You therefore should select proper representatives[^1].

You therefore should select proper representatives[^1].” “This religion will continue to exist up to the coming of the Hour of Resurrection, and there will exist twelve successors, as leaders all will be from the tribe of Koreish[^2].” This hadith is clear-cut evidence on the unquestionable existence of the twelve Imams of the Ahlul-Bayt (a) exclusively. Because they were more than this fixed number, neither the Umayyad nor are the Abbasid caliphs included.

Loyalty to the Imams Recognition of the Imams is meaningless unless loyalty to them is added. In other words, if recognition of the Imams is bare of loyalty to them, it will be worthless.

This is because the Imam, whose mission is to confirm the realities of Sharia, elucidate its rulings, guard it against trickeries and false interpolations of the atheists, and exert all efforts for protecting, supporting, and pleasing Muslims spiritually and materially in this world as well as the life to come, is the Prophet’s representative and the pioneer towards the Islamic idealities. Such being the case, any negligence of the loyalty to the Imam will lead to deviation.

This fact was frequently confirmed by the Prophet (S) who, in more than one occasion, declared that the right guidance and triumph will completely accompany the loyalty to the Immaculate Imams, while deviation will be the share of him who leaves and dissents from them: “The like of my the Ahlul-Bayt is Noah’s ark he that embarks on it will be saved, while he that falls behind will be sunk[^3].” “I will leave with you things that will save you from deviation so long as you adhere to: the Book of Allah, which is a cord extended from the heavens to the earth, and my family the Ahlul-Bayt.

These two will never depart each other until they join me on the Divine Pool. Consider how you will regard me through them[^4].” On the authority of his fathers, Imam as-Sadiq narrated that Amirul-Mu'minin (a), once, was asked about the meaning of ‘my family’ in the Prophet’s saying, ‘I will leave with you the two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my family’? He answered: “This refers to me, al-Hassan, al- Hussein, and the nine Imams from the descendants of al-Hussein.

The ninth will be al-Mahdi al-Qa’im.