The Wilayah of Ahl al-Bayt: The concept of the Wilayah of Ahl al-Bayt is the first pillar upon which the Khatmiyya's belief is founded. They believe that the lineage of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the primary rightful claimant to lead the Muslims and for Muslims to submit to and follow this lineage of the Messenger (peace be upon him). The Khatmiyya and the Shia agree on this principle and consider it the primary basis of their creed. The Khatmiyya believe that the Imams from the Prophet's (peace be upon him) household do not go astray, even if people neglect them, and they will remain on the right path until the Day of Resurrection. Some followers of the Tariqa go to the extent of interpreting Quranic verses in a way that aligns with this principle. For example, the noble verse "And hold fast to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided" is interpreted to mean that the rope of Allah refers to Ahl al-Bayt. Some also cite evidence from prophetic hadiths to support their position and belief. Among the most prominent hadiths is the Hadith of Ghadir Khumm, which they consider the clearest evidence that Wilayah was granted to Ali ibn Abi Talib by the Messenger (peace be upon him), making him the successor to the Muslims after the Prophet's (peace be upon him) passing. The Shia also use this same hadith for the issue of Wilayah, considering it a fundamental principle of religion that must be acted upon, and that a person's faith is not complete without it. Similarly, followers of the Khatmiyya Tariqa believe this. One of their scholars says: "It was necessary to announce the Wilayah of Amir al-Mu'minin and Ahl al-Bayt because this is one of the fundamentals of religion, not its branches." He also says: "On the day of Ghadir, the obligations were prescribed, the Sunnahs were established, the punishments were enforced, the lawful was clear, and the unlawful was clear. What was lacking in the religion for this verse to be revealed? Nothing was lacking in the religion except the declaration of the Wilayah of Amir al-Mu'minin and his succession on that day, so that the report would be transmitted from him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and so that no one with ambition would covet the succession after him (peace be upon him) except the one whose right was declared by order of Allah on that day, and his progeny after him (peace be upon them)." In the writings of the Khatmiyya, there are also a collection of other hadiths that they use as evidence for their belief in the obligation to obey and adhere to the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his progeny after him. Among these is the hadith: "Indeed, the example of my Ahl al-Bayt is like the Ark of Noah; whoever boards it is saved, and whoever stays behind it is drowned." This trend of supporting Ahl al-Bayt, which stems from Shia thought, is a recent trend in the Tariqa that the followers of the Tariqa did not know before. They only began to speak of it, but it appears clearly in two of its followers who have written about the Khatmiyya. The first is Sheikh Ali Zain al-Abidin, and the second is Professor Muhammad Ahmad Hamad Khair. Dr. Ahmad bin Muhammad Othman Al-Mirghani informed me that they reject this current that brings together the thought of the Shia and the Khatmiyya.