An Analysis of the Pieces of Evidence Associated with Undermining and Strengthening Wisdom in Nahj-ul-Balagha

Wisdom is evidently a matchless ability that human beings have been endowed with. If continually in possession of such an invaluable gift, human beings can give more integration to their life while observing their eminence. Seeking wisdom has been underlined and ignoring it has been reproached in religious texts. Evidently, wisdom is likely to be degraded by destructive attractions with which human beings are surrounded. In the present study, which is focused on Imam Ali’s (PBUH) speech in Nahj-ul-Balagha, the following questions have been raised: How wisdom is treated by Imam Ali? What threats might undermine wisdom according to Imam Ali’s guidelines? What strategies have been put forward by Imam Ali to salvage wisdom from its destruction? Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, lust, arrogance, stubbornness, long-lasting desires, whims, joking a lot, temperament, chaos, light-heartedness, occasional silence have been singled out as the components causing severe damage to wisdom while courtesy, the invocation of God, seeking knowledge, seeking counseling, and following guiding lights have been traced as elements which are taken to offer more strength to wisdom.