Issues of Faith and the Belief in the Increase and Decrease of Faith
The scholars of Islam, especially Imam al-Bukhari, established the issues of faith—particularly the Salafi belief that obedience causes faith to increase and sin causes it to decrease—through evidence from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus. He refuted and invalidated all those who deviated from this path. Following in the footsteps of his esteemed teacher, Imam al-Nasa’i also compiled a detailed section on this subject in his *Sunan*, under “Kitab al-Iman wa Sharai'ihi,” consisting of 33 chapters and including 54 rigorously authenticated ahadith (Hadith nos. 498–5039). Through this, he elaborated on the Salaf's explanation of the increase and decrease of faith and other related beliefs. A glance at the chapter titles reveals his priorities on the subject of faith:
- (1) Mention of the Best Deeds
- (2) The Taste of Faith
- (3) The Sweetness of Faith
- (4) The Sweetness of Islam
- (5) The Description of Islam
- (6) The Attributes of Faith and Islam
- (7) Interpretation of the Verse: “The Bedouins say, ‘We believe.’ Say, ‘You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead] , ‘We have submitted’” [Al-Hujurat: 14]
- (8) The Attributes of a Believer
- (9) The Attributes of a Muslim
- (10) The Excellence of One’s Islam
- (11) Which Islam Is Best?
- (12) Which Islam Is Good?
- (13) Upon How Many Pillars Is Islam Built?
- (14) The Pledge of Allegiance to Islam
- (15) Upon What Are People Fought?
- (16) Mention of the Branches of Faith
- (17) The Superiority Among the People of Faith
- (18) The Sign of Faith
- (19) The Sign of a Hypocrite
- (20) Standing in Prayer During Ramadan
- (21) The Night of Qadr
- (22) Zakat
- (23) Jihad
- (24) Giving the Fifth (Khums)
- (25) Attending Funerals
- (26) Chapter on Modesty
- (27) Religion is Ease
- (28) The Most Beloved Religion to Allah
- (29) Fleeing with One’s Religion from Trials
- (30) The Parable of the Hypocrite
- (31) The Example of One Who Recites the Qur'an—Whether Believer or Hypocrite
- (32) The Sign of a Believer
Imam al-Tirmidhi, in his *Sunan al-Sughra*, also discussed these issues under titles like “Kitab al-‘Ilm” (Book of Knowledge), “Kitab al-Iman” (Book of Faith), “Kitab al-Qadr” (Book of Divine Decree), and “Kitab Sifat al-Qiyamah” (Book on the Description of the Day of Judgment). Merely listing the books and treatises of the scholars of Hadith that explain the beliefs of the Salaf and refute the deviants would make this introduction quite lengthy. I have mentioned these works in my research on Imam Waki‘ ibn al-Jarrah’s *Kitab al-Zuhd*. For more information on this topic, the seventh chapter of *Sirat al-Bukhari* by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Salam Mubarakpuri, titled “Beliefs and Ilm al-Kalam,” is highly beneficial.
The Pious Predecessors and Their Understanding of Creedal Issues in Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah
The righteous predecessors (Salaf al-Salih) understood every major and minor issue of creed in the light of authentic evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah. They firmly believed in it, called others to it, and refuted every opposing opinion or belief. They strongly disliked the hair-splitting arguments of philosophers and theologians. Among the well-known statements of Imam Malik on this subject is his famous saying, which clearly represents the creed of the Salaf: “Al-istiwā’ is known, its modality is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation (bid‘ah).” This was his response when someone questioned him about the nature of Allah’s rising over the Throne, as mentioned in the Qur’an. He explained that the meaning of *istiwā’* is well known, but how it occurs is beyond human understanding. Belief in it is compulsory, and questioning its nature is an innovation.
Similarly, when Imam al-Bukhari was compelled to comment on the issue of the Qur’an being created during his time in Nishapur, he made the historic statement: “The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, uncreated. The actions of the servants are created. To test people on this issue is an innovation.” [Muqaddimah Fath al-Bari: 490]
The methodology of the Salaf in matters of creed was to avoid excessive speculation and debate in theological discussions (Ilm al-Kalam), which they strongly disapproved of. They considered questioning and arguing in these matters to be innovations. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal had an especially firm stance on this. For example, in the issue of the creation of the Qur’an, he accepted nothing but the Qur’an and Sunnah as valid evidence. This stance is also supported by Hadith. Imam al-Tirmidhi, in Kitab al-Qadar, Bab Ma Ja’a fi al-Tashdid fi al-Khawd fi al-Qadar, and Imam Ibn Majah in his Sunan, narrate the following Hadith:
Abu Hurayrah (RA) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to us while we were disputing about Qadar (divine decree). He became angry, and his face turned red as if pomegranate seeds had been crushed on his cheeks. He said: ‘Is this what you were commanded to do? Is this why I was sent to you? The nations before you were destroyed because they disputed about this matter. I command you not to argue about it.’”
Belief in Qadar is obligatory. This means believing that Allah is the Creator of all human actions—both good and evil—and that these actions occur according to His divine decree, will, and knowledge. Yet, they are carried out by human beings through their own choice. Allah loves good deeds and dislikes evil ones. On the basis of this free will, people are rewarded or punished. Debating the matter of Qadar while ignoring the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah and relying solely on reason is not permitted, as it brings no benefit and instead leads to misguidance.
From the above discussion, it is clear that the Salaf refuted false beliefs using proofs from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the statements of early scholars. This is the correct form of Ilm al-Kalam (theology). During the era of the Companions, the sects of the Khawarij, Qadariyyah, and Rawafid had already emerged. The Companions responded to all these issues using the Qur’an and Sunnah. The Hadith scholars later followed the same approach to refute all deviant groups and their beliefs. They stayed away from speculative theology that was not based on the Salafi methodology, and they advised others to do the same. This was to ensure that they would not be influenced by deviant ideas nor allow the people of innovation to associate with Ahl al-Sunnah, improving their public image and misleading others from the straight path.
