disobedience to Him (1); nor is there any harm in acting in concert with a man (2) in obedience to Allah if that man, independently of him, commits an act of disobedience in which he does not involve him. Likewise, if a man performs Hajj with others, stands with them, and circumambulates, he is not harmed by the fact that some pilgrims are guilty of injustices and sins peculiar to themselves. Similarly, if he attends Friday prayer, congregational prayer, and gatherings of knowledge with others and fights alongside them, he is not harmed if (3) some of those participating with him have sins peculiar to themselves. Those in authority are like everyone else: one joins them in what they do in obedience to Allah but does not join them in what they do in disobedience to Allah.

This was the practice of the imams (4) of the Prophet’s household in their dealings with others. Whoever follows them in this is the one who truly emulates them—not someone who disavows the earliest forerunners and the great majority of learned and devout people, and who allies himself with the disbelievers and hypocrites in hostility toward them, as some among the misguided Rāfidah do.

The Ninth Point (5): It may be said that a capable imam through whom people’s affairs are kept in order in most matters affecting their welfare—so that the roads are made safe through him (6), whatever prescribed punishments can be enforced are enforced, whatever injustice can be warded off is warded off, whatever can be achieved in jihad against the enemy is achieved, and whatever rights can be secured are secured—is better than a nonexistent imam who has no reality.