The Muslims cannot do without a leader (_Imam_) who shall occupy himself with the enforcing of their decisions, and in maintaining their boundaries and guarding their frontiers, and equipping their armies, and receiving their alms, and putting down robberies and thieving and highwaymen, and maintaining the Friday services and the Festivals, and removing quarrels that fall between creatures, and receiving evidence bearing on legal claims, and marrying minors, male and female, and those who have no guardians, and dividing booty. And it is necessary that the leader should be visible, not hidden and expected to appear (_muntazar_), and that he should be of the tribe of Quraysh and not of any other. And he is not assigned exclusively to the sons of Hashim nor to the children of Ali. And it is not a condition that he should be protected by God from sin (_isma_), nor that he should be the most excellent of the people of his time, but it is a condition that he should have administrative ability, should be a good governor and be able to carry out decrees and to guard the restrictive ordinances (_hadds_) of Islam and to protect the wronged against him who wrongs him. And he is not to be deposed from the leadership on account of immorality or tyranny. Prayer is allowable behind anyone whether pure or a sinner. And we give the salutation of Peace to the pure and to the sinner. And we abstain from the mention of the Companions (_sahibs_) of the Prophet except with good. And we bear witness that Paradise is for the ten to whom the Prophet—God bless him and give him Peace!—gave good tidings of Paradise (_al-asharatu-l-mubashshara_). And we approve the wiping (_mash_) of the inner-shoes (_khuffs_) both at home and when on a journey. And we do not regard _nabidh_ as forbidden. And the Saint does not reach the level of the Prophets. And the creature does not come to a point where commands and prohibitions and the details of the statutes in their outward sense (_zahir_) fall away from him; and the turning aside from these to the views which the People of the Inner Meaning (_batin_) assert is a deviation (_ilhad_) through unbelief. And feeling safe from God is unbelief. And despairing of God is unbelief. And rejection of the statutes and contempt for the law is unbelief. And believing a diviner (_kahin_) in what he tells of the Unseen (_ghayb_) is unbelief. And what does not exist (_ma‘dum_) is known of God Most High just as what exists (_mawjud_) is known of Him and it [_i.e._, what does not exist] is neither a thing (_shay_) nor an object of vision (_mar’an_). And in prayer of the living for the dead, and in alms offered for them there is an advantage to them. And God Most High answers prayers and supplies needs.