In a weekly ethics class held every Thursday at madrasas across the region, Maulana Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi addressed female students at Zainabiya seminary, Lucknow, emphasizing Nahj al-Balagha as the premier source for understanding the eloquence and teachings of Amir al-Mu’minin Imam Ali (A.S).
The scholar, who has been actively promoting the text for several months, opened his lecture with Imam Ali’s famous declaration: “We are the sovereigns of the realm of speech.”
Highlighting the monumental role of Syed al-Radi, the compiler of Nahj al-Balagha a millennium ago, Maulana Rizvi noted that the work was produced in response to demands from ordinary believers. He also acknowledged contributions from Sunni scholars such as Ibn Abi al-Hadid al-Mu’tazili, Dr. Subhi Saleh, and Al-Jahiz, underscoring the text’s universal scholarly appeal. “It is our collective duty to promote Ali’s words,” he urged the students, recommending daily study of the book. Quoting Imam Khomeini, he described Nahj al-Balagha as a “healing balm” essential for both inner purification and outer refinement.
During the session, Maulana Rizvi referenced Sermon 107 to outline five virtues of the Ahlul Bayt. He showcased a newly published edition of Nahj al-Balagha by Kitabkhana Ilm-o-Danish, hailing it as the most prestigious printing of the text in India to date. Distribution efforts are underway, with copies reaching scholars, preachers, literati, and poets across provinces, cities, and even villages.
The lecture concluded with Maulana Rizvi, joined by Hawza Zainabiya faculty member Maulana Syed Siraj Ahmad and administrator Muhammad Mahdi, touring the institution’s library and offering guidance for its development.
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