Although the teacher calmly replied to it, he refused to accept it.

Although the teacher calmly replied to it, he refused to accept it. After the class session, the student stayed back to talk to the teacher and reiterate his objection. The late Shirazi satisfied him with 14 logical reasons.

The other students, who observed the logical strength of the teacher’s argument, asked: “Having all these solid reasons, why did you hesitate during the class session?” Ayatullah Shirazi responded: “I was afraid that if I would enumerate them, the morale of your classmate would be arbitrarily affected and I would suffer from self-admiration and arrogance.

I deemed it appropriate to let him raise his objection freely so that the courage to question should remain intact in him.” This demonstrates greatness of soul and purity of intention. In spite of all those services, some do not talk about themselves while others, whenever they donate garbage can for the streets and alleys, inscribe their names on it so that people know what they have contributed. Divine saints act and worship God for His sake and expect nothing but His pleasure.

Each of their acts has the divine color { sibghah }, which is everlasting.[^9] And which color can be better than divine color, which can never be erased, nor affected by heat and cold, poverty and wealth, anonymity and popularity? Imam ‘Ali ( ‘a ) said: أَخْلَصْ للهِ عَمَلَكَ وَ عِلْمَكَ وَ بُغْضَكَ وَ أَخْذَكَ وَ تَركَكَ وَ كَلاَمَكَ وَ صُمْتَكَ.

“Purify your work, knowledge, anger, acceptance, refusal, speech and silence for the sake of Allah.”[^10] By means of this, deeds and their effects shall remain, and whatever has the divine reflection and visage is everlasting: “Everything is to perish except His Face.” [^11] And whatever is colored with ostentation and self-glorification will fade and nothing will be left for the individual.

Sincerity in worship {‘ibadah} All acts of worship must be done with the intention of seeking nearness { qurbah } (to Allah) and if a part of them is for the sake of other than God, they all become invalid. For example, if one of the obligatory acts in prayer is done for the sake of other than God, the entire prayer becomes invalid.

If one of the supererogatory acts is also done ostentatiously, or the time of worship (performance at its first and best period), or its place (in the first row or in the mosque) is for the sake of other than God, the prayer is invalid. During winter, standing beside a heater so as to keep one’s body warm as well as to pray, invalidates the prayer.