[what has passed of your sins?" He replied: "By Allah, I indeed hope that I am the most fearful of you before Allah." This is frequent, and its likes are based on certainty." He said: An old man entered upon him and asked him about faith. He replied: "It is statement and action." He asked him: "Does it increase?" He replied: "It increases and decreases." He asked him: "Should I say 'I am a believer, if Allah wills'?" He replied: "Yes." He said to him: "They say to me: 'You are doubting.'" He replied: "How evil is what they said." Then he left, so he said: "Bring him back." He asked: "Do they not say: 'Faith is statement and action, it increases and decreases'?" He replied: "Yes." He said: "These are the ones who make exception (istithna')." He asked him: "How, O Abu Abd Allah?" He replied: "Say to them: 'You claim that faith is statement and action. As for the statement, you have brought it, but as for the action, you have not brought it, so this exception is for this action.'" It was said to him: "So is one to make exception regarding faith?" He replied: "Yes, I say: 'I am a believer, if Allah wills'; I make exception based on certainty, not on doubt." Then he said: "Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: '[You shall surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, in security]' [Al-Fath: 27], and He, Blessed and Exalted, knew that they would enter the Sacred Mosque."