Imam Ali and His Wisdom for the Interreligious Life

By Zeyneb Sayilgan

Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib is a continuing source of inspiration and guidance for Muslims around the world. Imam Ali is a central figure in both Sunni and Shia traditions and was the fourth caliph of Islam. He is considered the first Shia Imam.

His most famous work – the Nahj al-Balāgha (Arabic: “the path of eloquence”) – is acknowledged both by Sunni and Shia communities as a significant contribution to Islamic thought and culture. Nahj al-Balāgha is particularly revered in Shia Islam, the text is considered a masterpiece of eloquence and wisdom. The collection contains sermons, letters and sayings on many themes like ethics, justice, spirituality and wisdom. The following provide a taste on the richness of his writings:

1. On Ethics: Do, may God look after you, righteous deeds, tread the paths of what is permissible, put what is prohibitive aside and abandon it, listen to the command of God and realize it, keep in touch with your kinsfolk and look after them, disobey your inclinations and curb them, give your daughters by way of marriage to the people of righteousness and piety, and stay away from the folks who sport and who covet, so your marriage ties will produce the most pure of freemen, the most eminent descent, those who will let you achieve your dreams.
2. On Justice: Do justice for God and do justice towards the people, as against yourself, your near ones and those of your subjects for whom you have a liking because if you do not do so you will be oppressive, and when a person oppresses the creatures of God then, instead of His creatures, God becomes his opponent, and when God is the opponent of a person He tramples his plea; and he will remain in the position of being at war with God until he gives it up and repents. Nothing is more inducive of the reversal of God’s bounty or for the hastening of His retribution than continuance in oppression, because God hears the prayer of the oppressed and is on the look out for the oppressors.
3. On Spirituality: I praise the One Whose boon is great, whose blessing overwhelms, whose mercy is faster than His anger, the One whose word is perfect, whose will is affected, whose argument is wise, whose case is just. I praise Him like one recognizing His Godhead, submissive while adoring Him, dissociating himself from his sin, recognizing His Unity, seeking refuge with Him against His warning, hopeful for the mercy of his Lord that saves him on a Day when everyone will be distracted even from his offspring and tribe. We seek His help, guidance and directions. We believe in Him and depend on Him. I have testified to Him as a sincere and convinced servant; I recognize His Uniqueness as a pious believer, and I have recognized His Unity like a submissive servant.
4. On Wisdom: Remember that this world which you covet so ardently and attempt to acquire so earnestly, and which sometimes annoys you and sometimes pleases you so much, is neither your home nor a permanent destination. You have not been created for it, nor invited to it as your resting-place. It shall neither remain with you for ever, nor will you remain in it eternally. If it has enticed you away with its charrns, it has also warned and cautioned you of real dangers lurking in its folds. Take account of the warnings it has given you and do not be seduced or deceived by its allurements. Let these warnings frighten you from being too greedy to possess it. Try to advance towards the place where you are invited for eternal bliss and turn your face away from the vicious world.

Interpretations of Nahj al-Balāgha can differ significantly between Sunni and Shia scholars. Shia scholars typically view the text as central to understanding Imam Ali’s role as a divinely appointed leader, while Sunni interpretations may focus more on its philosophical and ethical teachings rather than its sectarian implications. Famous Sunni scholars like Muhammad Abduh and Shia scholars like Ibn Abu Al-Hadid offered their own commentaries on Imam Ali’s magnum opus. Al-Hadid’s work is considered the most widely known and best written commentary.

Out of Imam Ali’s many reflections on interreligious life, this one in particular has always guided me in my own quest for seeking better understanding among communities:

Remember, people are of two kind: either your siblings in faith or your equals in humanity. Regardless of the many unique and important differences among people, one can always affirm the unity and shared bond within the human family. Imam Ali encourages his fellow human beings to focus on the elements that connect us instead of those that divide us. Faith-based sisterhood and brotherhood opens the door to countless connections while securing rights for those who are religiously unaffiliated. The clear tone of simple mercy, kindness and equality to all is echoed in these words.

Each human being is unique and special. Yet, we are all fashioned the same way. This sentiment is an echo of the Qur’anic teaching regarding the creation of the human being, which reminds us that our ultimate origin is the same: We created the human being from an essence of clay, then We placed him as a drop of fluid in a safe place, then We made that drop into a clinging form, and We made that form into a lump of flesh, and We made that lump into bones, and We clothed those bones with flesh, and later We made him into other forms––glory be to God, the best of creators! (Qur’an 23:12-14).

We may come from different cultures, speak different languages and be of different complexions and colors, yet, we are in need of the same basic necessities for life and aspire to the same goals of love, freedom, justice and safety for all.

While being authentically rooted in his own Muslim tradition, Imam Ali was open to engagement with others. He exemplified principles of justice and fairness in his interactions with people of diverse backgrounds and remains a paragon of this Qur’anic wisdom, O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most righteous among you. God is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.

• Dr. Zeyneb Sayılgan is the Muslim Scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore. Her experience of being born and raised in Germany as the daughter of Muslim immigrants from Türkiye informs her work on Christian-Muslim relations

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