Masterpieces of Rhetoric Methood (nahj Al-balagha)

Preface

Imam Ali bin Abi Talib may Allah’s greeting be to him – is the Imam of eloquents and scholastic as he is the Imam of the pious; the masterpiece of whose is Nahj Al-Balaghah that represents, on the grounds of Arabic style, a rank coming after that of the Holy Quran. Throughout thirteen centuries, the Arab styles have related to it, have built up on its foundation, have quoted their firebrands from it, and that their good styles revive within the framework of his magic eloquence.

Imam Ali was improvising his speeches, reciting them at people meetings as summeries of a contemplations and at their circles as addresses increasing inside the self; the tongue utters them spontaneously and thus come precise (under the Creator’s speech and above that of the created).

At the end of the fourth century A.H. Al-Sharif Al-Radhi chose samples of his sermons, letters, and short sayings, and gathered them in a book called Nahj Al-Balaghah. The name indicates that these chosen samples represent a method in eloquence and performance that leads, if taken as an example, to rhetoric as it is a revelation of the self and reality, and a delivery to the receiver. This is the objective of the great creative literature.

From the day the book was selected, scholars and literary men devoted themselves to reading and explaining it; thus the expla-nations became numerous and various, some of which reached several volumes that requires, only to be acquainted with, time and effort people often do not have within these days. Hence came the need for a book that facilitates knowledge of the “Nahj” for the common reader by selecting samples and explaining them.

The famous author George Gerdak attempted to carry out this task: he works throughout years to simplify difficulties for the reader so as to collect within a book masterpieces of Nahj Al-Balagha; he classifies them according to its topics on them one hand, and according to time of appearance on the other hand, and explains what is strange and difficult out of their expressions.

Once more, throughout these masterpieces which he chooses, organizes and explains, he introduces an excellent study on the “Allawiyan Personality” adding it to his well-known five-study series.

This book satisfies a need for the common reader, the students of schools and universities, and the specialized reader as well, at this time when man does not find an opportunity for reading, amid several businesses and the control of audiovisual mass media.

Al-Ghadear Center for studies is interested to introduce this book in its new dress after its edition has been sold out wishing to achieve the benefit it aims.

Al-Ghadeer Center for Islamic Studies