The Messenger of Allah (s) climbed the pulpit, and the people gathered. So, he (s) said: O believers! Surely, Allah has revealed to me that I will die, and my cousin `Ali will be killed. O people! I will inform you of something: if you act by it, you will be safe, but if you abandon it, you will be destroyed. Surely, my cousin `Ali is my brother and my vizier. He is my vicegerent. He is the one who speaks on my behalf. He is the Imam of the pious and the Leader of the shining believers. If you take his guidance, you will be guided, and if you follow him, you will be delivered. If you oppose him, you will be misguided. If you obey him, you will have obeyed Allah, and if you disobey him, you will have disobeyed Allah. If you pledge allegiance to him, you will have pledged allegiance to Allah, but if you renege on your allegiance to him, then you renege on your allegiance to Allah. Surely, Allah revealed the Quran to me; and he is the one who, if you disobey him, you go astray. Whoever takes knowledge from other than `Ali will be destroyed. O people! Hear my words and recognize the truth of my advice. Do not do anything after me regarding my Ahl al-Bayt except that which you have been ordered to do with regards to their protection, for they are my kin, my relatives, my brothers, and my sons. You will be grouped and asked about the Two Heavyweights, so look to how you treat them after me. They are my Ahl al-Bayt, so whoever harms them has harmed me, whoever oppresses them has oppressed me, whoever belittles them has belittled me, whoever cherishes them has cherished me, whoever honours them has honoured me, whoever supports them has supported me, and whoever lets them down has let me down. Whoever seeks guidance in other than them has belied me. O people! Fear Allah and look to what you say when you meet Him, for I am the adversary of one who harms them, and I will defeat anyone who I am the adversary of. I say this saying of mine, and I repent to Allah for me and for you.