Key Words: Tashif (Slip of Pen, Misspelling, Misplacement of Diacritical Marks etc.), Pathology of Hadith Comprehension, Hadith Scholarship, Hadith Analysis, Hadith Criticism.
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Imam Ali's Praise of the Second Caliph: A Hypothesis Assessment

Based on Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 228

Mahdi Mardani

There are some praising expressions and exaggerative descriptions in Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 288 in a way that some assumed that the reference here is to the second Caliph, and that these sentences have been uttered in his praise. This assumption made some Sunni and Shiite scholars have a critical view of this sermon. The author of the present paper views this sermon from three perspectives: identity of the described personality, adequacy of attributing this sermon to Imam Ali, peace b upon him, and his confirmation of this praise. The author has a textual and historical approach to this discussion. After investigating the views of Sunni and Shiite experts and evaluating the sources of this sermon, he concludes that these expressions are not from Imam Ali and he has just uttered what Ibna Abi Hathama had said in praise of the second caliph. However this does not indicate Imam Ali's approval of the second caliph.
Key Words: Imam Ali (peace be upon him), Second Caliph, Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 228.
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A Content-Wise Analysis of Hadith of the Blessed Community

Mahdi Jalali

Yunis Dehqani Faresani

The idea that the Islamic Community is a blessed community has taken from a group f hadiths which are centered on the phrase "umati umatun Marhuma" (My community is a blessed community) a saying from the Holy Prophet. What does the blessed community mean? Does it mean that there is no punishment for Muslim community and the pagan community will be punished instead? If it is so, this concept is in contradiction with the verses of the Holy Quran. The author of the present paper tries to reject this concept and give a clear picture of this hadith. He argues that some baseless presumptions have been added to this hadith in the recent centuries while they are not found in the early sources. This hadith indicates that the community of the Holy Prophet is a community deserving of intercession and God's Mercy.
Key Words: The Blessed Community, Content-Wise Analysis, Asl, Additions.
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