An study of the techniques of convincing addressee in the letters of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) in Naj al-Balāgha (A Case Study of the Letter 45)

Convincing addressee has been and still is one of the best means of influence on the other persons. It is an effective figurative device for impact on the addressees. This device enumerated as the basic axis in conveying ideas and realization of goals between the speaker and addressee through means of convincing and excitement. Firm argumentation and reasoning is one of the distinguished characteristics of this communicative attitude. The present article studies some simple instances of the convincing addressees processes in the sayings of an orator most benefited from this literary device, because his letters are full of material in terms of form, theme and integrity between elements and relations, and the text manifests as an integrate and harmonious whole. This article studies argumentation and convincing addressee in his letter to Oṯmān bin Ḥonaif (one of his appointees) and seeks to study in descriptive-analytic method, how convincing techniques and processes are applied in the structure of this letter. Some of the consequences of the study are: the letter gives the addressee a deep and new attitude and worldview; The letter has an argumentative nature and Imam tries to execute his objectives through convincing and his eloquent language is equipped with several ways. In addition, the writer and sender of the letter sometimes praises and sometimes blames himself within his communicative strategy. According to one of the strategies to communicate with the addressee, the speaker descends from his political and social status to have emotional contact and personal unity. The speaker's simile pictures that are based on various forms lead the addressee to have reaction in discovering shared string between these forms.