Thursday, September 2, 2021

Practice What You Preach

One of the most terrifying ignorance is the failure to put knowledge into practice. There are people who completed their studies from an Islamic institution, but they do not act according to their knowledge. From their speech, they mislead people. From their deeds, they don't resemble their knowledge. 

Allah denounces the corrupt ulama', those who are knowledgeable but they do not practice what they preach.

 أَتَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ‎﴿٤٤﴾‏

Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason? (Surah Al Baqarah)

So for the corrupt ulama', this ayah is used to be a warning for the people of the Book. They behave like donkeys that carry many books but do not benefit from them.

مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ ٱلْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارَۢا ۚ بِئْسَ مَثَلُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ‎﴿٥﴾‏

The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books]. Wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. (Surah al Jumu'ah)

The ulama' give lectures inviting people to do good but he himself does not practice what he preaches. 

When we study the Deen, we attend many gatherings of knowledge -- halaqa in the morning, halaqa in the afternoon, halaqah in the evening, months of halaqa but do we put anything into practice ourselves?

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