Aspects of Increasing Iman

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah

Kitab al-Iman
© 1999 Iman Publishing House
http://islaam.com//Article.aspx?id=600
Increasing the Iman which Allah commands us to have, and which is a trait of
His believing worshipers, can be achieved through different means. The first
aspect in increasing Iman is through practicing ijmaal, total, observance and
tafseel, detailed, observance of Allah's commands, for it is the obligation of all
mankind to believe in Allah and His Messenger, and of every community to
commit itself to all that the Messenger (sallallahu `alayhe wa sallam) has
ordered. It is well known that what was obligatory at first differs from what was
required after the revelation of the whole Qur'an. Hence, unlike one who does
not know about Islam, he who knows the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and their
meanings is obliged to have a detailed Iman. That is, if a man, inwardly as well
as outwardly, believed in Allah and the Messenger (pbuh) and died before he
knew the laws of religion, he would die as a believer. His obligation and what
he did are different from the Iman of the one who knew the Islaimic laws and
who believed in them and worked to fulfill them. The Iman of such a person is
more complete, in accordance with the obligatory and the actual deeds. Indeed,
of what he performed in accordance with the obligation is of a more complete
Iman and what he did is also considered more complete.
Allah says: "… This day I have perfected your religion for you …" (5:3). In
this verse, the word "religion" refers to the legislation of commanded and
forbidden actions, but does not mean that everybody is obliged to do what the
whole community is ordered to do. It is recorded both in Sahih Muslim and
Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet (pbuh) described women as diminished in
intellect and religion. This diminution in intellect made the witness of two
women equal in that of one man; the diminution in her religion is due to the
fact that she does not pray and fast when she is menstruating. Indeed, this
diminution is not a diminution of what she is commanded to do and so she will
not be punished because of it. However, if someone is commanded to pray and
fast and does so, his religion is complete compared to the one of diminished
religion.
The second aspect [of increasing one's Iman] is the total and detailed acts of
people. To illustrate this, let us compare the Iman of the following three men.
The first absolutely believed in what the Messenger (pbuh) came with and
asked for, but was neither concerned about what the Messenger (pbuh)
commanded and prohibited nor sought the required knowledge of religion so as
to act accordingly. The second sought and obtained this knowledge and acted
on it. The third man acquired knowledge, became well acquainted with it, and
believed in it but did not act accordingly. These three men shared the same
obligation, but the one who looked for detailed knowledge and acted on it had a
more complete Iman than the one who knew and believed but did not practice
his knowledge. Likewise, he who believed in the message, confessed his sins,
and feared punishment was a better believer than the one who did not seek to
understand what he was asked to do, and did not fear punishment; on the
contrary, he later was negligent and careless, although [overtly as well as
covertly] he believed in Muhammad (pbuh) as the Messenger of Allah.
Accordingly, the more the heart knows, believes in, and practices [what Allah
and His Messenger have ordered], the more a person's Iman increases even if
that person has a general adherence and general verbal confession.
Similarly, if someone knows Allah's Names as well as their meanings and
believes in them, his Iman is more perfect than that of someone who does not
know but believes in them generally, or someone who knows only some of
them. Hence, the more one knows Allah's Names, Attributes, and Verses, the
more perfect his Iman.
The third aspect is that knowledge and assent are differentiated among people.
That is, some people have stronger, more enduring Iman and assent than others
whose Iman is subject to doubt. Indeed, this is something experienced by each
one of us. For example, people differ in the way they see the new moon, hear
the same sound, smell the same smell, and taste the same food. So it is with the
heart's knowledge and assent. People differ widely in their belief in the
meanings of Allah's Names and His Words.
The fourth aspect is that the assent which requires the work of the heart is
more complete than that which does not. So, knowledge which is accompanied
by works is better than that which is not. Suppose that two men knew that
Allah, the Messenger (pbuh), Paradise, and Hell are true. The knowledge of the
first man obliged him to love and fear Allah, wish for Paradise, and avoid Hell.
However, the knowledge of the second man did not lead him to do so. Thus, we
can say that the knowledge of the first is more complete than that of the second.
For the strength of the result signals the strength of the cause, and all these
matters stem from knowledge. So knowledge of the "beloved" requires one to
seek him; and knowledge of the "frightened" requires one to flee from him.
However, absence of the required results signals the weakness of the cause or
prerequisite. That is why the Prophet (pbuh) said: "One who is informed
[indirectly] of something is not like the one who sees it for himself." To
illustrate this, when Allah told Moses that his community worshiped the calf, he
did not throw the al-Alwah, Tablets; but when he himself saw them practicing
that, he did. This is not because Moses doubted Allah's words but because the
man who is told something, although he does not report the news of the teller,
does not perceive the situation in the same way he does if he sees it for himself.
Since his mind is occupied with something else, other than what the informer
said, he still believes him. Certainly seeing something will give one a clearer
understanding of the situation and this assent is better than the other.
The fifth aspect is that works of the heart, such as love for Allah and His
Messenger and fear and expectations from Allah, are part of Iman, as proven by
the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the pious ancestors. And people
differ widely in their performance of these works.
The sixth aspect is that overt works, as well as covert works, are part of Iman;
and people also vary widely with respect to these works.
The seventh aspect is the importance of holding Allah in remembrance and not
being inattentive, since the latter opposes perfection of knowledge and
acceptance. 'Umar Ibn Habib, one of the Companions, said: "If we thank and
praise Allah, our Iman increases. However, if we neglect and forget Him, our
Iman decreases." And Mu'adh Ibn Jabal used to say to his companions: "Let us
sit still for an hour so as to strengthen our belief." Allah says: "… Nor obey
any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one
who follows his own desires…" (18:28); and "And remind for indeed,
reminding profits the believers" (51:55); and "The admonition will be
received by those who fear [Allah]: But it will be avoided by those most
unfortunate ones" (87:10-11). Hence, it is evident that the more a man
remembers what he already knows, and practices his knowledge, he will come
to understand something he has never known, such as Allah's Names and
Verses. This is supported by the following tradition: "Whoever practices what
he knows, Allah will provide him with understanding of what he did not know."
This is a matter that every believer will realize by himself.
It was recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "The one who
holds Allah in remembrance as compared to one who does not, is like a living
man as compared to one who has died." Allah says: "And when they hear His
Verses rehearsed, find their belief strengthened." (8:2). That is, hearing of
Allah's Verses increases their knowledge with what they did not know, it
encourages their practice of the new knowledge, and it reminds them of things
they have forgotten. Allah says: "Soon will We show them Our Signs in the
[furthest] regions [of the earth], and in their own souls, until it becomes
manifest to them that this (the Qur'dn] is the Truth…" (41:53). That is, the
Qur'an is the truth. Allah also says: "…Is it not enough that your Lord does
witness all things?" (41:53). So in the Qur'an Allah is witness to what He
reported. Consequently, believers believed in this and then He showed them
His Signs in the furthest regions of the earth and in themselves, all of which
confirms what the Qur'an says. Therefore, these Signs indicate that the Qur'an
is the Truth.
Allah says: "Do they not look at the sky above them? How We have made it
and adorned it, and there are no flaws in it? And the earth, We have
spread it out, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and produced
therein every kind of beautiful growth [in pairs] to be observed and
commemorated by every devotee turning [to Allah]" (50:6-8). So the
created signs should be observed and commemorated in order to prevent one
from blindness and inattention. To illustrate, a man recites a Surah (e.g., al-
Fatihah) many times; and each time he recites it, he gains new knowledge,
which in turn increases his acceptance and Iman as if the Surah was revealed at
that moment. Thus, he believes in these meanings and his knowledge and work
increases. This is to be realized by everyone who reads the Qur'an attentively,
in contrast with the one who reads it absentmindedly. Thus, whenever one does
what he is commanded to do, he becomes aware of these commands and, as a
result, he affirms his belief. Consequently, at that moment his affirmation in his
heart establishes what he was unaware of even when he is truthful.
The eighth aspect is that man may deny or disbelieve things, for he does not
know that the Messenger (pbuh) has spoken and ordered them. And if one knew
that, he would neither deny nor disbelieve. For his heart strongly affirms that he
[the Prophet] told and commanded only the truth. It may happen that when one
hears a verse or a hadith or thinks about it or someone interprets its meaning for
him or it becomes clear to him what is forbidden, then he will enter a state of
new affirmation and new belief. This increases his Iman since before this stage
he is not considered as an unbeliever but simply as ignorant. This happens in
the case of many believers who ignorantly think that an affirmation or a deed is
not required for Iman but when they know the truth, they believe. Many people,
including those who are conscious about religious matters, may have, in their
hearts, many detailed matters that may contradict what the Messenger brought
forward. Yet, they do not know that they are contradictory matters and, when
they become aware of this, they reverse their opinions. Thus, anyone who
introduces an innovation or a saying [to the religion of Islam] or performs a
wrong act, and he is a believer in the Messenger or is aware of what the
Messenger said and believes in them and does not reverse his beliefs, he is
considered ignorant but not an unbeliever. It follows then that every innovator
with good intentions of following what the Messenger brought forward is of
this category. Thus, he who has knowledge of what the Messenger brought
forward and acts accordingly, is better than he who commits an error
concerning this, and anyone who becomes aware of the truth after realizing his
own error and acts on it, he will be in a more preferable position than before.