The Peak of Eloquence

This great invaluable book (Nahj al-Balagheh) includes Imam Ali’s sermons, letters, the commandments and aphorisms; in Arabic which were collected by “Seyyed Razi”.

The author
Muhammad Ibn Abi Ahmad, known as “Seyyed Razi” and “Sharif Razi”, great Shia scholar and poet (966 – 1013), Baghdad – Iraq. He was born into a religious and educated family. Sharif Razi was sointrested in learning ####sciences from his childhood, so before the age of 20 he learnt: the Quran, Hadith, jurisprudence, rhetoric, grammar and syntax and soon became expert and proficient at teaching ; many students were educated in the presence of him and later they became great scholars. Seyyed Razi started interpreting the Quran in his youth and wrote a few books related to the Quran. His most significant work is "Peak of eloquence" (Nahj al –Balaqeh); in fact Sharif Razi is the first person who collected the sermons, letters and sayings of Imam Ali (p.b.u.h).

The book structure
The first chapter: the sermons and commandments
The second: the letters and recommendations
The third: the aphorisms and advice

The peak of eloquence contains wonderful sermons on: monotheism, justice, creation, men and women, virtue, reproaching some of the Prophet’s companions, the believers and hypocrites’ features, some of the Koranic verses explanation, on Umayyads, reminding people of death, the rules and nations, the ethical virtues and evils, consultation and repentance, gratitude and ingratitude for God’s blessing, the wise and ignorant, different kinds of Jihad and one hundred more subjects. It was undoubtedly collected by Seyyed Razi. It is attributed to his brother “Seyyed Murteza Alam al-Hoda” by mistake.

The peak of eloquence has a great importance among Shias and after the Holy Koran, it is the most important book to them. It is also concerned by Sunni scholars because of its eloquence. Different explanations have been written on this great book by both Shia and Sunni scholars. The most famous Shia explanation was done by “Qotb Ravandi” and that of Sunni by “Ibn Abi al-Hadid”. It has been published many times in Tehran, Ehypt, Istanbul, Beirut, etc.

The first Persian translation of Nahj la-Balagheh was done around 500 years after writing the book, in Safavid era. The oldest translations are belonged to “Mullah Fath Allah Kashani” and “Jalal al-Din Ardebili”.

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