Analyzing the Expression “Baʿḍu al-Istibqāʾ” in Letter 73 of Nahj al-Balāqi through Criticizing the Views of Translators and Commentators

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Hossein Barati

Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Studies, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.

10.22067/jquran.2026.96505.1913

Abstract

Translators and commentators of Nahj al-Balāqi have interpreted the phrase “lawlā ba‘ḍu al-istibqāʾ lawaṣalat ilayka minnī qawāriʿu…” in Letter 73, particularly the term “al-istibqāʾ”, in different ways. The main question concerns Imam Alī’s intention (AS) in employing this term and its place within his political and ethical discourse. Uttered in the context of political dialogue and threat by Imam Ali (AS) against Muʿāwīyah, this phrase has been interpreted in different sources as “forbearance for communal benefit”, “avoidance of bloodshed”, “preservation of the Prophet and his household (Ahl al-Bayt) (AS) Tradition”, or “personal pardon toward Muʿāwīyah”. Using an analytical-critical method, this study aims to reconstruct the exact meaning of the phrase. By examining the lexical data, studying the historical usage of “al-istibqāʾ” in early texts and narrations, as well as analyzing parallel contexts in Nahj al-Balāqi, it becomes clear that the essential meaning of the term is “al-ibqā ̓ ʿalā al-ghayr bi al-ʿafw wa tark al-qatl”. Neglecting this fundamental denotation has led to misinterpretation and incorrect ta‘wīl among commentators and translators. According to the results, the Imam’s intended meaning of the term “baʿḍu al-istibqāʾ” was a kind of conscious and limited forgiveness and deliberate refraining from killing Muʿāwīyah to preserve the divine and moral reasoning (ḥujjat). From this perspective, the expression serves as an example of “ethical threat” within Nahj al-Balāqi, in which threat and forbearance are in judicious balance, thereby legitimizing the speaker’s authority within a divine and moral framework.

Keywords

Nahj al-Balāqi

Imam Ali (AS)

Letter 73

Baʿḍu al-istibqāʾ

Muʿāwīyah

Lexical analysis

Historical context

Subjects

• Quran and Hadith Studies

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