1. What is the Status of the Holy Imam?
   "It is said in verse (9:105): "And said: Work: Soon will God observe your work and His Messenger and the mu'mins." According to Imam Jafar as-Sadiq, here by mu'mins are meant the Imams (Da'aimu'l-Islam, I. p. 21)."

   "God says in verse (9:119): "O you who believe! Fear God and be with those who are truthful (sadiqin). Let us study this verse very carefully: On one side are all those who believe and on the other, are the truthful ones who are the Imams of the progeny of the Prophet, as Imam Jafar as-Sadiq says: "We are the truthful ones". In such cases, the Holy Qur'an commands that the people of faith should fear God and follow the truthful ones (i.e., the Holy Imams) and be with them in knowledge and good deeds." (Source: Manifestations of Wisdom, p.32)

    

2. What is the Spiritual Role of the Holy Imam?
   "It is reported that the Holy Prophet said to Mawlana Ali: "You are the patron of this ummat and its Dhu'l-Qarnayn." (al-Majalisu'l-Mu'ayyadiyyah, I. p 335). We are aware of the fact that every verse and every sound Hadith which is about Mawlana Ali, is also related to the Imam of every age. Because the light of Ali, which is the light of God and the Prophet, continues in the holy chain of Imamat and nutures the people spiritually and intellectually. This patron (i.e., the Holy Imam), who has been appointed by God and the Prophet, is always present in this world. (Source: Manifestations of Wisdom, p.33)

    

3. What Does It Mean to a Spiritual Child of the Holy Imam?
   "In verse (14:36), God, reporting the statement of Hazrat Ibrahim, says: "Then he who follows me is of me." That is, he is my spiritual child. The Holy Prophet has said about Salman-i Farsi: "Salman is of us, the ahl al-bayt". Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq has said about some of his friends: "You are from us, the ahl al-bayt". We should not forget that the means of such a unique and most exalted spiritual progress are obedience (of all the teachings of the Holy Imam) and (ardent) love (for the Imam of the Time)."

   "Mawlana Ali has said about Salman: "He is a minaret and sign of knowledge of the first and the last, and an ocean which never exhausts (due to usage)." (Kitabu'l-Majalis wa'l-Musa'irat by Qadi Numan, p.56)." (Source: Manifestations of Wisdom, p.30)

"There is no deity except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, 'Ali - the master of believers - is from Allah. Our Lord Shah Rahim Al-Hussaini is our present and living Imam"