~~The more a person looks at the signs of Allaah in the universe, the more he increases in faith.~~

:ma:
 
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