إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِمَا عَـٰهَدَ عَلَيْهُ ٱللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا

Verily those who give bay’at (oath of allegiance) to you (O Prophet), they verily give bay’at to Allāh. Allāh’s Hand is on their hands. So whoever breaks his bay’at, does so to his own soul’s loss, and whoever fulfils his covenant with Allāh, He will soon grant him immense reward” (48:10).

1998-The Constitution of The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims (Para D)

“The authority of the Imam in the Isma’ili tariqah is testified by Bay’ah, by the murid to the Imam which is the act of acceptance by the murid of the permanent spiritual bond between the Imam and the murid.This allegiance unites all Isma’ili Muslims worldwide in their loyalty, devotion and obedience to the Imam within the Islamic concept of universal brotherhood. It is distinct from the allegiance of the individual murid to his land of abode.”