Advice to Students of Knowledge Regarding Acting Upon Sacred Knowledge

Before we begin the second lesson, I want to warn you, my brothers. You are students of knowledge who have come from your countries to here to seek knowledge, and you seek knowledge in your countries as well, is that not so? But what is the benefit of knowledge? Is the benefit of knowledge that a person becomes a copy of a book, memorizing and collecting in his brain what he collects, or is the benefit of knowledge action? The latter. There is no good in knowledge without action, and knowledge without acting upon it is an argument against the person, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There is no third category. And if a person acts upon his knowledge, Allah the Exalted will grant him knowledge of what he did not know before, as Allah the Exalted said: meaning knowledge meaning they became mindful of Allah Mighty and Majestic. Acting upon knowledge is important, and the purpose of knowledge is that a person is raised by it until he becomes a divine scholar. I am displeased with some of you because you abandon something important and easy, which is spreading the greeting of peace. We see now that one of you passes by his companion who is standing and does not say: "As-salamu alaykum." Why? Do you dislike the Sunnah, or are you indifferent to the reward? I do not know. Or are you seeking a cause for hatred and enmity? Because if a person passes by you and does not greet you, there must be something in your heart, except for one whose heart has become hardened and who comes without the greeting; that one is dead. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) swore and said: Why do we not spread it among us? Even though when a Muslim greets, ten good deeds come to him. And I think if it were said to one of you, "Every time you greet, I will give you one riyal," would he greet or not? He would greet, and he would repeat it again and again until the riyals multiply, even though these riyals he obtains are actually transient. Everything you possess of this world will either be removed from you or you will be removed from it, inevitably. But the good deed remains for you, and you will find it most needed when you are in the greatest need. I advise you to act upon knowledge. If you do not act, you are copies like books on the walls, and yet the books on the walls are safe, whereas you, if you do not act, are not safe, and by Allah, you are not safe. Act, and be raised by knowledge in the worship of Allah, in your dealings with the servants of Allah, and in your dealings with yourselves as well. This is advice that I hope will not be forgotten by you, for it is, if Allah wills, beneficial. And success is from Allah.