The Cure for the Diseases of Muslims through Beneficial Knowledge and Righteous Action

Question:
This is a final statement, a statement by Shaykh al-Mu'allimi regarding following the Book of Allah in patience, concerning the path by which Muslims can return to their glory. He said, may Allah have mercy on him: "Those who know Islam and are sincere to it have spoken much about the weakness, cowardice, and negligence that Muslims have fallen into, as well as other aspects of their decline. This is due to their distance from the reality of Islam. I see that this returns to three matters: first, the confusion of what is not part of the religion with what is part of it; second, the weakness of certainty in what is part of the religion; and third, the lack of acting upon the rulings of the religion. I see that knowing the correct Prophetic etiquettes in worship, transactions, residence, travel, companionship, solitude, movement, stillness, wakefulness, sleep, eating, drinking, speech, silence, and other matters that define a person's life, along with striving to act upon them as much as possible, is the only cure for those diseases. Indeed, many of those etiquettes are easy for the soul. If a person acts upon what is easy for him and leaves what contradicts it, he will not long, if Allah wills, but desire to increase. So perhaps no time will pass for him without him becoming a role model for others in that."
The right guidance and characterizing oneself with that great character causes the heart to be illuminated, the chest to expand, and the soul to be at peace. Thus, certainty becomes firm and the action becomes righteous. And if many people walk this path, those diseases will not long remain, if Allah wills.

Answer:
Yes, this speech is correct in its meaning. First, there is a defect in the Muslims, and there is a weakness of faith, and there is much deficiency. There is no doubt in this. But what is its cure? Its cure is by two things: knowledge and action, beneficial knowledge and righteous action.
If these two things are present, the diseases of the Muslims are cured. If beneficial knowledge, which is understanding in the religion, is established and then followed by righteous action, then these defects are removed from many Muslims. And if some of them are found in some people, they are treated.
Beneficial knowledge is only attained through understanding the religion from the Book and the Sunnah, not from the opinion of so-and-so or the statement of so-and-so. Knowledge is not "so-and-so said this" and "so-and-so said that" and "so-and-so issued a fatwa." Knowledge is what the Book and the Sunnah indicate. As the scholar Ibn al-Qayyim said, knowledge is: "Allah said, His Messenger said, and the Companions said; they are the ones with the best understanding." Knowledge is what sets you up for foolishness in the contradiction between the texts and the opinion of a jurist. This is the correct knowledge. Knowledge is not the statement of so-and-so and the statement of so-and-so and the fatwa of so-and-so. Knowledge is by the standard of the Book and the Sunnah: Allah said, His Messenger said, and the Companions said. This is because the Companions were the students of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and they took the knowledge from him. They are the ones with the best understanding. The last one says: Knowledge is "Allah said, His Messenger said, and the Companions said." There is no disagreement on this. What is knowledge that sets you up for foolishness in the contradiction between the texts and the opinion of a jurist? This is the knowledge. The correct knowledge is what is like that. And righteous action does not become righteous unless two conditions are met. The first condition is sincerity to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, such that there is no intention for other than Allah, neither major shirk (associating partners with Allah) nor minor shirk. The second condition is that it be in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), conforming to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) legislated, with no bid'ah (religious innovation) and no superstition. Allah the Exalted said: . His statement "he submitted his face to Allah" is this first condition, which is sincerity. "He submitted his face" means he made his intention, purpose, and direction sincere toward Allah the Mighty and Majestic. And "he is a doer of good" means he follows the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This is what he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent with, for he was sent with guidance and the religion of truth. So guidance is the beneficial knowledge, and the religion of truth is the righteous action. This statement is correct. He identified the disease and then mentioned the cure. The disease is division, disunity, and disagreement in this religion, which has become hidden from many people or confused for them. And the cure is returning to the Book and the Sunnah and acting according to what is in them. That is the beneficial knowledge. May Allah guide everyone to what He loves and is pleased with, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.