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Imamah
Ali Legitimizes Fallible Imams
We find in a couple of places in Nahjul Balagha quotes that legitimize the rule of fallible caliphs. In Saying #73, we find Ali giving advice to those that would one day assume power, “Whoever […]
Sahaba
Companions of the Prophet vs Companions of Ali
In continuation of the previous article in which we have listed some of the praise of Ali towards the Muhajireen and Ansar, in this article, we shall expand by listing a couple of examples in […]
Sahaba
Praise for the Muhajireen and Ansar
Most Shias are unaware that Nahjul Balagha contains explicit praise for the companions of the Prophet – peace be upon him – . Below, we shall list a few of these examples and we shall […]
Miscellaneous
Five Prayers Not Three
It is known that today most Shias pray at three different times each day. They combine the prayers of Thuhr and ‘Asr, then they combine the prayers of Maghrib and Isha’. This lenience by the […]
Imamah
Ali did not want the Caliphate
To completely understand the problems of Ali’s alleged divine appointing; we need to first understand how he dealt with the political changes of his time. His contradicting reactions show that he was only a pious […]
Knowledge and Infallibility of Imams
Ali has No Access to Angels
It is a common Shia belief that Ali bin Abi Talib and the other eleven Imams have access to angels. Shia narrations from their books of fiqh are filled with such examples. One of the […]
Knowledge and Infallibility of Imams
Fallibility of Al-Hasan
In one of the more heartwarming letters in Nahjul Balagha, we find a caring father Ali bin Abi Talib advising his son Al-Hasan after a life full of experiences and hardship. The letter to Al-Hasan […]
Sahaba
Omission of Al-Shareef Al-Radhi’s Commentary in Praise of Omar
Introduction There is a general acceptance that Nahjul Balagha is seen as a Shia text even though it does contain content that contradicts the Shi’ee perception of history and ideology. The reason for this is […]
Miscellaneous
The Throne of Allah
In the very first sermon in Nahjul Balagha, we find Ali bin Abi Talib – may Allah be pleased with him – describing the angels. Interestingly, his description clearly implies that the throne of Allah […]