Reasons for increasing safety and decreasing it

Abdul Razzaq Abdul Mohsen Al-Badr Introduction Indeed, praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the bad consequences of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him; and whomsoever He misguides, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and all his companions, and many peace and blessings. As for what follows: The situation is not hidden that faith has a lofty position and high status; indeed, it is the most important matter, the most obligatory duty absolutely, the greatest and most exalted. Every good in this world and the Hereafter depends on the existence, correctness, and safety of faith. And how many abundant benefits, lush fruits, sweet harvests, continuous produce, and ongoing goodness does faith have! Hence, the diligent and competitive among the people have strived to care for faith, seeking to realize and perfect it. For the successful Muslim—without doubt—his care for his faith is greater than his care for everything else. When the early generations, the best of the nation, and their foremost figures achieved this, their care for their faith was prominent, and their concern for it was immense. They—may Allah be pleased with them and have mercy on them—used to nurture their faith, check their deeds, and advise each other. There are many reports about them in this regard: 1. Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say to his companions: "Come, let us increase our faith." In another wording: "Come, let us increase our faith." 2. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say: "Sit with us to increase our faith," and he would pray: "O Allah, increase me in faith, certainty, and understanding." 3. Mu'adh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say: "Sit with us to believe for a while." 4. Abdullah ibn Rawaheh, may Allah be pleased with him, used to take the hand of some of his companions and say: "Come, let us believe for a while. Come, let us remember Allah and increase our faith through obedience to Him; perhaps He will remember us with His forgiveness." 5. Abu Ad-Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say: "One of the wisdoms of the servant is to know whether he is increasing or decreasing. And from the wisdom of the servant is to know the whispers of Satan that come to him." 6. 'Amir ibn Hibb al-Khatmi, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Faith increases and decreases." It was asked: "What causes its increase and decrease?" He replied: "When we remember Allah, praise Him, and glorify Him, that is its increase. And when we neglect, waste, and forget, that is its decrease." 7. Al-Qama ibn Qays Al-Nakhai, one of the great Tabi'in and their eminent scholars, said to his companions: "Walk with us to increase our faith." 8. Al-Awza'i, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about faith: "Does it increase?" He said: "Yes, until it becomes like the mountains." He was asked: "Does it decrease?" He said: "Yes, until nothing remains of it." 9. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about faith: "Does it increase and decrease?" He said: "It increases until it reaches the highest of the seven heavens, and decreases until it becomes among the lowest of the seven." He also said: "Faith is speech and action; it increases with good deeds and decreases when neglected." Many reports from them in this regard are numerous, and likewise, those who reflect on their lives and read their stories know their strong concern for faith and their great interest in it. These righteous people knew that faith has many causes that increase, strengthen, and develop it, and many other causes that diminish, weaken, and weaken it. They exerted effort to realize what strengthens and completes faith and were very cautious of everything that weakens and diminishes it. Because of that, they were righteous and good. Therefore, knowing these causes—namely, the causes of increasing and decreasing faith—has great benefits and numerous advantages. It is even essential to know and care for them, to understand their ways and causes, because faith is the perfection of the servant, the means of his success and happiness, and through it, his ranks are raised in this world and the Hereafter. It is the reason and the path to all good, immediate and delayed, and it cannot be achieved, strengthened, or perfected except by knowing its ways and causes. It is fitting for the sincere Muslim servant to strive to know these causes, contemplate them, and then apply them in his life to increase his faith and strengthen his certainty, and to keep himself away from causes that diminish faith, protecting himself from falling into them. This way, he will be safe from their severe consequences and bitter results. Whoever is successful in this has been successful in all goodness. The scholar Ibn Sa'di, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "The successful believer servant continually strives in two matters: the first is to establish the fundamentals and branches of faith, understanding them through knowledge, action, and state. The second is to strive to repel what contradicts or invalidates them, or diminishes them: from apparent and hidden trials, and to treat what he has fallen short of in the first, and what he has dared to do in the second, with sincere repentance, and to rectify the matter before it is too late." From this, this research, which is in your hands, dear brother, contains clarification and explanation of the most important causes of increasing faith and its decrease, and it is a chapter from my book "Increasing and Decreasing Faith and the Ruling on Exception" (1). Some virtuous scholars requested to dedicate it separately for the benefit of all, and that was by Allah's grace, help, and success. I have divided it into two sections: First section: Causes of increasing faith Second section: Causes of decreasing faith And I ask Allah for good intention, acceptance, and satisfaction.