The Two Types of Knowledge

عن جابر قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم العلم علمان علم في القلب فذاك العلم النافع وعلم على اللسان فذاك حجة الله على ابن آدم رواه الحافظ أبو بكر الخطيب في تاريخه بإسناد حسن ورواه ابن عبد البر النمري في كتاب العلم عن الحسن مرسلا بإسناد صحيح (الترغيب والترهيب 1/135)

Hadhrat Jaabir (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “There are two types of knowledge. The first type is that knowledge which is in the heart of a person (which motivates him towards practice) and this is the one that is (regarded as) beneficial knowledge. The second type is that knowledge which is (merely) on the tongue (and does not motivate one towards practice), then it is this knowledge that will be used as evidence of Allah Ta’ala against a person (in making him deserving of punishment due to not practicing upon it, despite knowing it).”