The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Imam Rida (peace be upon him) narrated from his fathers: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever wishes to hold fast to my religion and to board the ship of salvation after me, must follow Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) and must take his enemy as an enemy and his friend as a friend; for he is my successor over the ummah during my lifetime and my caliph after my death, and after me he is the commander of every Muslim and every believer, and his speech, command and prohibition is like my speech, command and prohibition; and whoever follows him and helps him is as if he has followed me and helped me, and whoever withholds help from him, it is as if he has done so to me". Then he (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever forsakes Ali (peace be upon him) after me shall not see me on the Day of Resurrection and I too shall not see him, and whoever opposes Ali (peace be upon him) after me, Allah will deprive him of paradise and shall make the fire his abode, and whoever forsakes Ali (peace be upon him), Allah will forsake him on the day he is brought before Him. And whoever helps Ali (peace be upon him), on the day he goes to meet Allah, He shall help him and at the time of questioning and answering, He shall inspire the correct answer to him". Then he said: "Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them) after their father are the two Imams of my ummah and the masters of the youth of paradise, and their mother (Fatima (peace be upon her)) is also the mistress of the women of paradise, and their father is the master of the successors, and from the descendants of Husayn (peace be upon him) nine Imams shall be born, the ninth of whom is the Qaim (peace be upon him) from my descendants, and obedience to him is like obedience to me and disobedience to him is like disobedience to me, and from the hands of those who deny their virtue and destroy their rights, after my death I complain to Allah, and Allah is a good guardian and protector, and He is a worthy helper for my family and the Imams of my ummah (peace be upon them), and He takes revenge from those who deny their right; وَ سَیَعْلَمُ الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا أَیَّ مُنقَلَبٍ یَنقَلِبُونَ [And they who act unjustly shall know to what final place of turning they shall turn back]."