Duties Of People Towards The Imam

This is obligatory according to texts (Quran and Hadith), and reason.

Rational Proof: The Imam of the Time (aj) is a guide and a leader whose obedience is compulsory and it is necessary to recognize correctly one whose obedience is compulsory. So that if someone lays a false claim to be that leader, he can be exposed at once and we shall not be misguided by his false propaganda. Thus the recognition (Marefat) of the Imam of the Time (aj) is obligatory and it is also obligatory to learn about his special characteristics so that if a false claimant of Mahdaviyat appears we can, at once, realize his falsehood. Further details will come in the coming pages, Insha Allah.

Textual Proof: Shaykh Sadooq (r.a.) has recorded a tradition of Imam Musa Kazim (a) that he said, “One who doubts about four things has denied everything revealed by Allah. One of these being the Marefat of the Imam of age.”
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