Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge

1. Nahjul Balaaghahabout Knowledge By A.S. Hashim. MD

2. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge Supplicationبـســـم الله الرحمن الرحيم In the Name of God, Lord of Mercy and Lord of Grace

3. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge Nahjul Balaaghah • Nahjul Balaaghah, a highly valued book, consists of: • 254 sermons, • 48 letters, and • 212 sayings of Imam Ali • Nahjul Balaaghah is unique to Imam Ali • None of the Sahaaba was ever able to produce anything like it: • neither in substance • nor in literary eloquence. • No wonder Ali was referred to as: • Sayyid al-Bulaghaa' (Pinnacle of Literary Expression) and • Sayyid al-Fu'qahaa, (Pinnacle of the Jurisprudents)

4. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge References about knowledge • Nahjul Balaaghah contains 18 references about Knowledge, some of which appear in the following slides: • The quotes appear in various sermons, • said at variable occasions and • about different subjects. • The Arabic quotes are from the book of Nahjul Balaaghah, by Dr. Subhi Al-Salih, and so is the numbering of the sermons and pages, 1st Edition, Beirut 1967. • The Number of the sermons may differ by a factor of 1 in other volumes of Nahjul Balaaghah • The references are quotes by Abd al-Zahra' al-Husayni in vols. I & IV of his work (see Al-Islam.org, internet)

5. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge Time Element • The majority of Ali's sayings and speeches were stated: • During his Khilaafah when in Kufa, • At Different Places • At Different Occasions • Often at Khutba of Jumu’ah

6. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 5, Page 52 Delivered when the Holy Prophet died • After the Prophet’s death Abu Sufyan was eager to sow discord by asking Ali to stand up to his Rights and fight off Abu Bakr. Seeing Abu Sufyan’s malicious scheme, Ali rejected the offer and explained it in this Sermon • See next slide please Other sources: • Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, Tadhkirah, bab 6, 137; • al-Tabarsi, al-'Ihtijaj, I, 127; • al-Bayhaqi, al-Mahasin, II, 139, see `Arshi.

7. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 5, Delivered when the Prophet died

8. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 18, Page 60 Ali: About the Opinionated Theologians • When Allah is One, the Quran is One, and the Prophet is One then the religion should also be One. And when the religion is one how can there be divergent opinions and orders about any theological matter? Divergence, then, can only be in case the theologian has: • Forgotten it, or is • Oblivious to it, or when • Senselessness overtakes him, or • He willfully desires entanglement in these labyrinths, since Allah and the Prophet are above all these things. • See next slide please Other sources: • Ibn Talhah, Matalib, I, 141; • al-Tabarsi, al-'Ihtijaj, I, 139; • al-Qadi al-Nu`man, Da`a'im, I, 93; • Narrated by Ibn Udhaynah from al-'Imam al-Sadiq (A) in al-Nuri, Mustadrak al-Wasa'il, III, 174;see also al-Saffar, Basa'ir al-darajat.

9. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 18, Ali: About the Opinionated Theologians

10. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 87, Page 119 Ali: of the ignorant pretending to be a scholar • Ali describes people who claim to know it all yet they are actually ignorant, in the following slide: • See next slide please Other sources: • Al-Zamakhshari, Rabi`,bab al-`izz wa al-sharaf; see also Ibn Abi al-Hadid, II, 132.

11. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 87, Ali: of the ignorant pretending to be a scholar

12. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 91, Page 125 Ali: About the deeply versed in knowledge • Ali delivered this sermon from the pulpit of the mosque of Kufa when someone asked him: O' Amir al-Mu'minin! describe Allah for us in such a way that we may imagine that we see Him with our eyes, thus we would love more Him and be more knowledge about Him. • See next slide please for part of the sermon Other sources: • Mas`adah ibn Sadaqah, author of Khutab Amir al-Mu'minin; • Ibn `Abd Rabbih, al-`Iqd, II, 406; • al-Saduq, al-Tawhid, 34; • al-Zamakhshari, Rabi`, I, bab al-mala'ikah; • Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, discusses its unusual (gharib) phrases in several places; • Ibn Tawus, Faraj al-mahmum, 56.

13. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 91, Ali: About the deeply versed in knowledge

14. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 103, Page 149 About attributes of the scholarly person • In his analysis of people’s knowledge Ali gives comments as shown in the following slide • See next slide please Other sources: • Al-Kulayni, Rawdah, 139; • al-Harrani, Tuhaf, 143; • al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, II, 225; • Ibn Qutaybah, `Uyun, II, 352; • al-Zamakhshari, Rabi`, I, 219; • Ibn Talhah, Matalib, I, 202; • al-Qadi al-Quda`i, Dustur, 48; • al-Khuza`i, al-Fitan, see (9) • Ibn Tawus, al-Malahim, 27; • Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, V, 131.

15. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 103, Ali: About attributes of the scholarly person

16. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 110, Page 164 Ali: The learned who does not apply • Ali urges people to learn and understand the Quran, giving comments as shown in the following slide: • See next slide please Other sources: • Al-Harrani, Tuhaf, 104; • al-Saduq, Man la yahduruh, I, 131; • al-Saduq, `Ilal, 114; • al-Barqi, al-Mahasin, 233; • al-Tusi, al-'Amali, I, 220.

17. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 110, Ali: The learned who does not apply

18. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 116, Page 173 Ali: About knowing ahead • Ali brings attention to his own knowledge, and what reaction of the people would be. • See next slide please Other sources: • Ibn `Abd Rabbih, al-`Iqd, VI, 249; • al-Mas`udi, Muruj, III, 150; • al-'Azhari, Tahdhib, VII, 101 (kh.d.r); • Ibn Faqih, al-Buldan, 181; • al-Harawi, al-Jam`, see Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, II, 41, V, 170; • al-Muttaqi, Kanz, VI, 87; • al-Daylami, al-'Irshad, I, 33.

19. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 116, Ali: About knowing ahead

20. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 154, Page 216 Ali: Acting with knowledge or without it • Ali urges people to carefully consider their decisions and the path they are to take, as shown in the following slide: • See next slide please Other sources: • Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 252, 324, 331; • al-Yamani, al-Taraz, I, 217

21. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 154, Ali: Acting with knowledge or without it

22. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 189, Page 280 Ali: Ask me before you miss me • Ali alludes to the vastness of his knowledge, even to urge people to keep learning from him before he is gone, as shown in the following slide: • See next slide please Other sources: • Al-Tha`alibi, al-'I`jaz, 32; • al-Saffar, Basa'ir, 31; on p. 202 from (3) • Mas`adah ibn Sadaqah, Khutab Amir al-Mu'minin (A); • al-Saduq, `Uyun, I, 164; • al-Saduq, al-Khisal, II, 164; • al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 80, narrated by (7) • al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, II, 466; • Ibn `Abd al-Birr, Jami`, I, 114; • Ibn Hajar, al-'Isabah, II, 509; • al-Tabari, al-Riyad, 198; • al-Suyuti, Ta'rikh al-khulafa', 124; • Dahlan, al-Futuhat, II, 337; • al-Qunduzi, Yanabi` al-mawaddah, 224

23. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 189, Ali: Ask me before you will miss me

24. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 214, Page 331 Ali: Character of the scholarly • Ali enumerates some of the characters of the true scholarly, as shown in the following slide: • See next slide please Other sources: • Al-'Amidi, Ghurar; • Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh, III, 23

25. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Sermon 214, Ali: Character of the scholarly

26. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Letter 31, Page 397 a selection from Ali’s letter to his son • After returning from the Battle of Siffin, Imam Ali gave advice to one of his sons (Some historians claim it to Imam Al-Hasan while others claim it to Muhammad ibn Al-Hanafiya). He wrote the letter in the form of a will, which deals with almost every aspect of life and what makes a truly manly person-- brave, humane, generous, virtuous and pious. • See next slide please

27. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge In Letter 31, a selection ofAli’s letter to al-Hasan

28. Nahjul Balaaghah about Knowledge Be in Allah’s Care Thank you and May God Bless you. Dr. A.S. Hashim