Increase in Faith

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT of shared thought, the evolving journey of faith continues. The growth of faith does not occur in a vacuum—it happens amidst the storms of ideas. The Quran teaches us to constantly pray, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge” (20:114). According to one interpretation, this prayer means “My Lord, increase my understanding”. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Vol. 11, p. 250). This shows that religious knowledge and understanding are not static—they are constantly expanding. This growth happens both in terms of information and in terms of insight and awareness. This increase, without doubt, happens with God’s help. But in this world of tests, the principle is that everything is attained through circumstances and effort. The same applies to the knowledge and understanding of faith. One of these means is the importance of keeping the mind’s windows open. A person must remain deeply eager to expand their understanding, staying engaged in reading, observing, and exchanging ideas. They must always be ready to learn from others. Whenever they encounter a person of knowledge or depth, they should set aside their ego, listen attentively, and rise above personal pride to gain from them. The increase in knowledge is directly tied to the increase in one’s desire to learn. Only a person with genuine hunger for learning will grow in knowledge and understanding. And the sign of that hunger is the willingness to accept knowledge from any source—whether it agrees with their views or challenges them.