The great Maliki jurist, Ibn Ata'illah said, "actions are but erected forms; what gives them life is the presence of the secret of ikhlas [sincerity] in them. The intention behind this work, God Willing, is to bring the healing of hearts through the remembrance of God and the destruction of the false idols within the heart. These false idols are like the pillars of the false self, which is the principle idol that is symbolized in the story of the Prophet Ibrahim ع. And so, to smash this idol of the self is to "die before you", as we have been instructed to by the Prophet ﷺ. This is the foundation of the spiritual path.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Verily, satan...