Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 03 – Part B
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
—
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
الثَّانِيَةُ: العَمَلُ بِهِ
The second: Action upon it.8
[8]:
His saying, “Action upon it”: meaning upon the knowledge, since it is not sufficient that a person teaches and learns, rather he must act upon his knowledge. So knowledge without action is just a proof against the person, so knowledge will not be beneficial except with action. As for the person who has knowledge, and he does not act upon it, then he is one upon whom is Anger, because he knows the truth, but he abandons it upon knowledge and insight.
And the poet says:
The scholar who does not act upon his knowledge,
Will be punished before the worshippers of idols
And this is mentioned in the noble hadeeth:
إن من أول من تسعر ﺑﻬم النار يوم القيامة ، عالم لم يعمل بعلمه
“That from the first of those for whom the Fire will be made to blaze on the Day of Resurrection will be a scholar who does not act upon his knowledge”.[1]
Knowledge is joined to action, and action is the fruit of knowledge, so knowledge without action is like a tree without fruit, there is no benefit in it, and knowledge was sent down to bring about action.
Just as action without knowledge will be an affliction and misguidance for its person. If a person acts without knowledge, then his action will be affliction and a burden upon the person. He sallallaahu ’alaihi wasallam said:
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد
“Whoever does an action which our affair is not in accordance with, then it will be rejected”.[2]
And therefore we read in Al-Faatihah in every rak’ah:
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
Guide us upon the straight path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not those upon whom is Your Anger, nor those who are astray. [1:6-7]
So Allaah called those people who act without knowledge those who are astray; and those people who have knowledge, but do not act upon it as being those upon whom is Anger. So let us be attentive to that, because it is very important.
Footnotes:
[1] A similar hadeeth is reported by At-Tirmidhee, and it is part of a long hadeeth, and it contains the wording, “Those three people will be the first of the creation for whom Allaah will make the Fire blaze on the Day of Resurrection”, from a hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah radiyallaahu ‘anhu.
[However the wording of the hadeeth mentions three men, who will be the first for whom the Fire will blaze – “So the first of these men will be a person who gathered the Qur’aan…”. Al-Albaanee declares this hadeeth saheeh]
[2] Reported by al-Bukhaaree in disconnected form as hadeeth 7350, and reported by Muslim as hadeeth 1718/18 from a hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah radiyallaahu ‘anhaa. And also reported by al-Bukhaaree in connected form as hadeeth 2697 and Muslim as hadeeth 1718/17 from ‘Aa’ishah radiyallaahu ‘anhaa, that she said, Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ’alaihi wasallam said, “Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected”.
—
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah. Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah. Translated by Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
—
Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank
Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles
Related Links:
AbdurRahman.Org 
You must be logged in to post a comment.