The Qur`an clearly tells us...

At the head of all responsibilities which we have, it is this one which makes the duty of a true believer clear in regards to the representative (of Allah).

It is through following this commandment that a person’s actions, in relation to the life of this transient world and the next, are given a stable footing; it is under the shadow of obeying the commandments of the Marja’ through the act of taqlid that obedience to the Imam is realized it is also through this act that happiness in this transient life and the next world are guaranteed.

In reality, following the commandments of the Imam can never materialize except under the shadow of obedience to a Marja’ who fulfills all of the requirements to be followed[^2] and this status can be referred to as Wilayatul Faqih or the Guardianship of the Jurisprudent. The only way that one can obey Imam al-Mahdi (ajtf) is by obedience to his general representative, as it is this person who is at the forefront of the narrators of the tradition, scholars and callers towards the faith.

The principle of Wilayatul Faqih is the foremost foundation of Islam and the person who wishes to possess true faith during the period of occultation must believe in and accept this. Even if the term Wali al-Faqih is thought of as being coined in our current era, we see that it simply means to follow the Marja’ who fulfills all of the requirements (of being followed) as it is he who is responsible for leading the Islamic society.

He is the one who is permitted to lead the Muslim community as they have accepted his leadership and authority (Wilayah). Therefore, once he is entrusted with this authority, his obedience is at the pinnacle of all obligatory acts.