Vilayah is the soul of our religion, we frequently refer to it, but what does it mean in terms of fulfilling our obligations towards it- as per Divine Expectations? For example, in a Hadeeth, Imam^asws says:

Al Husayn Bin Muhammad Al Ashary narrated to me, from Moalla Bin Muhammad Al Ziyadi, from Al Hassan Bin Ali Al Washa who said, ‘Aban Bin Usman narrated to us, from Fuzayl Bin Abu Hamza,
(It has been narrated) from Abu Ja’far^asws having said: ‘Islām is built upon five (Pillards) – Upon the Salāt, and the Zakāt, and the Soām (Fasts), and the Hajj, and the Vilayah, and we^asws do not call (emphasise) with anything like what we^asws called (have emphasised) with the Vilayah’. (Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 13 H 1)

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 Al Husayn Bin Muhammad, from Moalla Bin Muhammad, from Muhammad Bin Jamhour, from Fazalat Bin Ayoub, from Abu Zayd Al Hallali, from Abdul Hameed Bin Abu Al A’ala Al Azdy who said,

‘I heard Abu Abdullah^asws saying that Allah^azwj Mighty and Majestic Imposed five (matters) upon His^azwj creatures, so He^azwj has (Given them an) allowance (relaxation) regarding four, but did not (Given them an) allowance regarding one (Al-Vilayah)’.
(Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 13 H 12)

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From him, from Abu Al Jaroud who said,

‘I said to Abu Ja’far^asws, ‘O son^asws of Rasool-Allah^saww! Do you^asws recognise my cordiality for you^asws and my cutting-off (from others) towards you^asws and my Vilayah for you^asws?’ So he^asws said: ‘Yes’. So I said, ‘So I would like to ask you^asws a question. You^asws answer me regarding it, for I am blind of vision, and little (ability for) walking, and are not able to visit you^asws except every now and then’.
He^asws said: ‘Ask for your need’.

I said, ‘Inform me of your^asws Religion which you^asws are making it to be as a Religion of Allah^azwj Mighty and Majestic with, you^asws and your^asws family, as a Religion of Allah^azwj Mighty and Majestic with’.

The Imam^asws said: ‘Even though you have asked a short question but it spans over an extensive (subject). (However) by Allah^azwj! I^asws will give you my^asws Religion and the Religion of my^asws forefathers^asws which we^asws have embraced to be as a Religion of Allah^azwj Mighty and Majestic with – The testimony that there is no god except for Allah^azwj and that Muhammad^saww is Rasool^saww of Allah^azwj, and the acknowledgement with whatever he^saww came  with  from the Presence  of  Allah^azwj,
and the  Vilayah  –  to  befriend  us^asws  (the  12 Imams^asws) and disavow from our^asws enemies, and the submission to our^asws command,  and awaiting  our Qaim^asws,  and  ‘the  striving  (hard  work  to  fulfil  religious obligations) and the piety (Fearing Allah^azwj)’.
(Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 13 H 1)

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From him, from his father, raising it, said,
‘Abu Abdullah^asws said: ‘The deceased would be questioned in his grave about five – about his Salāt, and his Zakat, and his Hajj, and his Fasts, and his Vilayah of us^asws, the People^asws  of the Household. So the ‘Vilayah’ would be saying from the side of the grave, to the other four: ‘Whatever enters, and it happens to be deficient, so it would be upon me to complete it’.
(Al Kafi V 3 – The Book Of Funerals CH 86 H 15)