Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states: “The duty of a young man is first to get to know his religion through the right sources. This is because in Islam knowledge comes before action. Imam Bukhari, the author of Shaih Al-Bukhari, the foremost source of Islam, says, “Knowledge has priority over preaching and action.” The reason for this is clear: If a person does not have proper knowledge, he will surely end up acting according to his own whims and caprices, the result of which would be highly disastrous. Historically, according to great scholars, this is exactly what happened to the extremists such as the Kharijites; for they did not acquire proper knowledge before they acted.
Imam `Umar ibn `Abd Al-`Aziz, one of the righteous caliphs, said, “Whoever acts without sound knowledge, he ends up destroying more than building.”
It is therefore imperative that you take steps to learn your religion. Learning itself is considered a form of Jihad as the Prophet said, “Whoever goes out to seek knowledge, he is in the path of Allah until he returns.” He further said, “All of Allah’s creatures implore Allah for forgiveness on behalf of a seeker of knowledge – including fish in the water.”
In conclusion: You owe it to yourself to pursue your desire to serve Allah by doing what He has enjoined upon us: To seek to know His will in order to act accordingly.”