‘Amal’: Action/Effort

‘Ilm’ and ‘Amal’ are two sides of the same coin, and one isn’t complete without the other.

Without knowledge, how can we act upon it?

And what use is knowledge if it isn’t followed by action?

The Quran exhorts us to “believe and go good deeds” in order to taste success in this life and the next. Indeed, belief comes from knowledge. But belief alone is not enough for us to achieve success. Our deeds or acts must reflect our belief, which comes from knowledge.

Interestingly, “ilm” and “amal” use the same letters of the Arabic alphabet – “aayeen”, “laam” and “meem”. That’s even a further sign of how the two concepts of knowledge and action are linked.