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The
Sources of Nahj al Balagha
Sources
of Nahj al Balaghah
The most important work of al-Radi is the compilation of selected
sermons, letters and sayings of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (as). He selected
241 sermons, 79 letters, and 489 sayings. Those numbers vary in
different editions of Nahj al-balaghah. The number of sermons varies
from 238 to 241 and the number of letters varies from 77 to 79, whereas
sayings vary from 463 to 489. Al-Radi, in the introduction to Nahjal-
balaghah, gives an account of the circumstances that led him to compile
the utterances and writings of 'Ali (as). According to this account, while
busy in writing Khasa'is al-A'immah he planned to devote the last part
of the book to the sayings and writings of Amir al-Mu'minin (as). This
task was so absorbing and fascinating that his friends and brothers-in-faith
desired that he should compile a book covering all the forms of 'Ali's
utterances such as letters, lectures, counsels, moral admonitions and
aphorisms, for, they would prove to be masterpieces of eloquence,
rhetoric, aphorisms and jewels of wisdom, probably the best after the
Quran and hadith of the Prophet (as) in Arabic language and literature.
He writes:
... And these were not collected in any other work, nor
found together in any other book ... Amir al-Mu'minin (as)
was the fountain of eloquence and (his utterances) the
source of rhetoric. Through him hidden delicacies of
eloquence and rhetoric came to light, and from him were
learnt its principles and rules. Every speaker and orator
had to tread on his footprints, and every eloquent preacher
availed of his utterances. Even then they could not equal
him, for the credit for being the first and foremost remained
with him, because his utterances were those that carried
the reflection of Divine knowledge and savour of the Prophet's
utterances. Accordingly I acceded to their request, as I knew
that it meant great reward, handsome reputation and a
treasure of recompense. The object of this compilation is
that I should bring forth Amir al-Mu'minin's greatness and
superiority in the art of rhetoric which is in addition to
his countless qualities and innumerable distinctions, and to
show that he has risen to the highest pinnacle of this
attainment, is singular among all those predecessors whose
utterances are quoted here and there, whereas his own utterances
are like an onrushing and irresistible stream, and such a
treasure of subtleties in language is unmatched. Since I proudly
trace my descent from him I feel pleasure in quoting a couplet
of al-Farazdaq:
These are my forefathers O Jarir
When we get together, can you cite any as their equals?
In my view Amir al-Mu'minin's utterances are divisible in
three categories: firstly sermons and decrees, secondly
letters and communications, and thirdly maxims and counsels.
Allah willing I intend to compile first the sermons, then
letters, and then maxims and counsels, and propose a separate
chapter for each category, leaving blank pages in between
each of them so that if anything has been left out and is
found afterwards it may be inserted there in ...
Apart from al-Radi's assessment of 'Ali's utterances and their
literary as well as philosophical aspect, the important point to be noted
is his reference to other sources. This is in itself enough to counter
the allegations of the later writers like Ibn Khallikan and Ibn Hajar that
a major portion of Nahj al-balaghah was falsely ascribed to 'Ali (as).
Before coming to those allegations I would like to quote another passage
from al-Radi's introduction to Nahj al-balaghah which far more
explicitly refers to the earlier sources from which al-Radi selected the
contents of his compendium:
In this compilation in some places there is repetition of
words or subject matter. The excuse for this is that Amir
al-Mu'minin's utterances have been related in numerous forms.
Sometimes it happened that a particular utterance was found
in a particular form in a tradition and was taken down in that
very form. Thereafter the same utterance was found in some
other tradition either with acceptable addition or in a better
style of expression. In such a case with a view to further
the object of compilation and to present a beautiful utterance
from being lost it was decided to repeat it. It has also happened
that a particular utterance had appeared earlier but due to
remoteness it has been entered again. This is through omission,
not by intent. In spite of all this I do not claim that I have
collected Amir al-Mu'minin's utterances from everywhere and that
no single sentence of any type or construction has been left
out. In fact I do not rule out the possibility that whatever
has been left out might be more than what has been collected,
and what has been in my knowledge and use is far less than what
has remauned beyond my reach. My task was to strive to the best
of my capacity and it was Allah's part to make the way easy and
guide me to the goal; Allah may will so.
Sources of Nahj
al Balaghah
Though al-Radi has not furnished a bibliography of the sources
from which he collected the writings and sayings of Amir al-Mu'minin (as)
he has referred occasionally to certain books and their compilers in
his explanatory notes on various sermons, letters and sayings. Several
scholars have sought to trace back the sources of different utterances
and letters collected in Nahj al-balaghah to the works compiled
centuries before the birth of al-Radi. The most painstaking research
in this context was done by an Indian Sunni scholar Imtiyaz 'Ali
'Arshi, who died a few years ago. He succeeded in tracing back the early
sources of 106 sermons, 37 letters and 79 stray sayings of Amir al-
Mu'minin (as) in his book Istinad-e Nahj al-balaghah, originally written
in Urdu, subsequently translated into Arabic in 1957, then into English
and Persian. The translator of the Persian text adds very useful notes,
which usually provide further knowledge about the sources of Nahj al-
balaghah and occasionally point out 'Arshi's errors in some matters.
However, this work still stands as the most valuable research in
this field. Besides this work, some others deserve special mention such
as 'Abd al-Zahra' al-Husayni al-Khatib's Masadir Nahj al-balaghah, Hibat
al-Din al-Shahristani's Ma huwa Nahj al-balaghah, Sayyid 'Ali al-Naqawi
al-Nasirabadi's introduction to the Urdu translation of Nahj al-balaghah
by Mufti Ja'far Husayn, and al-Mu'jam al-mufahras li alfaz Nahj al-
balaghah, a joint work of al-Sayyid Kazim al-Muhammadi and al-
Shaykh Muhammad Dashti. Sayyid Muhammad 'Askari Ja'fari and
Sayyid 'Ali Rida also dealt with the issue of basic sources of Nahj
al-balaghah in their prefaces to their separate translations of the book
into English. Here follows with some minor corrections and additions
'Arshi's list of the early sources containing the utterances and writings
of Ali (as)
1. Khutab Amir al-Mu'minin 'ala al-manabir fi aljuma' wa al- 'a'yad
wa ghayriha; by Zayd ibn Wahab al Jahni (d. 96/714-15). This book was
available till the fifth century H, for Abu Ja'far al-Tusi (d. 460/1067)
has quoted from it in his writings.
2. Kitab khutab Amir al-Mu'minin, by Abu Ya'qub Isma'il ibn
Mahran ibn Muhammad al-Sakuni al-Kufi (d. circa 148/765).
3. Abu Mikhnaf Lut ibn Yahya al-'Azdi (d. circa 157/773-74) has
quoted Amir al-Mu'minin's utterances in the following works of his
own: Kitab al Jamal, Kitab ahl al-Nahrawan wa al-Khawarij, Kitab al-
gharat, Kitab maqtal 'Ali, Kitab maqtal Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr wa al-
'Ashtar wa Muhammad ibn Hudhaybah, and Kitab al-shurd wa maqtal
'Uthman. (Here may be added another work: al-Khutbat al-Zahra'li
Amir al-Mu'minin.)
4. Kitab khutab Amir al-Mu'minin by Abu Muhammad Mas'adah
ibn Sadaqah al-'Abdi al-Kufi (d. 183/799). He was a pupil of al' Imam
Musa al-Kazim (as), and Ibn Shadhan has narrated traditions on his
authority.
5. Kitab khutab 'Ali by Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn al-Hakam ibn Zahir
al-Fazari al-Kufi (d. 177/793) Abu al-'Abbas al-Najashi (d. 450/1058)
has narrated on his authority.
6. Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Sulayman Hashami (Nahami) al-Khazzaz
al-Kufi (third century H.) besides compiling al-Khutab li Amir al-
Mu'minin, eompiled other books such as Kitab al-dua, Kitab khalq al-
samawat, and Kitab maqtal Amir al-Mu'minin. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi has
quoted from his works.
