Ata bin Abi Rabah, may Allah have mercy on him, said in the explanation of the verse «﴿أَطِيعُوااللَّهَوَأَطِيعُواالرَّسُولَوَأُولِيالْأَمْرِمِنْكُمْ ....﴾»[النسا: 59/4] that «اولي الامر» are the people of knowledge and understanding, and «طاعة الرسول» is following the Book and the Sunnah.