Imam Ali and Emotional Management From the " Shaqshaqiah" and " Jihad" sermons

Emotional Quotient (EQ) which is also known as emotional intelligence, is a psychological concept that deals with recognizing and controlling human emotions and impulses. The term EQ was first employed in 1990s by a psychologist named Frank Sulloway to define the quality of human understanding and emotion; a term that was well utilized in reference to an individual’s ability to empathize with others, and control impulses and temperaments. Emotion is a bridge that connects psychology to literature and is considered one of the four most important elements of literature that plays a vital role in literary pieces. The book of Nahjal-Balaghah, as a token of Imam Ali, is the source and origin of eloquence and rhetoric, and considered to be a most impressive literary and scientific work. A study of the sermons in Nahjal-Balaghah reveals that Imam Ali was did not only have individual and social competence, but also emotional intelligence, because his ability to identify and control his emotions is apparent in his management of affairs, advisory addresses, and complaints. An analysis of Imam Ali’s emotional quotient and impulse management through the two sermons of “Shaqshaqiah” and “Jihad” as selected samples of many documented instances, reveals the extent of his ability to manage his impulses and control his emotions successfully.