The late founder of the Islamic Republic has undertaken very useful discussions for believers and faithful people in his famous book " An exposition on Forty Hadith" as following:
It may be said that spiritual traits constitute the soul’s primary character and intentions, to which actions are subservient, makeup its secondary character. Hence, the statement and narration by of the infallible successors of the holy prophet that shakilah is niyyah.
This shows that the way to the purification of action from all kinds of shirk, riya’, etc., is only through the reform of the soul and its malakat, for it is the fountainhead of all the reforms and the source of all the excellences and degrees of perfection, Imam Khomeini explains.
Hence if man expels the love of the world from his heart by means of austerities and exercises based on knowledge and action, the world will cease to be his ultimate goal and his acts will be purged of the biggest shirk, which is the desire to attract the attention of the world’s people and to attain respect in their eyes.
When that happens, he will be the same in solitude and company, inwardly and outwardly.
To the extent that he succeeds in purging his heart of self-love, through spiritual austerities, the love of God shall enter it to the same extent and it shall also be purified of latent shirk. And as long as self-love remains in the heart and man remains in the oppressive habitat of the self, he is not a wayfarer toward God (musafir ila Allah); rather, he is one of those who cling to the earth (mukhalladun ila al-’ard). The first step in the journey toward God is abandonment of self-love and crushing the head of egoism under one’s foot. And there are some who say that one of the meanings of the noble verse:
Whoso goes forth from his house an emigrant to God and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him, his wage will have fallen on God. (4:100) is that if someone leaves the habitat of the self to migrate to God and sets out on a spiritual journey, and thereafter he encounters complete annihilation (fana’ al-tamm), his reward lies with God, the Exalted. And it is obvious that such a wayfarer deserves no reward except the vision (mushahadah) of that Sacred Essence and entry into His court.
These words express their sentiments:
None except the Beloved has a place in our heart, Give both the worlds to the enemy, for the Beloved suffices us.
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