Does faith increase and decrease?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:

According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, faith is not merely belief in the heart. Rather, it is a comprehensive reality that combines belief, speech, and actions.

What is the definition of faith?

According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, faith consists of:

• Belief in the heart.
• Speech of the tongue.
• Actions of the limbs.

Therefore, acts of obedience are part of faith, and sins have an effect upon it.

Does faith increase and decrease?

Yes. Faith increases through obedience and decreases through disobedience. This is one of the fundamental principles of the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, and it is established by the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Faith increases through:

• Stronger certainty and greater knowledge of Allah, His Names, and His Attributes.
• Reflecting upon the Noble Qur'an.
• Remembering Allah.
• Prayer and all other acts of obedience.
• Performing abundant righteous deeds and striving to perfect them.

For this reason, attending gatherings of knowledge and remembrance strengthens the heart with certainty and faith, whereas heedlessness weakens faith.

Faith decreases through:

• Committing sins.
• Neglecting acts of obedience.
• Being heedless of the remembrance of Allah.
• Weakness in Islamic knowledge.
• Becoming preoccupied with worldly life and turning away from the Qur'an.

Evidence from the Qur'an

Allah, the Exalted, says:

"So that those who believe may increase in faith."
(Qur'an 74:31)

He also says:

"As for those who believe, it has increased them in faith, and they rejoice."
(Qur'an 9:124)

Likewise, Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him, said:

"My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." He said, "Do you not believe?" He replied, "Yes, but so that my heart may be reassured."
(Qur'an 2:260)

This shows that the foundation of faith was already present, while certainty and tranquility of the heart can continue to increase.

Evidence from the Sunnah

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"I have not seen anyone more capable of taking away the resolve of a determined man than one of you, despite being deficient in intellect and religion."

The Prophet ﷺ described the temporary omission of certain acts of worship during a valid Islamic excuse as a deficiency in religion, which indicates that faith is capable of increasing and decreasing.

Conclusion

According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, faith consists of belief in the heart, speech of the tongue, and actions of the limbs. It increases through acts of obedience, knowledge, and remembrance of Allah, and decreases through heedlessness, sins, and neglecting acts of obedience. The closer a servant draws to Allah, the stronger his faith, certainty, and steadfastness become.

And Allah knows best.