Like his masters, Ayatullah Bahjat (ra) saw abandoning and refraining from sins to be the first and most important step toward self-purification in the spiritual journey to God.
According him, acting upon whatever one already knows paves the way for practical spiritual development and receiving more knowledge from God. In a letter to all seekers of guidance, he wrote:
I ask those who want to be taught, ‘Have you acted upon whatever you heard before?’ Do you know that if a person practices what he knows, God will teach him what he does not know? If man does not practice what he knows, can he expect his knowledge to increase? No thikr is superior to practical thikr, and no practical thikr is superior to abandoning sins in terms of beliefs and actions.
Generally, it seems that abandoning sins is impossible except through constant mystical contemplation. If one possesses the virtues of the pious and follows the prophets and their successors in both beliefs and actions, takes actions or stop taking any measure in accordance with their commands, does not think about
anything other than God when performing acts of worship, performs prayers with presence of heart, follows the Imam of the Age in doubtful matters – disagrees with whatever and whoever the Imam of the Age disagrees with and agrees with whatever and whoever the Imam of the Age agrees with, curses whoever he curses and has mercy on whoever he has mercy on, albeit briefly, such a person does not lack any virtue and does not have any sin and evil.'
[The Propagator of God’s Unity, compiled by The Research Cultural Institute of Ahlul Bayt, p.217]
Likewise, a student of Islamic sciences came to him and asked,
“Can we act upon instructions either given by such great mystics as the late Bidabadi or those found in the mystical books?”
He responded:
'The late Bidabadi and other prominent scholars made great efforts in the way of Islam, but each guided people to God through a specific path. My advice to you is one thing which comes down to a few words: Refrain from sinning.
However, do not assume that refraining from sins is a simple task to do; sometimes it is very difficult. After refraining from sins, other instructions will naturally be known to you.'
-Spiritual Journeying in the Words of Shi'a Mystics, by Sayyidah Iran-Zahra Zaidi [Translated by Mahboobeh Morshedian]
According him, acting upon whatever one already knows paves the way for practical spiritual development and receiving more knowledge from God. In a letter to all seekers of guidance, he wrote:
I ask those who want to be taught, ‘Have you acted upon whatever you heard before?’ Do you know that if a person practices what he knows, God will teach him what he does not know? If man does not practice what he knows, can he expect his knowledge to increase? No thikr is superior to practical thikr, and no practical thikr is superior to abandoning sins in terms of beliefs and actions.
Generally, it seems that abandoning sins is impossible except through constant mystical contemplation. If one possesses the virtues of the pious and follows the prophets and their successors in both beliefs and actions, takes actions or stop taking any measure in accordance with their commands, does not think about
anything other than God when performing acts of worship, performs prayers with presence of heart, follows the Imam of the Age in doubtful matters – disagrees with whatever and whoever the Imam of the Age disagrees with and agrees with whatever and whoever the Imam of the Age agrees with, curses whoever he curses and has mercy on whoever he has mercy on, albeit briefly, such a person does not lack any virtue and does not have any sin and evil.'
[The Propagator of God’s Unity, compiled by The Research Cultural Institute of Ahlul Bayt, p.217]
Likewise, a student of Islamic sciences came to him and asked,
“Can we act upon instructions either given by such great mystics as the late Bidabadi or those found in the mystical books?”
He responded:
'The late Bidabadi and other prominent scholars made great efforts in the way of Islam, but each guided people to God through a specific path. My advice to you is one thing which comes down to a few words: Refrain from sinning.
However, do not assume that refraining from sins is a simple task to do; sometimes it is very difficult. After refraining from sins, other instructions will naturally be known to you.'
-Spiritual Journeying in the Words of Shi'a Mystics, by Sayyidah Iran-Zahra Zaidi [Translated by Mahboobeh Morshedian]