In the realm of Sufism, the endeavors of Shah Nimatullah brought new respect for Sufism and the sufis, enriching the culture of Islam, particularly in Iran. In addition to guiding a large following of disciples, he engaged in farming, serving as a model to his disciples in pursuing a profession as the best form of self-discipline. He actively demonstrated that the way to purifying the heart and purging the self lay in service to society and kindness to other human beings. Under his guidance, disciples learned to occupy themselves with God while living in the midst of society, putting into practice the principle of "solitude in the company of others". Following his example, his disciples abandoned seclusion and retreat as their primary spiritual mode and embraced lives of constructive occupation.

Shah Nimatullah's opposition to apathy and lethargy extended to his banning of the use of opium and hashish among his disciples at a time when these were commonly used by both ordinary people and sufis. Another of Shah Nimatullah's innovations, related to his instruction that his disciples should have occupations, was his prohibition of the wearing in public of any particular costume which would draw attention to them. It was his view that to develop inwardly, the sufi must be free of any kind of show or pretense and should strive for 'colorlessness'. For Shah Nimatullah nobility consisted in one's becoming graced by Divine Attributes, not in attachment to a particular form of dress.

Shah Nimatullah not only opened the door of his bounty to all seekers and aspirants, as well as to his own followers, but he also paid respect to all nations and peoples and to other sufi orders of his time, basing his actions on a code of purity and fidelity. Shah Nimatullah followed his predecessors in not separating the tariqat (the spiritual path) from the shari'at (the Islamic law) because of his belief that the haqiqat (Reality) could be attained only through integration of the two.

The Sea is Our Essence by Shah Nimatullah