The manuscript of this work, together with that of two other unpublished works of the author, Sharh Du’ae sahar, and Adab al-salat, were recovered from the library of the late Ayatullah Akhund al-Hamadani. All the three works have now been published.
Imam also describes purpose of the writing book as following:
I, a humble servant of God, was contemplating for some time, to select forty hadithfrom among the ahadith of the members of the Household of the Prophet (S) from the authentic books of the sahabah, and scholars, and was trying to compile them with an appropriate explanation of each of them that can be applied to the general conditions of the people.
I chose to write them in Persian, so that the Persian knowing people may also be benefited from them. God willing, this compilation would be an attempt to serve the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said:
From among my followers, one who shall preserve and protect my forty ahadith, so that my people may be benefited from them, God Almighty will treat him on the Day of Resurrection with great men of wisdom and learning (jurisprudence).
This text is a detailed commentary on 40 selected traditions narrated through the Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt (peae be upon them) on topics of ethics and spirituality.
The very first hadith is on Jihad of the self that aims at self-improvement elevating oneself through self-control and self-discipline and shun pride (kibr), ostentation/show-off (riya), self-conceit (ujb), envy (hasad), love of the world, anger (ghadhab), prejudice (asabiyyah) and hypocrisy (nifaq). In his collection, Imam Khomeini has included the ahadith that help us elevate our status through intellect (tafakkur), trust in God (tawakkul), man’s natural instincts to seek out God, meeting with God and to fear (khawf) Him.
Imam maintains that believers need divine assistance to pave spiritual journey and explains as following:
Without guidance and assistance of God, You while paving spiritual journey cannot take even a single step and wouldn’t be able to have a breathing space. If you are really determined to set path this way, it would be only possible through divine remembrance
In the absence of sincerity, the darkness will prevail and path could be shrouded by it.
God the Almighty has truly said:
“So remember Me; I will remember you.”
Only for God sake all works or tasks should be carried out or done. If you want the mirror of your heart to be visible or manifested to the world, you need to be sincere.
The first and foremost condition is sincerity. What else is nothing but God wants man to work for him.
(Extracted from “an exposition on Forty Hadith”)
Imam wrote dozens of works on various Islamic disciplines including philosophy, mysticism, jurisprudence and Quranic and Hadith Sciences.
Islamic scholars, motivated by a tradition from the Prophet Muhamma (PBUH), which promises Divine Rewards for scholars who collect forty traditions, compile hadith narrations in groups of forty.
Thirty-three of the hadith Imam Khomeini selected pertain to Islamic ethics, including acts which bring reward or punishment.
Read more:
Imam warns against kibr towards men of divine knowledge