Discourse Analysis of Letter 31 of Nahj al-Balagha Based on Norman Fairclough’s Model

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

askar babazadeh aghdam ¹

ebrahim namdari ²

¹ Associate Professor of Arabic Language and Literature, University of Quranic Sciences and Education, Qom, Iran

² Associate Professor of Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, Ayatollah Borujerdi University, Broojerd, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jall.2026.98047.1639

Abstract

Letter 31, addressed to Imam Hasan (peace be upon him), is one of the most significant Islamic texts, containing Imam Ali’s (peace be upon him) moral, educational, political, and economic instructions, including significant ideological and behavioral themes, and can be examined from many angles and can be used as a model for many intellectual and practical systems. This study uses Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model to examine the structures of power, ideology, and mechanisms of discourse influence. The research adopts a qualitative approach based on textual and linguistic content analysis. The findings indicate that Imam Ali (peace be upon him), through key concepts such as justice, fear of God, the ruler’s responsibility, and the people’s rights, constructs a moral and political discourse that legitimizes political authority while critiquing unjust practices. This letter recommends respecting people’s rights and avoiding oppression, and highlights linguistic structures that reinforce moral and social norms, indicating a balance between power and responsibility. Furthermore, the analysis shows that this letter, beyond conveying ethical messages, establishes a critical discourse on the political and social conduct of its time and presents ideal behavioral patterns for governance. This study highlights that Critical Discourse Analysis serves as an effective tool for uncovering the hidden dimensions of power and ideology in religious and historical texts, thereby deepening our understanding of the influence of religious texts on society and culture.

Keywords

Imam Ali (Peace be upon him)

Nahj al-Balagha

letter 31

discourse analysis

Norman Fairclough

Subjects

• Linguistics

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