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Perimeters Of Nahj Al-Balaghah

Immediately after the compilation of the Nahj al­ Balaghah by Sayyid Radi in the year 400 A. H., lot of valuable and useful research efforts, regarding the perimeters of Imam All's (‘a) words, were undertaken by the great learned Islamic scholars. Such comprehensive and systemic research work was never undertaken for any other book except the Holy Qur'an in the Islamic history. With due complements to the authors for their valuable and precious efforts, the relevant research work regarding the Path of Eloquence could be listed as follows:

1. Handwritten Manuscripts

So for approximately one hundred and thirty-one1 hand­ written manuscripts of the Nahj al-Balaghah have been identified which belonged between fifth to tenth centuries A.H .. Of course, the handwritten manuscripts of the Nahj al­Balaghah are not limited to this number and are greater than that. However, it must be admitted that the existence of even these many manuscripts in spite of all those tragic calamities and political upheavals of painful past centuries in itself is something like a miracle.

2. Commentary and Interpretation of Nahj al-Balaghah

Allameh Tehrani in his book “al-Zuriyeh” Vol. 14, has mentioned the existence of one hundred commentaries, Allameh Amini in his book “Al-Ghadir” has stated the number of commentaries to eighty-one, and great researcher al­ Shaykh Hasan Jumeh has registered two hundred and ten commentaries with complete specifications in his famous book “Sharooh Nahj al-Balaghah”.

3. List of Books About Nahj al-Balaghah

Since, lots of books about commentary and interpretation of Nahj al-Balaghah were written, some of the scholars decided to compile a book containing the list of all such books. One of the famous books is written by Rida Ostadi, which contains a list of three hundred and seventy books so far published.

  • 1. The names and complete characteristics of these handwritten notes have been registered by Professor Sayyid Ahdulaziz Tabatabai, Yad-Nameh (Memoirs) Sayyid Radi p. 367-399.