I have sought knowledge for eighteen years and feel that my efforts have not borne fruit; should I abandon the pursuit of knowledge and devote myself to worship?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, what is your advice to me and those like me? I have spent nearly eighteen years seeking knowledge from the scholars, and I feel that my efforts have not yielded the expected fruit. Should I move past the pursuit of knowledge and devote myself to worship, knowing that I have reached the age of forty?

Answer:
No, absolutely not. Do not grow weary of seeking knowledge. Seek knowledge, but you will not grasp all of it; you will only grasp a part of it. Even if you lived your entire life, you would only grasp a part of the knowledge. But a little knowledge, accompanied by righteous deeds, brings blessing and good. Continuing to seek knowledge is undoubtedly a good thing.
As for worship, seeking knowledge is worship, my brother. Seeking knowledge is better than voluntary prayer, because the benefit of voluntary prayer is limited to you. But the benefit of seeking knowledge extends to others; people benefit from you. You benefit yourself, and you benefit others. So seeking knowledge is undoubtedly worship. Yes.