Nahj al-Balagha Hadith n. 274

Selections from The Sayings and Preaching of Amir al-Muminin Ali ibn Abi Talib (Peace Be Upon Him) Including His Replies to Questions and Maxims Expressed for Various Purposes.
Translated by Sayyid Ali Reza

وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام):

Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said:

لَا تَجْعَلُوا عِلْمَكُمْ جَهْلًا

Do not turn your knowledge into ignorance

وَ يَقِينَكُمْ شَكّاً

or your conviction into doubt.

إِذَا عَلِمْتُمْ فَاعْمَلُوا

When you gain knowledge act (upon it)

وَ إِذَا تَيَقَّنْتُمْ فَأَقْدِمُوا .

and when you acquire conviction proceed (on its basis) .71

 

71. Knowledge and conviction require that they should be acted upon. If they are not acted upon they cannot be called knowledge and conviction. Consequently, if a man says he knows the dangers that exist on particular path but he adopts that very path for his journey instead of the path that has no dangers, then who can say that this man had full certainty about the dangers of that path, because the consequence of such certainty should have been that he would have avoided going on that path. Similarly, the person who has belief in the resurrection and revival of life or in chastisement and reward cannot be overpowered by those things of this world that make a man neglectful to the extent of disregarding the next life, nor can he fall short in good actions for fear of chastisement and evil consequences.