['Aalim Network QR] Nahjul Balagha

[abbas@dircon.co.uk (Abbas Jaffer)]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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The question below was kindly answered by Brother Hamid Mavani.

Regards

Abbas Jaffer
Acting Moderator - ABDG-A.

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Question:

Concerning Nahjul Balaagah, I want to know why we give so much importance to
only this compilation of the sayings of 'Ali (as). There are hundreds of
compilations of his sayings that we have. Is this the best one worthy of
reverence and popularity? Why?  This compilation was written by Sharif Radi
to demonstrate the eloquence of 'Ali (as)
(Balaaghah), something that I believe is secondary for one of his followers.
It is more important to know what 'Ali advised us, not how he said it.
Right? On top of that, the Nahj is very weak in the way it as referenced.
This because Sharif Radi's goal in compiling it was to show the power of
Ali's (as) rhetorical abilities, not to compile a book of his Ahaadeeth
(something which is usually highly referenced and authenticated). On top of
that, the Nahj was compiled in the 3rd or fourth century. On the day of
Judgement are we going to be asked whether we believed in the Nahjul Balaaghah?

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Answer:
Nahjul Balagha is an important document that has attracted scholary
attention from both Sunni and Shia scholars as is attested by the many
commentaries of this work.  It is a work of unparralled excellence and is
worthy of great reverence from many aspects and
not just from the angle of its eloquence.  However, that does not mean that
other statements of Imam Ali (a.s.) are not worthy of respect and we ought
to pay equal attention to them.  There are reference tools available to
facilitate finding items in Nahjul Balagha.  I am told that there is also a
computer software on this.

A student at McGill University by the name of Syed Mohammed Quasemi wrote an
MA thesis in which he demonstrates that Nahjul Balagha is an authentic
document that was compiled from very early sources, some of which are still
extant in manuscript form.  To the best of my knowledge, we will not be
questioned on the day of Judgment about our belief in Nahjul Balagha,
however, our rejection of its contents may constitute contempt for the
advise and admonition of our Imam (a.s.).

wa bi-l-laahi-t-tawfiq,

Hamid Mavani