TEHRAN -- The “Explanation of Nahj al-Balagheh” written by Ibn Abi al-Hadid and translated by Gholamreza Layeghi has been published in the third edition by Neyestan Publishing House.
Ibn Abi al-Hadid’s commentary is one of the most important written on Nahj al-Balagha. Although there are many differences of opinion among Shias and Sunnis as to whether Ibn Abi al-Hadid is a Shia or a Sunni, it is clearly evident in the opinions of both sides that he had a special devotion to Imam Ali (AS) and as a follower of the Mu’tazila school, he considered him to be superior to other caliphs, to the extent that he states in his book that Imam Ali (As) is superior to others both in the abundance of rewards and in the praiseworthy virtues and qualities.
The 20-volume collection of Nahj al-Balagheh, which had been only in Arabic before, mentions parts of the sermons of Imam Ali (AS) along with their translation at the beginning of each volume, and in the second part, based on thematic division, important topics and issues are expressed with thematic headings.
Layeghi has followed the same order in his translation for the book, and accordingly, the translation of the book has been done according to the chapters and divisions of the Arabic text, and the translator has made the book ready for use only by revising and editing his translation. As a result, at the beginning of each volume, the author has explained some parts of the sermons of Imam Ali (AS), and in the second part, he has provided a description of the sermons or statements based on the topics raised.
Since the sermons of Imam Ali (AS) have a seal and a special style that distinguishes them from the sermons of other orators, many writers and scholars have tried to write separate books and independent divans about them. Over time, the attribution of the contents of Nahj al-Balagheh to Imam Ali has become a place of doubt for scholars and researchers, which Ibn Abi al-Hadid has discussed in his interpretation.
If you reflect on Nahj al-Balagha, you will find that its sentences have a single clarity, a single breath, and a single style, like a simple object, some of which do not differ from others in nature, or like the Qur’an, whose beginning is like its middle, and its middle is like its end.
Layeghi has put his explanations about the book and the translated text or the comments needed about the book in the text in such a way that the audience can easily distinguish the additional explanations of the translator from the original text.
The book also uses two separate indexes. The first list of the book is based on the sermons and the numbers of the sermons and the second list is based on the topics raised in Nahj al-Balaghah. Based on this, the audience can easily find the desired sermon based on the sermon number and the subject of the sermon separately.