Conflict Management Strategies in Nahj al-Balaghah

Conflict is a natural and inevitable part of human daily life, and every human being has to face it. It is a phenomenon that has two dimensions, positive and negative, and due to its quantitative, qualitative, and temporal scope, it has always been of interest, and different views have been formed regarding its nature and management strategies. The present research was conducted with a descriptive-analytical method and using library sources that included the equivalent keywords of conflict in Nahj al-Balaghah, i.e., dispute, quarrel, discord, dispersion, and hatred. Then, the obtained data were classified based on thematic and content relationships along the two axes of conflict sources and management methods. According to the findings, functional and non-functional conflict with two positive and negative aspects necessitated different management strategies, such as demanding, avoiding, and solving. Each of the conflict management methods is suggested based on divine motivation, compliance with moral and legal principles, and in line with the principles governing communication. These strategies can be operationalized in terms of four axes and context: conflicting group, subject, source, level of conflict, and hierarchy. It should be noted that the impact of context is not the same in all strategies; in some, the type of conflicting group is basically influential, while in others, situational contexts or the type of issue are decisive. Considering the scope of conflict management in Nahj al-Balaghah and its design based on the observance of ethical and legal principles, this issue can be a well-reasoned basis for presenting human theories and their application.