The Importance of Practical Knowledge: A Imam's Lesson
An Imam once met a young man who was proud of his knowledge and claimed to have mastered all the sciences. The Imam asked him if he knew how to swim. The young man said he did not. The Imam then asked him if he knew how to ride a horse. The young man said he did not. The Imam then asked him if he knew how to shoot an arrow. The young man said he did not. The Imam then said: You have wasted your life in learning things that are useless and neglected things that are useful. You have filled your mind with words and theories, but you have not learned how to live and act in the world.
Are you like a peacock that flaunts its feathers but cannot soar, or a bonsai that has many branches but no roots?
Go and learn the practical skills that will benefit you in this life and the next.
The story does not say that the young man should give up his interests, passions, or values. It does not say that he should follow external expectations or judgments. It does not say that he should stop exploring his possibilities or expressing his uniqueness. It says that he should balance his theoretical knowledge with practical wisdom. It says that he should use his talents and abilities for a good purpose. It says that he should be humble and open-minded.
The story is not about limiting or restricting oneself, but about expanding and enriching oneself. It is not about being like a bird or a tree, but about being a human.
Some Quran verses and hadith that support the moral of the story are:
- Allah says:
أَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَـٰنِتٌ ءَانَاۤءَ ٱلَّیۡلِ سَاجِدࣰا وَقَاۤىِٕمࣰا یَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡـَٔاخِرَةَ وَیَرۡجُوا۟ رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهِۦۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ یَسۡتَوِی ٱلَّذِینَ یَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِینَ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا یَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ
Will he, whose night hours pass in obedience while prostrating and standing, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, ever be equal to the disobedient? Proclaim, “Are the knowledgeable and the ignorant equal?” It is only the men of intellect who heed advice. (Quran, 39:9)
- The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"The virtue of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over the stars." (Sunan Abi Dawud, 3641)
- The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said:
"The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. They do not leave behind gold or silver coins, but rather they leave behind knowledge. Whoever has taken hold of it has been given an abundant share." (Sunan Abi Dawud, 3641)
These verses and hadiths show that knowledge is a gift and a duty from Allah, that it is superior to mere worship, that it is the legacy of the Prophets, and that it requires understanding and action. They also show that knowledge is not equal to everyone, but depends on their sincerity and diligence. They also show that knowledge is not an end in itself, but a means to attain the truth and please Allah.