The Utilization of Context by the Commentators of Nahj al-BalaghaThe Speech of Imam Ali (PBUH) with Dhi‘lib al-Yamani as a Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31185/lark.4389Keywords:
Context, Nahj al-Balagha, Dhi‘lib al-Yamani, Textual Elements, Commentators of Nahj al-Balagha.Abstract
The text is composed of various structures, starting from the word level, then the sentence, and finally the overall construction. These structures are often interconnected through relationships that influence and are influenced by the text. Among the most significant influences on these relationships are the internal and external factors surrounding the text. Undoubtedly, revealing these relationships is only possible through context. Since Nahj al-Balagha is closely connected to the Holy Qur'an and is based on noble divine principles, immense semantic values, and high Islamic rulings and ethics — such as asceticism, wars, sermons, advice, guidance, warnings, the virtue of jihad, and related topics — these abundant aspects have made the texts of Nahj al-Balagha open to interpretation by every commentator, researcher, and reader. The diversity of occasions in Nahj al-Balagha has led to a variety of styles and speech contexts, such as contexts of war, advice, asceticism, and so forth. Accordingly, commentators have varied in their study of context, clearly showing their reliance on it to uncover the deep semantic meanings in the words of Imam Ali (PBUH). Based on this significant standing, we have decided to undertake this research titled: The Utilization of Context by the Commentators of Nahj al-Balagha: The Speech of Imam Ali (PBUH) with Dhi‘lib al-Yamani as a Model. We shed light on eight commentaries of Nahj al-Balagha, both old and modern, attempting to make a comparative analysis to reveal how context was utilized to achieve rhetorical beauty. We chose the speech of Imam Ali (PBUH) with Dhi‘lib al-Yamani, when he asked him: “Have you seen your Lord, O Commander of the Faithful?” We focused on this dialogue because of its powerful contextual significance and the presentation of arguments and evidence for the audience. It serves both as an answer to Dhi‘lib's question and as a proof of God's existence, wisdom, and power.
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