In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Abu Ad-Dardaa [radiyallaahu anhu] said, “What I fear the most is that it is said to me on the day of judgement, ‘Did you know or were you ignorant?’ If I say, ‘I knew’, then no verse of the Qur’aan will remain except that I will be held to account for the obligation related to it- whether I fulfilled the command and kept away from what it forbade. I seek refuge with Allaah against knowledge that does not benefit, a soul that is never satisfied and a supplication that is not answered’”. [Ref 1]

He [radiyallaahu-anhu] also said, “What I fear for myself is that it is said to me in the midst of the people, ‘O you who were commanded! Did you act?’ If I say, ‘Yes’, then it is said to me, ‘What did you do with what you know?’” [Ref 2]

Mu’aadh Bin Jabal [radiyallaahu anhu] said, “Learn what you wish, but Allaah will not reward you until you act”. [Ref 3]

Jundub Al-Bajalee [radiyallaahu anhu] said, “The example of one who admonishes the people but forgets himself is like a lamp that gives light to other and burns itself”. [Ref 4]

Maymoon Bin Mehraan [rahimahullaah] said, “One day Umar Bin Abdil Azeez [rahimahullaah] spoke in the presence of a group of his companions and Allaah granted him the ability to utter sound and fine speech. He looked at a man amongst those who were sitting with him and he was wiping his tears, then he said, ‘O leader of the believers! Carry on with your admonition because indeed I hope that Allaah will bless the one who hears it or the one it reaches’. So, Umar said to him, ‘Take this from me, indeed there is trial in speech and deeds are more worthy for a believer’”. [Ref 5]

Maalik Bin Deenaar [rahimahullaah] said, “Whoever seeks knowledge in order to act upon it, Allaah will bless him. And whoever seeks knowledge foe other than acting upon it, the knowledge will increase him in boasting”. [Ref 6]

Maalik Bin Deenaar [rahimahullaah] said, “You meet a man and he does not make a mistake in a single letter in his speech, but all his deeds are based on error”. [Ref 7]

Ibn Sammaak [rahimahullaah] said, “There are many things that do not harm if they are not beneficial; but as for knowledge, it harms if it does not benefit”. [Ref 8]

Ibraaheem At-Taymee [rahimahullaah] said, “I have never compared my speech to my deeds except fearing that the speech belied my deed”. [Ref 9]

[Ref 1: Sifatus Safwah 1/300]

[Ref 2: Sifatus Safwa. 1/300]

[Ref 3: Hilyatul Awliyaa (Tahdheeb). 1/185]

[Ref 4: Az-Zudh. By Imaam Ahmad. 330]

[Ref 5: Mawsoo’ah. By Ibn Abee Dunyaa. 1/181]

[Ref 6: Hilyatul Awliyaa (Tahdheeb) 1/427]

[Ref 7: Hilyatul Awliyaa. (Tahdheeb) 1/429]

[Ref 8: Siyar A’laam An-Nubulaa 2/761]

[Ref 9: Sifatus Safwa 2/580]