the use of the terms “increase” and “decrease” with reference to faith is established from the Companions, and no Companion is known to have disagreed.

Thus, through numerous well-known chains, transmitters have related from Hammād ibn Salamah, from Abū Ja‘far, from his grandfather ‘Umayr ibn Habīb al-Khatmī, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said: “Faith increases and decreases.” He was asked: “How does it increase, and how does it decrease?” He replied: “When we remember Allah, praise Him and glorify Him, that is its increase; when we become heedless and forget, that is its decrease.”

Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Ayyāsh narrated from Harīz ibn ‘Uthmān, from al-Hārith ibn Muhammad, that Abū al-Dardā’ said: “Faith increases and decreases.”

Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: “Yazīd narrated to us: Harīz ibn ‘Uthmān narrated to us, saying: ‘I heard our elders—or some of our elders—relate that Abū al-Dardā’ said: “Part of a servant’s understanding is to watch over his faith and any decrease in it. Part of a servant’s understanding is to know whether faith is increasing or decreasing. And part of a man’s understanding is to know from which direction Satan’s incitements come to him.”’”

Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Ayyāsh narrated from Safwān ibn ‘Amr, from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Rabī‘ah al-Hadramī, that Abū Hurayrah said: “Faith increases and decreases.”

Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: “Yazīd ibn Hārūn narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Talhah narrated to us, from Zubayd, from Dharr, who said: ‘ ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb used to say to his companions: “Come, let us increase in faith.” They would then remember Allah, Mighty and Majestic.’”

Abū ‘Ubayd said in al-Gharīb, concerning the report from ‘Alī: “Faith first appears as a speck in the heart, and whenever faith increases, the speck grows.” This is narrated from ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Abd Allāh, from ‘Amr ibn Hind al-Jumalī, from ‘Alī. Al-Asma‘ī said: “A lumzah is like a small dot, or something similar.”