Analyzing the structure identification of Bahj al-Ṣabāghah fī Sharḥ Nahj al-Balāghah

Bahj al-Ṣabāghah fī Sharḥ Nahj al-Balāghah was compiled by late Allamah Shaykh Muhammad Taqī Shūshtarī (d. 1415/1995). This erudite scholar, who is an expert in jurisprudence, rijāl science, tarājim (biographies) and hadith, and has authored tens of volumes of scholarly writings in these four fields, has created a turning point in compiling commentaries on Nahj al-Balaghah by writing this commentary in fourteen relatively thick volumes. This article intends firstly to present the general specifications, as well as style of the book and secondly to study the methodology of the book from two matchless aspects. The first aspect is the thematic classification of Nahj al-Balaghah which has been accomplished by late Allamah Shoushtari in sixty chapters, each of which containing a specific subject. These subjects totally cover 933 titles. The second aspect is explaining the Nahj al-Balaghah by Nahj al-Balaghah or the words of Imam Ali (A.S). By applying this method the Allamah has provided a tradition-based commentary and establishment of a hadith family out of the words of the Commander of the Faithful (A.S) and has made use of this method as a solution for a correct explanation of.