Tradition

يا كُمَيْلُ! لَيْسَ الشَّأْنُ أَنْ تُصَلِّىَ وَ تَصُوْمَ وَ تَتَصَدَّقَ، اَلشَّأْنُ أَنْ تَكُونَ الصَّلاةُ بِقَلْب نَقِىٍّ وَ عَمَل عِنْدَ اللّهِ مَرْضِىٍّ وَ خُشُوع سَوىٍّ

Imam ‘Ali (‘a) is narrated to have said to Kumayl: “Oh Kumayl, it is not important that you simply pray, fast, and give in the way of God. What is important is that you pray (and perform the rest of your actions) with a heart that is pure and in a way that is worthy of God and that (your acts) are infused with humility.”1

Brief Commentary

The real value of our actions is not based on how many times we do them, but the quality that they are done with. It is the inner reality of worship that is important and not just its outer manifestations. In this tradition, Imam ‘Ali (‘a) emphasizes to Kumayl that simply sufficing with the outer aspects of worship and their quantity is not enough. It is necessary for one to go to the heart of the matter. It is this inner reality which helps us to grow and reach human completion. We should always keep this point in mind and attempt to perform our acts of worship with the purest of intentions and with the utmost levels of care.

• 1. Taken from the book: Tuhaf al-’Uqul, p. 117, Mustadrak Al-Wasa’il, vol. 4, p. 94, Bisharat Al-Mustafa, p. 28.