He called on believers to hold themselves accountable for every deed and to question the motives behind their actions. A person should ask whether an act is genuinely intended to please God or whether it is motivated by a desire to appear pious, knowledgeable, charitable, or religious in the eyes of others.
The founder of the Islamic republic particularly warned against riya’—performing or displaying religious acts for the sake of public admiration—and sum’ah, publicizing one's good deeds to gain recognition. He stressed that even seemingly virtuous actions can become spiritually harmful when their underlying intention is seeking people's approval.
True sincerity, he argued, requires constant self-examination because the ego and Satan can subtly distort a person's intentions, making an act motivated by pride or self-promotion appear righteous. Believers should therefore remain vigilant and repeatedly examine the motives behind their worship, charity, learning, preaching, and other good deeds.
Imam Khomeini also emphasized the futility of seeking honor in the eyes of people. Human beings possess neither ultimate power nor lasting authority; all power ultimately belongs to God. Therefore, he urged believers to direct their hearts toward God rather than seeking recognition from His creation.
The central lesson of his exhortation is that the value of an action depends not only on what is done, but on why it is done. A believer should continually strive to purify the intention, seeking God's pleasure alone and guarding against the desire for praise, reputation, or status.