Knowing vs Practicing
• Last Updated on February 20, 2017 @ 9:14 am by Islaminlife Admin
Extract from a lecture of Mufti Abdur Rauf Sukkharvi (DB):
In the light of Quran and Hadith, there is such a Deed, which is very easy to accomplish and its Sawab (Reward) is abundant. The deed is very easy to carry on and its reward very easy to attain. Reward and benefit are both achieved in this world and afterlife.
Therefore, let us all make an intention, whenever we come to know what the deed is, let us attach it to our daily routine. It is nothing such, which is not known to you. It is in your knowledge already. Because the WORDS of Deen are nothing new; all the Deeni words have been coming to us are old. For this reason, after listening to it, none should take into account that “this matter is already known to me”. I am therefore telling you at the beginning that the deed I’ll be pointing out is nothing new. Then what is the benefit? The benefit is that it should be acted upon, i.e practiced. If it is practiced, there is benefit knowing it. If there is ‘practice’ on the deed, what benefit is there? In Aakhirat (the afterlife), forgiveness will not be bestowed upon ‘knowing’, rather forgiveness will be rewarded for practicing upon the deeds. Therefore there is a great very difference between ‘knowing’ and ‘practicing’. For instance, a person knows that performing prayer and fasting are Fard – compulsory. However, he doesn’t act upon. And another individual, he practices and acts upon. Who would be forgiven? The second individual, the one who acts upon. How much knowledge one has attained will not be the question. Question will be on how much one had acted upon and practiced.
(A story in this regard) Shaykh Junayd Baghdadi (R) was among the great pious men, moreover, an illuminated scholar (Alim), a Muhaddith and also a Mufassir. On one hand, his life passed away engaging in the works of Islah and Tarbiyah (Reformation), on the other hand it passed away with Dars and Tadris (Teaching and learning).
After his death, someone asked him in the dream, “How have you find Allah Taala’s conduct with you?” Whatever I lectured upon minute and subtle issues and solved various difficult rulings, no questions were asked on those; yes, the few rakaats which I would say at late night (Tahajjud) has turned out to be beneficial.
There are some people who don’t have much knowledge, but they act upon good deeds steadily. And some people who talk a lot about deeds, how should this and that be done, however, they don’t act upon those at all.
Some people who don’t talk at all and keep quiet, work on and practices so much good deeds that the Angels even envy them!
Therefore, when I mention the deed, don’t think that – this is something that you already know and become complacent. Check out whether it is in your practice or not. Do not just lessen the importance of the Deed by thinking that this is a knowledge I already have. If one knows, but doesn’t act upon it, there is no benefit of only knowing. Benefit is on practicing it. And if someone has it already in practice, there is necessity of enhancement. And if it is already enhanced, Ikhlas(sincerity) is necessary, if Ikhlas is also there, attention is required. If attention is also there, increasing it is necessary. While listening to it, everyone has a benefit; there is no way to think that I know it and I already practice it therefore there is no benefit for me in listening to it. Such a thought is a deception of shaytan. When I mention the deed, make an intention, how ever possible, I will start acting upon it right from today. And that deed (which I want to mention) is, Zikr of Allah Taala in abundance.
