The Position of Imam Malik on the Increase and Decrease of Faith.

Abstract

Summary: The issue of faith is one of the major matters on which there has been disagreement between the early scholars (Salaf) and other groups. One of the topics in which this disagreement occurred is the topic of (the increase and decrease of faith). The majority of the Salaf held that faith increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience, and their evidence for this is the Quran, the Sunnah, and the practices of the Companions. They were opposed by the Kharijites, the Mu'tazilites, and others, who said: Faith does not change, neither increasing nor decreasing.