An Analysis of the Speech Act of Persuasion in the Qasi’a Sermon

A textual analysis of Nahj al-Balagha is one of the ways of understanding the hidden semantic layers of Amir al-Momenin’s speech, and it can discover the how of relationship between language and social context. In this descriptive-analytical study, the mechanisms of meaning generation in Amir al-Momenin’s persuasive speech acts in the Qasi’a sermon are explored; thus, based on Searle’s theory, Amir al-Momenin’s persuasive speech acts are reread regarding situational context. According to the findings, there are three persuasive orientations in the Qasi’a sermon, and they result into the indexing of one of the valuable dimensions of the teachings of Nahj al-Balagha. In the speech acts of the Qasi’a sermon, encouragement to humility, learning from warnings, and helping the Imam of era is highlighted. In studying the statements of the Qasi’a sermon, in accordance with the theory of speech acts, the process of correctly understanding and interpreting the statements is facilitated.