Elements of educational reforms of Imam Ali (A.S) based on Nahj al- Balaghah

Imam Ali (A.S) accepted to lead the Muslim community (as a Caliph) after the teachings of Islam had already gone astray due to (policy of) the previous rulers, therefore, he proceeded to make corrective actions in the affairs of society. One of the instances of going astray was that the value of rationality and acquiring knowledge had been ruined. Educational reform includes correction of those sections of the culture that are related to learning and acquiring knowledge, and are beyond the realm of policy, economy, social relations and virtues. Imam Ali’s goal in this reform was to train people in such a way that they may do thinking about all affairs and take action only when they have acquired enough awareness. His method, after generating motivation, was to supply people with insight so that they may be able to recognize the true teachings by the assistance of revelation, intellect, inner nature and other sources. To practice according to one’s knowledge (or what one preaches) and to reach God wariness constitute a result in lines with the final goal namely sincere servantship (ubūdiyya) and is among the goals of the Imam in his educational reforms. Having applied a historical-analytical approach, this study refers to the intellectual deviations of that time and the cases that contRaḍīct the task of acquiring knowledge, and then explains Imam Ali’s instructions for correcting them. Education in Nahj al-Balaghah has no specific limits; it includes learning whatever knowledge that conducts men towards sincere servantship in this world and the world to come.