Benefitting from Knowledge

Stated the noble Imaam of ahlus-sunnah wal-jama’aah, Ibnul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah,

“I have met many mashaayikh and the affair of one was different from the other, and their knowledge capacities were of varying levels. And the one whose company I benefited from the most was the one who used to apply what he knew, even though there were those who were more knowledgeable than him.

I met a group from the people of hadeeth who memorised and knew a lot, however they would permit backbiting under the guise of ‘jar wat-ta’deel’ (criticism and accreditation), they would take monetary payment in return for narrating hadeeth, and they would be hasty in giving answers, even if they are wrong, lest their status diminishes.

I met ‘Abdul-Wahhab Al-Anmaatee, he used to be upon the methodology of the salaf. One would never hear backbiting in his gatherings nor would he take payment for teaching hadeeth. Whenever I read a hadeeth that contained it a heart-softener, he used to cry continuously. I was very young at that time, (but) his crying affected my heart. He had the tranqility of those whose description we hear about from the narrations.

I met Aboo Mansoor Al-Jawaaliqee, he was very quiet, very careful about he said, precise and scholarly. Sometimes he would be asked a question, which may seem easy; one that our young ones would rush to answer, however he would withhold from answering until he was certain. He used to fast a lot and remain quiet often.

Thus, I benefited from thse two more than I benefited from the others, and I understood from this that, ‘guiding people by one’s action is more inspiring than doing so by words’. So by Alaah, one should implement what he knows for it is indeed the greatest foundation. And the miskeen, the true miskeen is the one who wasted his life learning that which he does not practice, thus he looses the pleasures of the dunyaa and the goodness of the akhirah, coming forth bankrupt (on the Day of Judgment) with strong evidences against himself.”

[Benefitting from Knowledge from Saydul-Khaatir (138)]