State of the Islamic belief

Shaykh Abu Hamza Al Masri (may Allah hasten his release-Ameen)

The believers are established on that imaan (faith) is of three dimensions, which are declaration of the tongue,conviction of the heart and implementation of the limbs. 

Those who want to understand Islam properly should submit to the belief that the imaan (faith), increases and decreases, which is the understanding of Ahl us-Sunna walJama`ah and the four great Imams. 

Although some scholars, including Imaam Abu Hanifah and his madhhab, say that the imaan (belief) does not increase and decrease, they will still act according to Ahl us-Sunna walJama`ah with regard to action. In fact, they emphasize the Sunnah of prayer and others acts of worship more than any other madhhab. This is so that others will not use their statements to disregard action. 

What the Hanafis have done is not to divorce action from belief, for this would be deviancy, but they have their own evidence and the way that they understand the evidence in this case. So it is a verbal difference in this regard and not a fundamental difference with regard to this issue. 

It is very disappointing to hear some new brothers refuting Imaam Abu Hanifa and Hanafis altogether because of this difference. Some go even further and try to exclude them from Ahl us-Sunna, as we see in the false new Salafi movement. Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah was asked about the issue of imaan regarding the Hanafis.

This issue came up because some were wondering if the Hanafis were from Ahl us-Sunna walJama`ah, due to the fact that there are many verses in the Qur’an that contradict their belief about the nature of imaan.

With these conflicting verses that show that imaan decreases and increases, and the Hanafis saying something else, were they to be classed as Ahl us-Sunna walJama`ah or not.

Shaikh ulIslam Ibn Taymiyyah answered the question brilliantly, “We should not be trapping ourselves verbally or by verses."

The fact is that whoever is saved from the fire and deserves Paradise according to the Hanafi madhhab has the same category as the other three madhhabs.

And whoever is doomed according to the Hanafis is the same as the other three madhhabs.”

May Allah be pleased with all of our great scholars and Imaams.

Prayer, fasting,zakat (giving religious charity), hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), righteousness, etc are all from imaan. Performing these acts causes imaan to increase. 

ھو الذي انزل السكینة في قلوب المؤمنین لیزدادوا إیمانًا مع إیمانھم و الله جنود السماوات والأرض و كان االله علیماً حكیماً 

“He is who sent down the tranquility in the hearts of the believers that they may grow in belief along with their belief. To Allah belong the armies of the heavens and the earth and Allah is most knowledgeable, most wise.” Surat ul-Fath, ayah 4 

Disobedience to Allah, in the forms of fornication, drinking, smoking, neglecting prayer, etc., causes imaan to decrease. Imaan is composed of some seventy odd branches, the highest being the words La ilaha illallah (No one has the right to be worshipped except Allah) and the lowest branch being to remove a harmful thing from the road. Even shyness due to piety is a branch of imaan.

Based on Hadith in Bukhaari and Others.