an important tenet of usuli doctrine is taqlid or "imitation", i.e. the acceptance of a religious ruling in matters of worship and personal affairs from someone regarded as a higher religious authority (e.g. an 'ālim) without necessarily asking for the technical proof. these higher religious authorities can be known as a "source of imitation" (arabic "marja taqlid" مرجع تقليد, persian marja) or less exaltedly as an "imitated one" (arabic مقلَد "muqallad"). however, his verdicts are not to be taken as the only source of religious information and he can be always corrected by other muqalladeen (the plural of muqallad) which come after him. obeying a deceased taqlid is forbidden in usuli.