Imam Increase and decrease

Question:

Salaam
A brother informed me that Imam Abu Hanifa said, that iman don’t increase or decrease.
Then he showed me that Allah said iman increase an decrease an also the prophet said so.
So I started thinking why Imam Abu Hanifa will say that.
If this is true or false Please verify this for me please.

Answer:

Assalaamu Alaikum,

Imam Abu Hanifa and many other scholars say that Imaan does not increase and decrease. However, what is meant by this statement is that, Iman with respect to the ‘Mu’man bihi’ the things which all Muslims and Mumins must believer in, these no not increase and decrease. In other words, what the Sahabahs had to believe in, in order to be Muslims, all other believers have to believe in the same things to be Muslims. In this way, the things they had to believe in, did not increase for them, nor did these things decrease for others. It is the same things that others have to believe in, in order to be Muslims.

With respect to the increase and decrease mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, these refer to the kaifiyaat (manner, quality and state) of one’s Imaan, as explained by Imam Abu Hanifa (AR).

And Allah knows best,

Mufti Waseem Khan

9/7/2013