The pillars upon which Islam is built are five: prayer, alms, fasting, Hajj, and the walaya of the Prophet and the Imams صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم after him. There are twelve Imams. The first of them is Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali b. Abi Talib, then al-Hasan, then al-Husayn, then `Ali b. al-Husayn, then al-Baqir Muhammad b. `Ali, then as-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad, then al-Kadhim Musa b. Ja`far, then al-Rida `Ali b. Musa, then al-Jawad Muhammad b. `Ali, then al-Hadi `Ali b. Muhammad, then al-`Askari al-Hasan b. `Ali, then al-Hujjat b. al-Hasan b. `Ali عليه السلام. [The Imami religion is] confirmation that they are the Masters of the Order (ulil amr) whose obedience Allah commanded. So, He said “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and the possessors of the command from you” (4:59) The obedience to them is obedience to Allah, and disobedience to them is disobedience to Allah. Their friend (wali) is the friend of Allah, and their enemy is the enemy of Allah. Love for the progeny of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, when they are upon the course of their purified fathers, is a obligatory duty on the necks of the servants until the Day of the Resurrection, and it is the wage of the prophethood, due to the saying of Allah, “Say: I do not ask a wage of you but love of the near kin” (42:23).