<>
Volume 8, Issue 2 (5-2025)
JSAL 2025, 8(2): 91-114 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Arefi A, Karimpour Kasin R. (2025). A Study of the Representation of Justice and the Critique of Governmental Power in Letter 45 of Nahj al-Balagha Based on Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis [In Persian]. JSAL. 8(2), 91-114.
URL: http://jsal.ierf.ir/article-1-193-en.html
URL: http://jsal.ierf.ir/article-1-193-en.html
1- PhD in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran
2- MA student in Arabic Language and Literature, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran ,rezakarimpor1381@gmail.com
2- MA student in Arabic Language and Literature, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran ,
Abstract: (1914 Views)
This study applies Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework to explore the representation of justice and the critique of governmental power in Letter 45 of Nahj al-Balagha, authored by Imam Ali (AS) and addressed to Uthman ibn Hunayf, the governor of Basra. Nahj al-Balagha, a seminal Islamic text compiling Imam Ali’s sermons, letters, and sayings, is celebrated for its profound ethical, political, and social insights. Letter 45 stands out for its critique of a governmental official’s conduct and its advocacy for simplicity and justice, making it an exemplary case for analyzing Imam Ali’s critical discourse. The research addresses two key questions: 1) How are justice and the critique of power articulated through linguistic styles in Letter 45, as per Fairclough’s descriptive level of CDA? 2) How does the interplay of language, society, and power manifest in the letter through Fairclough’s three-tiered analytical framework? The methodology employs Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, encompassing description (textual analysis), interpretation (discourse production and reception), and explanation (socio-historical context). At the descriptive level, the analysis focuses on linguistic features, including value-laden vocabulary such as taqwa (piety), justice, and asceticism, alongside imperative and interrogative syntactic structures, and rhetorical devices like metaphors, parallelism (saj), and antithesis. These elements frame justice as a divine and actionable principle while condemning official misconduct. For instance, metaphors likening the world to a “bitter acorn” underscore the transience of material wealth, reinforcing the call for simplicity. At the interpretive level, the study situates the letter within the socio-historical context of Imam Ali’s caliphate (35–40 AH), a period marked by class disparities, aristocratic influence, and administrative corruption. The letter’s multifaceted tone—authoritative, advisory, and emotive—directly addresses Uthman ibn Hunayf while implicitly engaging the broader Islamic community, urging adherence to justice and accountability. At the explanatory level, Letter 45 is examined as a social act that promotes a justice-oriented discourse, challenging the hegemonic structures of aristocracy and corruption prevalent in Basra. By redefining officials as public servants, the letter fosters social cohesion and bolsters the legitimacy of Imam Ali’s governance.The findings reveal that Letter 45 employs sophisticated linguistic and discursive strategies to advocate justice and critique power. Religious lexicon, rhetorical questions, and contrasting imagery (e.g., “needy versus affluent”) expose social inequalities and critique corrupt practices, while the authoritative tone underscores accountability. The letter’s ideological impact, achieved by intertwining religious and governance principles, counters materialistic hegemony and promotes a cohesive, justice-driven society. Its relevance extends to contemporary challenges, such as economic inequality, governmental transparency, and accountability, offering a timeless model for political reform. By addressing the scarcity of independent analyses of Letter 45, this study deepens the understanding of Nahj al-Balagha’s enduring values and their applicability to modern political discourse. Future research could explore comparative analyses of other letters in Nahj al-Balagha or examine contemporary discourses inspired by Ali’s justice-oriented framework
Keywords: Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 45, Critical Discourse Analysis, Social Justice, Norman Fairclough
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Discourse Analysis
Received: 2025/03/25 | Accepted: 2025/05/31 | Published: 2025/05/31
Received: 2025/03/25 | Accepted: 2025/05/31 | Published: 2025/05/31
References
1. Nahjul-Balagha
2. Al-Amali, H., (1424). Minhaj al-Baraa'ah in the Explanation of Nahjul-Balagha. Beirut: Dar Ihya' al-Turaht al-Arabi. [In Arabic]
3. Al-Zarkali, K., (2002). Al-Alam, 15th edition. Beirut: Dar al-Alam llamlayin. [In Arabic]
4. Dad, S,. (2013). Dictionary of Literary Terms, 6th edition. Tehran: Morvarid. [In Persian]
5. Dashti, M., (2000). Translation of Nahj al-Balagha. Qom: Mashhoor.
6. Fairclough, N., (1990). Critical Discourse Analysis, translated by Fatemeh Shayestpiran, Tehran: Media Studies Center. [In Persian]
7. Fallah, E. & Shafi' Pour, S. (2018). "Critical Discourse Analysis of Sura "Shams" Based on the Model of Fairclough". Journal of Qur'anic Interpretation and language, 7(1), pp. 29-42. DOI: 10.30473/quran.2018.5210 [In Persian]
8. Fattahi, S., (2008), "Discourse of Power in the Thought of Michel Foucault", Quarterly Encyclopedia, 4, pp. pp. 65-73. [In Persian]
9. foadian, M. H., dorostkar, H. and Taghizadeh, M. (2021). "Literary Discourse Analysis of Fatimah Al-Zahra's Sermon in Front of Muhajirun and Ansar Women". Literary Studies of Islamic texts, 7(22), pp. 43-67. DOI: 10.22081/jrla.2022.62022.1343 [In Persian]
10. Ghahremani, A., & Fazel Bidar. (2019). "Critical Discourse Analysis in Nahj al-Balagha Based on Norman Fairclough's Theory (Case Study of Imam Ali's (AS) Sermons During the Khawarij Sedition)". Imamiyyah Research Journal, 5(9), pp.175-198. [In Persian]
11. Jurgens, M., & Phillips, Louise. (2015). Theory and Method in Discourse Analysis, Translator: Hadi Jalili, Tehran: Ney Publishing. [In Persian]
12. Kalantari, A., (2012). Discourse from three perspectives: linguistic, philosophical and sociological. Tehran: Sociologists' Publishing. [In Persian]
13. Kamaljoo, M., & Atharinia, Maryam. (2019). "Analysis and Study of the Discourse of the Novel Sukhb al-Bahaira by Muhammad al-Basaty (in the Light of Norman Fairclough's Critical Approach)". Journal of Fiction, 8(4), pp. 75-91. DOI: 22126.10/rp.2020.4848.1197 [In Persian]
14. Khakpour, H., & Lotfi, Maryam. (2019). "Analysis of the critical discourse of Imam Hassan Mujtaba after the death of the Prophet Muhammad based on Fairclough's theory". Literary Studies in Islamic Texts, 4(4), pp. 137-158. [In Persian]
15. Makarik, I., (2006). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theories, translators: Mehran Mohajer and Mohammad Nabavi. Tehran: Agah Publishing. [In Persian]
16. Mohseni, A. A. and parvin, N., (2017) "A study of critical discourse in Nahj al-Balagha based on Norman Fairclough's theory (a case study of Kufian description)". Imam Ali ΄s Studies, 6(12), pp. 133-155. [In Persian]
17. Mohseni, S., (2012). "A Study in the Theory and Method of Fairclough's Discourse Analysis". Social and Cultural Knowledge, 3(3), pp. 63-86. [In Persian]
18. Molla Ebrahimi, E., & Abiary Ghamsari, M. (2016). "Critical analysis of power discourse in Zeinab Habash's poems". Journal of Woman in Culture and Arts, 8(2), pp. 265-280. DOI: 10.22059/jwica.2016.60318 [In Persian]
19. Muosavi Bafroei, S. M. , Zarezardini, A. , Zarei Mahmmodabadi, H. and Esna Ashari, F. (2020). "Analysis of Policy Basics of Imam Ali (AS) in the letter 64 Nahj al-Balaghah by Modeling the Fairclough Method "Critical Discourse Analysis", Studies on Understanding Hadith, 7(1), pp. 207-229. DOI: 10.30479/mfh.2020.2256 [In Persian]
20. Salami Ostad, M., Jamshidi, M. H. , Bahrami Khorshid, S. and Eslami, M. (2020). "The Function of Language as a Security Tool: Analysis of King Salman's Speech at the Riyadh Summit", Iranian Research letter of International Politics, 8(2), pp. 139-170. DOI: 10.22067/ijip.v8i2.85195 [In Persian]
21. Schleiger, Allen Gould. (1987), "Towards a Semiotics of Authoritarian Discourse", Dar al-Bayda: Bayt al-Hikma Journal, 5(2), , pp. 135-147. [In Arabic]
22. Shirzadi, M., Mohammad Hossein, S. and Rastegar Haghighi Shirazi, Z. (2025). "Critical Discourse Analysis of the Representation of the Day of Judgment in the Qur'an and Nahj al-Balagha and Its Role in the Production of Political Legitimacy". Contemporary Political Studies, (Articles ready for publication). [In Persian]
23. Soltani, S., (2008). Power, Discourse and Language. Tehran: Nay Publications. [In Persian]
24. Tajik, M., (2004). Discourse, Counter-Discourse and Politics. Tehran: Institute of Research and Humanities. [In Persian]
25. Zokaei, A., Sayadinejad, R. and Eghbali, A. (2020). "Discourse Analysis of the Tenth Letter of Nahj al-Balagha Based on Norman Fairclough's Pattern". Arabic Literature, 12(2), pp. 63-83. DOI: 10.22059/jalit.2019.257787.611906 [In Persian]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |