Iman

Can Iman decrease and increase?

Faith in Islam can be strengthened and weakened based on a number of things. It increases with good deeds, and it decreases with evil deeds.

It has been clarified in various verses and traditions that Iman increases and decreases. Not every Muslim has a constant level of faith.

If a Muslim wants to increase Iman, then this is possible with good deeds. The more good deeds the Muslim does, the stronger the Iman will be.

So Iman does not remain constant, it changes from moment to moment. One moment the Muslim experiences a high level of Iman, and the next moment there is a dip or lowering of it. Fortunately, there are different ways to increase iman.

And when a surah descends, some of the hypocrites say, "Which of you has increased in faith because of this?" For those who believe, it promotes their faith and they rejoice.
(al-Tawbah 9:124)

But for those in whose hearts there is a disease: with them this (new) disbelief piles on their disbelief, and they will die disbelievers.
(al-Tawbah 9:125)

Awza'ee was asked about whether Emaan can increase. He replied, "Yes, it can become as high as the mountains, and it can decrease until there is nothing left of it at all."
[Sharh Usul I'tiqaad 5/1030 of Al-Lalikaee]

Iman: belief, statement and actions

There are various groups that attach a different interpretation to Iman. The correct understanding of this stems from the Sahaba (companions). We must therefore follow them.

With Iman comes actions and statements. For example, you cannot claim to believe in Islam if you mock Islam or worship any god besides Allah. So sayings and deeds are important in verifying Iman.

Does a person really believe in Islam? Or is it just a claim? You verify this by checking the actions and statements.

Imam Shafi'i said:
"It is according to the consensus of the Sahaba and their students that Iman consists of sayings, deeds and belief in the heart."
(Sharh Usool I'tiqaad 5/956)

Tips to maintain Iman

Allah bestows the blessing of Iman on whomever He pleases. Each person is responsible for himself. It is important to understand Iman in order to possess it. For example, one cannot be a believer (Mu'min) without understanding and practicing the Tawheed or the five pillars of Islam.

Maintaining Iman can be a major challenge. There are some destroyers of Iman that must be avoided.

The Muslim tries to maintain his Iman by putting in effort. Of course, the blessing of faith can always be withdrawn. Muslims try to avoid this by doing good deeds and staying away from bad deeds.

The Destroyers of Iman

A Muslim can destroy his Iman if he or she is not careful enough. This is done by adopting a different faith, for example. There are different beliefs, actions and statements that put a Muslim out of the folds of Islam.

Another great destroyer of Iman is to perform the major acts of Shirk and Kufr. This is now widely practiced among different groups of people.

It is important to stay away from all these destroyers in order to preserve Iman. If the Muslim falls into one of these destroyers, he becomes a Murtad (apostate).

To maintain Iman, the Muslim practises Tawheed, maintains the other five pillars of Islam, believes in the six pillars of Iman.