WORSHIPPING OR ACTIONS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE

Umar ibn Al-Khattab said:

تَفَقَّهُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ تُسَوَّدُوا

“Gain an understanding of the religion before you are placed in the position of leadership (such as an Admin, or a judge, or etc).” [Saheeh Al-Bukhari . See http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=141151]



قال الإمام مالك:
‏إن أقواما ابتغوا العبادة وأضاعوا العلم فخرجوا على أمة محمد ﷺ بأسيافهم،ولو ابتغوا العلم لحجزهم عن ذلك
‏
‏مفتاح دارالسعادة1-119

Imaam Maalik bin Anas [May Allaah have Mercy on him] (d. 179) said:

Those who are excessive in acts of worship and neglect seeking knowledge became those who left the Ummah of Muhammad with their swords (i.e. became extremists). Had they sought knowledge, they would have been saved from such deviation.

[Miftaah Daar as-Sa’aadah (1/119),via Ahl ad-dhikr blog]

Imaam Bukhaari titled one of his chapters as : 

بَابُ الْعِلْمُ قَبْلَ الْقَوْلِ وَالْعَمَلِ

Chapter : Knowledge comes before speech or action

Ibn al-Jawzi said :

ولا يصلح العمل مع قلة العلم

And deeds are not performed correctly with (only) a little knowledge

[Sayd al-Khaatir 1/71]


In Talbees al-Iblees (the deception of the devil) he quoted: 

Abul `Abbas ibn `Ata said : I read the qur`an and noticed that Allah never praised a person except after testing him. So i asked Allah to test me. Days passed and twenty two members of my family died. I lost all my wealth, my wife, and children. i lost my mind and remained as a madman for seven years. 

Ibn Jawzi commenting on this states : "this man's lack of knowledge made him ask to be tested. such a request implies defiance which is as horrible a person can get. 

[Ref: Talbees Iblees > deception of the sufis > chapter 11 page 474]


Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah:

“A person who acts without knowledge is like someone who travels without a guide, and it is known that a person like this will more likely be destroyed than saved.” 

[Ref: Miftah Daar As-Sa'ada, 1/82-83]

In Miftah Daar as-Sa`dah 1/160 , Ibn al-Qayyim said :

عن سفيان الثوري رحمه الله قال : يقال :
« تعوذوا بالله من فتنةِ العابد الجاهل ، وفتنة العالم الفاجر ، فإنَّ فتنتهما فتنةٌ لكلِّ مفتون »
أخلاق العلماء للآجري (63).
قال ابنُ القيم رحمه الله:
« فإنَّ الناس إنَّما يقتدون بعلمائهم وعُبَّادهم؛ فإذا كان العلماءُ فجرةً والعبَّادُ جهلةً عمَّت المصيبةُ بهما وعظمت الفتنةُ على الخاصة والعامة »

Sufyaan ath-Thawree, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

It is said: "Seek refuge with Allah from the Fitnah of the ignorant worshiper, and the Fitnah of the sinful scholar, for indeed their Fitnah is the Fitnah of every person who as been afflicted by Fitnah."

[Ref: Akhlaaq al-'Ulaamaa by al-Aajuree: P.63]

Ibnul Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him comments:

"For indeed people take their scholars and the devout worshipers amongst them as their role models, so if the scholars are sinful and the devout worshipers are ignorant, then the Fitnah would be wide spread upon every one; the common folk as well as the nobles.."

[Ref: Benefited from the website of Shaykh 'Abdur Razaaq al-Badr]


‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdil-’Azeez:

“Whoever acts without knowledge, harms more than benefits.”

[Ref: Musannaf of Ibn Abee Shaybah, 13/470]

Abu Khaythama narrated to us, (saying): Mu-aawiyyah Ibn Amr related to us that Zaa-idah related from Al’Amash from Tameem Ibn Salamah from Abu Ubaydah from Abdullaah (Ibn Mas’ood) who said: ”O people, learn; and whoever learns, then let him act.”

[Ref: Kitaabul Ilm of Abu Khaythama with the checking of Imaam Albaanee page:7, narration number:4]

It is reported that Imâm Muhammad b. Sîrîn – Allâh have mercy on him – said:


"There were people who abandoned knowledge and sitting with the scholars, and [instead] took to their chambers and prayed until their skin dried [from exertion in worship]. Thereafter they began to contradict the Sunnah and thus were destroyed. By Allâh, never does a person act without knowledge, except that he spoils and corrupts more than he fixes and rectifies. 

[Ref: Al-Asbahânî, Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb 3:98; via sayingsofthesalaf]

Imam bukhaari has titled a chapter as such in his saheeh 

138 - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ ثنا مُعَاذٌ، نَا أَشْعَثُ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، قَالَ: " قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ أنْ يَعْلَمَ الرَّجُلُ الْعِلْمَ فَيَعْمَلَ بِهِ وَيُعَلِّمَهُ» قَالَ الْأَشْعَثُ: «أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ بَدَأَ بِالْعِلْمِ قَبْلَ الْعَمَلِ؟»

Abu Khaithama narrated to us, saying: Mu'aadh reported to us, saying: Ash’ath reported to us from Al-Hasan that he said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“It is from truthfulness that a man acquire knowledge, then act upon it, then teach it.” Al- Ash’ath said: “Do you not see that he (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has begun with knowledge before action.”

[Ref: Kitaab al-`Ilm of Abu Khaithama an-Nasa`ee (138)] 

It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

One who acts without knowledge is like one who travels off the path; and the one who acts without knowledge corrupts more than he rectifies. So seek knowledge in a way that does not harm your worship, and seek to worship [Allâh] in a way that does not harm [your seeking of] knowledge. For verily, there were people (the Khawârij extremists) who sought to worship [Allâh] but abandoned knowledge until they attacked the Ummah of Muhammad – Allâh’s praise and peace be upon him – with their swords. But if they had sought knowledge, it would not have directed them to do what they did.

[Ref: by Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jâmi’ Bayân Al-’Ilm wa Fadlihi article 905.; via sayingsofthe salaf]

Source: http://www.sayingsofthesalaf.net/ignorance-and-the-sword/#ixzz2xzkTxyBx

لا خَيْرَ فِي عِبَادَةٍ لا عِلْمَ فِيهَا ، وَلا خَيْرَ فِي عِلْمٍ لا فَهْمَ فِيهِ ، وَلا خَيْرَ فِي قِرَاءَةٍ لا تَدَبُّرَ فِيهَا " .

`Ali ibn Abi Taalib radhiallahu `anhu said : 

There  is no goodness in (an act of ) worship (you perform) without (having)) knowledge about it. And there is no goodness in (seeking/knowing) knowledge without understanding it (properly)  and there is no goodness in (your) recitation of Qur`an without contemplating on it

[Ref: Hilyatil Awliyah li Abi Nu`aym; and elsewhere http://library.islamweb.net/hadith/display_hbook.php?bk_no=628&hid=234&pid=138222]


Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah:

“… Optional knowledge is better than the excellence of extra and optional worship. This is because the benefit of knowledge is general, it benefits its possessor and it benefits the rest of the people as well. Whereas the benefit of worship is particular to the person who does that worship. Also because with the scholar, his benefit and knowledge remains after his death. Whereas worship is cut off from him at his death.” 


(Miftaah daaris Sa'aadah, 1/120)