The “controversial” Nahjul Balagha which has been published by Sultania Book Depot Gow Kadal Srinagar in 2016 has been tagged “fake” by some Shias. The said book is clearly mentioning the name “Nahjul Balagha” on the cover. The book needs an intellectual and logical approach rather than an emotional one. I have seen and superficially read the book by which I can say that Publisher or translator or compiler have not tampered the sermons, letters and sayings of Imam Ali (as) although sermons etc have been shortened or clipped in most cases. To claim that they have distorted the original book it needs to go through every single word translated by the translator.
The book contains the Arabic text and has been translated in Urdu by Mufti Mohammad Wasim Akram Al Qadri. The Pakistani author/translator belongs to moderate Sunni Bralvi school of thought and has also written books about Sufism like "Karamaati Sufiya" and "Faizani Sufiya". The said book clearly mentions that they have taken only excerpts from the Original Nahjul Balagha. In short he uses the name "Nahjul Balagha" but has choosen the selected contents of sermons, letters and sayings of Imam Ali (as) with a preface by the title “Seerat Ali Murtaza (ra)” and has added some contents like wills & advices, prayers, oaths & agreements of Imam Ali (as) in the book.
Nahj al-Balagha was compiled by tenth century scholar Sharif Razi, over 300 years after Ali. Until then the sermons had been transmitted orally, between the generations and the wording was therefore open to change and misinterpretation. Since the original Nahjul Balagah is a literary work meant to demonstrate Ali ibn Abi Talib's eloquence, it does not gather all of Ali's sermons. Instead, only segments deemed to possess greater literary value are included. After Sharif Razi an alternative addition and sourcing of the book's content by various Shia & Sunni writers represents all of ‘Ali's extant speeches, sermons, decrees, epistles, prayers, and sayings that were found by them.
Nahj al Balagha compiled by Sharif Razi is a collection of 241 sermons, 79 letters, and 489 utterances. As per each new publishing versus past volumes, the number of sermons, letters and sayings has varied from 238 to 241, 77 to 79, and 463 to 489, respectively. In this Urdu translation translator has put 199 sermons, 54 letters & 487 sayings and added 14 wills & advices, 11 prayers and 4 oaths & agreements which generally have been taken from the sermons & letters.
What has become controversial about the book is basically that part of the book which translator has added as the introduction & life of Hazrat Ali (as).
People have every reason to get emotional when they are told that controversial matters have been added in the main text and Nahjul Balagha has been distorted (Tehreef) by the publisher. We usually see in all the Urdu or English Nahjul Balagaha's that there is always a foreward or preface which represents the ideology, opinion and views of the author but that cannot be taken as part of the original book. Original Nahjul Balagah is only sermons etc of Imam Ali (as) and other things are from the publishers or translators.
In this said preface which include life, family & 50 prophetic traditions about Imam Ali, translator has included things as per his own belief, ideology, history & traditions. One example is that Imam Ali (as) married his daughter Umi Kulsum to Hazrat Umar. Apart from these fabricated matters, they at the same time have included some facts, real evidences & traditions about Imam Ali (as) which the present day Salafies totally refuse and reject like immediate Caliphate of Imam in Sunni traditions especially Hadees Ghadeer, knowledge, miracles & other virtues of Imam and greatness & superiority of Maula Ali (as) over other companions of the prophet (saw).
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