What is your advice for one who is engaged in charitable work and has left off seeking knowledge?

Question : A question regarding the topic of last night. The brothers who work in Islamic associations are engaged with great zeal in charitable work, such as providing for the poor and distributing to needy families and the like, but they are neglecting the seeking of knowledge.

Answer : My advice is that a person should act according to the situation that suits him. Some people may be vessels for knowledge in terms of memorization, intelligence, diligence, and patience. For such a person, nothing outweighs the seeking of knowledge except the obligatory duties of Allah.
We say to such a person: Engage in seeking knowledge, for it is better for you than distributing food to the poor, or clothing, or the like. And some people are not vessels for knowledge, either due to poor memorization, or dullness of understanding, or lack of patience and diligence, but they are active in other areas such as relief work and the like. We say to them: The best for you is relief work.
In matters other than the obligatory duties, people differ, and we can place each person in his proper station and command him with what befits his condition. For this reason, a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Advise me." He said: "Do not become angry." He said: "Advise me." He said: "Do not become angry." He said: "Advise me." He said: "Do not become angry." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not advise him with the mindfulness of Allah (taqwa) with which Allah the Exalted and Majestic advised this community and those before them, nor did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advise him with the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) with which Ibrahim and his sons and Ya'qub were advised, nor did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) advise him regarding his parents, about whom Allah said, but rather he said: "Do not become angry." Because the condition of the questioner required that he be advised with this word. It is said that, apart from the obligatory religious duties, the best for each person is what suits him. So, the brothers who distribute relief, if this distracts them from seeking knowledge and they are vessels for knowledge, we say: Leave this to others and engage in seeking knowledge. And the brothers who are not vessels for knowledge, as we described first, we say: Engage in relief work. And for every situation, there is a specific ruling.