Nahj al-Balagha

The book “Nahj al-Balagha” is a collection of selected sayings by Sayyid al-Sharif al-Radi from the words of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (may God be pleased with him), in sermons, exhortations, wisdom, and other topics.
This book includes Sheikh Muhammad Abduh’s commentary on Nahj al-Balagha, divided into four parts. Part One: The Selected Sermons and Commands of the Commander of the Faithful (may God be pleased with him), comprising 122 sermons. Part Two: The Speeches and Sermons of the Commander of the Faithful on Various Issues, comprising 241 sermons. Part Three: The Selected Books of the Commander of the Faithful and His Letters to His Enemies and the Emirs of His Country, comprising 79 books. The fourth and final part is devoted to the Selected Sayings and Exhortations of the Commander of the Faithful (may God be pleased with him), including selected answers to his questions and short speeches that address all of his topics. In addition, it includes a section on selecting unusual words from his speech that require interpretation.
Sheikh Muhammad Abduh says in his commentary on Nahj al-Balagha, “.” I was driven to accompany my reading with review and my examination with revelation, and to comment on some of its vocabulary, explain some of its sentences, and specify some of its allusions, stopping at the limit of need for what I intended, concise in the statement as much as I could, relying in that on the famous books of language and the well-known authentic reports. I did not attempt to correct or criticize what was narrated from the Imam on the issue of the Imamate, but rather left it to the reader to judge it after turning to the principles of the known schools of thought therein, and the transmitted reports that bear witness to them. However, I did not avoid interpreting the expression and clarifying the allusion. I do not want in this matter except to preserve what I remember and mention what I have memorized, to protect against forgetfulness and guard against deviation. I have sought nothing from the book except what relates to the articulation of sublime meanings in refined expressions, in every genre of speech. This goal is sufficient for me, for myself and for those who read it among the masters of the Arabic language.