sin, as the Khawārij claim, nor does he lose faith altogether, as the Mu‘tazilah claim. Rather, sin diminishes faith and prevents it from attaining its obligatory completeness, although the Murji’ah also claim that faith does not diminish. The position of Ahl al-Sunnah, who follow the righteous predecessors, is that faith increases through obedience and decreases through disobedience.

As for deeming lawful the indecencies and other things that Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, this is unbelief. For such conduct Allah destroyed the people of Lot, who deemed their indecency lawful and committed it openly, regarding it as permissible. Allah Most High says:

“So when Our command came, We turned their towns upside down and rained upon them stones of baked clay, piled layer upon layer, marked with your Lord. Nor is it far from the wrongdoers.” Surah Hūd, 82–83.

Qatādah is reported to have explained this as referring to “the wrongdoers of this community.” It has also been reported that some within this community will be swallowed by the earth, pelted from above, and transformed in bodily form.