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Knowledge & Actions
by
Rabee’ ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee
Translated
By
Abbas Abu Yahya
1 – Shaykh Rabee’ said:
‘Learning knowledge should be for the sake of Allaah’s Face, and also for acting upon that knowledge, otherwise knowledge will have an evil consequence, so the person remains between two illnesses, either the illness of ignorance or the illness of knowledge which is not beneficial, but rather harmful.
The knowledge which Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- came with is in itself beneficial. However, if a person does not act upon it then it becomes an evil consequence for him, and harmful for him, and perhaps it could harm others.’
2 – Shaykh Rabee’ said:
‘What is required from learning knowledge, is acting upon it, and action cannot come except after knowledge. As Allaah Tabaraka wa Ta’ala said:
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ
<<So know that Lâ ilâha ill-Allaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah), and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and believing women.>> [Muhammad: 19]
Bukhari wrote a chapter heading ‘Chapter: Knowledge comes before Statements and Actions’ because it is obligatory upon us not to act except with knowledge, and not worship Allaah except with knowledge, so we do not worship Allaah Subhanahu – with ignorance or following desires.’
3 – Shaykh Rabee’ said:
‘The way of those misguided from the people of the Book who learnt knowledge but did not act upon it, is that their hearts became hard, and most of them became evil…. . .
If this hardness afflicts the heart then it destroys it. . . . .
So it does not accept the truth, and does not act with knowledge and refuge is sought with Allaah, and it leads to hiding knowledge and acting in opposition to knowledge. . .. .
It leads to following whims and rejection of the truth, which is clear like the sun. . . . . ’
[Taken from a writing of the Shaykh ‘Comments upon the words of Imam Ibn Qayyim in his book ‘al-Fawaid’, from Miraath.net]