The fathers of knowledge are [numerous] 1 , and there is no true knowledge except the gnostic recognition of God the Almighty, nor any true guidance except that which leads to Him. That which is pointed to in this regard, [by] 2 way of public visibility, is none other than the governing Imam who holds structural authority over the community in binding and loosening (al-naqd wa-al-ibram).
And poetry was recited regarding this meaning:
The true leader is not the one who brought you forth from a base impulse
In a womb, merely seeking [his own pleasure] 3 ,
Nor is the leader the one who nurtured you only to seek gain, Like a planter harvesting [the fruits] 4 of his seedling,
According to me—and by the right of the Imam Haydarah— They are worth no more than the sandal strap of the Guide and his allegiance.