Anyone who sincerely believes and practically adheres to the following basic principles is one of the companions of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, even though he disagrees with him on other theoretical or practical issues:

1. Believing in the oneness of God in creation, legislation, and sovereignty; as explained in saying 173 of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him.

2. Believing in the illegitimacy of any government or Imamate except for the government and Imamate of the Caliph of God, Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him; as explained in letter 14 and saying 22 of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him.

3. Believing in the certainty of the advent and sovereignty of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, as promised by God and His Prophet, if the ground for it is prepared by people; as explained in the book Return to Islam (p. 290) and the book Geometry of Justice.

4. Believing in the intellectual necessity and religious obligation to prepare the ground for the advent and sovereignty of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, through preparing sufficient forces and facilities; as explained in the book Geometry of Justice.

5. Obeying the ground preparer for the advent of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, regarding the quality and quantity of activities related to the preparation, in order to maintain the necessary coordination and coherence among ground preparers; as explained in the book Geometry of Justice.

Anyone who believes and adheres to these five basic principles is one of the companions of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, whether he accepts his other theological and jurisprudential views, which he has explained in the book Return to Islam and his other works, or not, and this is what gives all Muslims of all madhhabs and nationalities the opportunity to join the group of ground preparers for the advent of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him. Although, naturally, the close companions of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, are those who know that all his views are correct, but those who have yet to know this fact, if they believe and adhere to these five principles, are among his companions as well, and this is why some Shias and some Sunnis are seen among his companions; as one of his companions has informed us:

«أَدْخَلْتُ عَلَى الْمَنْصُورِ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: هَذَا فُلَانٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ وَهُوَ مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ، وَهَذَا فُلَانٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ وَهُوَ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ، قَالَ: دَعْنَا -يَا فُلَانُ- مِنْ شِيعَتِكُمْ وَسُنَّتِكُمْ! إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ رَضِيَ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا، فَتَدَيَّنُوا بِهِ، ﴿مِلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ قَبْلُ﴾[1]، فَلَا تَسَمُّوا إِلَّا بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ، ﴿وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ﴾![2] ثُمَّ قَالَ: مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ وَلَمْ يُشْرِكْ بِهِ شَيْئًا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ»[3]; “I brought two of our companions to Mansoor, then I said to him: This is one of your companions and he is a Shia, and this is one of your companions and he is a Sunni, he said: Let us be free of your Shia and Sunni! Indeed, God has chosen Islam as religion for you, then take it as religion, for ‘it is the religion of your father, Ibrahim, he named you Muslims before’, so name yourselves nothing but Muslims, ‘and do not call each other by titles’! Then he said: Whoever comes to God while he has not associated anything with Him will enter Heaven”.

Based on this, Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, in view of his rational and legitimate preparation for the advent of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, invites all Muslims from all madhhabs and nationalities to support him and benefit him with their information, abilities, and facilities. He honestly and wholeheartedly stretches out the hand of friendship to all of them, and asks them to ignore disagreements with him on some secondary issues if they agree with him on the five principles, but rather to consult and cooperate with him for the realization of the common purpose in the light of common principles. He invites all Muslim intellectuals to consult and cooperate with him in order to create a suitable time and place for the advent and sovereignty of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him. He considers himself a friend of anyone from any madhhab or country who accepts these principles, even though he does not accept his other views. Anything other than these principles, which has been explained in his works such as the book Return to Islam, has only the aspect of advice and instruction, and everyone is free to accept or reject it, considering their being responsible before God. For example, Sunni brothers and sisters, if they can in some way combine these principles with the belief in the legitimacy of the government of the first caliphs and the permissibility to follow various madhhabs, do not have to abandon their belief; as explained in question and answer 257. Also, no Muslim scholar is forced to leave his position if he expresses his solidarity with Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, but rather he is only advised and instructed that if he issues a fatwa, he does so with mentioning the reason, and if he takes khums from people, he spends it only in line with these principles. Even if a Muslim ruler believes in these principles out of honesty and sincerity, and cooperates with Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, in order to transfer power to Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, he is not forced to resign from power immediately, but rather he is given a respite until the advent of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him; as explained in question and answer 160.

The allegiance of any person or group who has pledged allegiance to anyone other than Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, is terminated after the invitation of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, reaches him. Therefore, individuals and groups that have been committed to supporting and obeying anyone other than Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, have been released from their commitment. Any Muslim party or group that unites with Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, within this framework is kindly accepted. All those who have acted or spoken against Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, if they accept these principles, will be safe and will not be punished or taken to task, but all individuals, groups, and governments that have heard and rejected these principles, until they accept them, are considered as corruptors on the earth and fighters against God and His Prophet, and therefore, they will be confronted in proportion to the amount of their corruption and fighting.