  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.
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah
Kitab al-Iman
© 1999 Iman Publishing House
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