that faith increases and decreases. This is also the position of the leading scholars of the Sunnah. Ibn al-Mubārak used to say, “It varies in degree and increases,” but refrained from using the word “decreases.” Regarding the view that it does not decrease, two positions are reported from Mālik. The Quran explicitly mentions its increase in several places, and the scriptural texts indicate its decrease, as in the Prophet’s statement:

“The adulterer does not commit adultery while being a believer.”

There are other similar texts. However, this wording is known only from his description of women as:

“Deficient in intellect and religion.”

He counted a woman’s not fasting or praying during menstruation as a deficiency in her religion. More than one scholar has cited this as evidence that faith decreases.

The underlying principle of Ahl al-Sunnah is that faith varies in degree in two respects: what the Lord commands and what the servant does.

As for the first, the faith required of a particular believer is not identical to that required of every believer. Initially, the Muslims were commanded to observe a certain measure of faith. Later, they were given further commands and were commanded to abandon things they had previously been commanded to do, as in the case of the direction of prayer. Initially, faith included believing that it was obligatory to face Jerusalem. Later, faith included the prohibition on facing it and the obligation to face the Kaaba. Thus, the requirements of faith varied within a single revealed law.

Moreover, whoever is obliged to perform Hajj, pay zakat, or engage in jihad is required, as part of faith, to know what he has been commanded to do and to believe that Allah has imposed upon him what is not obligatory