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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Obligations and Prohibitions in Islamic Divine Law Part 2 Chapter 8: Laws Pertaining To Authority Over Muslims And The Muslim Community It is strictly obligatory upon the well-qualified to take charge of the position of authority and leadership over the Muslim community during the Occultation Age ( ‘asr al-ghaybah ; the period between the disappearance and the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi).

If there is only one person qualified enough to hold this position, it is then individually obligatory upon him to assume it; otherwise, it is collectively obligatory to do so.

It is obligatory upon the consultants ( ahl al-’aqd wa’l-hall ; the specialists in Islamic sciences who are experienced enough to recognize jurists, mujtahids—scholars competent to practice independent reasoning in legal judgment—and authoritative leaders) to appoint the qualified person as the supreme authority of the Muslim community if he alone is qualified for this position, or to choose the most preferred and the most virtuous among the qualified scholars and to introduce him to the people.

It is then obligatory upon people to accept the person chosen by the consultants to assume this position.

It is obligatory to obey the orders and commands of the authoritative leaders, be they infallible, like the Holy Prophet and Imams; directly appointed by the Holy Infallibles, like Salman and Malik al-Ashtar in the reign of Imam ‘Ali (‘a); indirectly appointed by the Holy Infallibles, like the qualified supreme authorities during the Occultation Age; appointed by virtue of the office, like those who hold such leading positions like military commanders, judges, leaders of Friday prayers, and the like offices; or appointed to issue such decisive orders like waging wars, entering into peace treaty, sentencing to imprisonment, amnesty, and the like.

It is obligatory upon those resting upon the verdicts of a qualified jurisprudent other than the supreme religious authority to obey and follow the latter’s verdicts when they are contradictory to the verdicts of the qualified jurisprudent they follow. Such being the case, the verdicts of the qualified jurisprudent are regarded as inoperative. It is forbidden for unqualified persons to assume the position of supreme religious authority.

It is obligatory upon the supreme religious authority to accept peoples’ oath of allegiance to him.