1
Assistant Professor, Islamic Studies Department, Faculty of Management and Humanities, Chabahar University of Maritime and Marine Sciences, Iran.
2
PhD student in Governance, Cultural Governance major, Shahid Beheshti School of Governance, National Defense University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
One of the methods for proving the truthfulness of the Quran is investigating its various facets of inimitability . However, the reasons for overlooking the epistemological dimension of inimitability in early works, the significance of the ancestors' focus on the rhetorical aspect, and the cause of the monopoly of inimitability within the rhetorical dimension raise critical questions. Since the Imams (peace be upon him) are the only true guides to understanding the Quran, the way to transcend this narrow focus lies in returning to their discourse. Therefore, this study examines the discourse of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) as the witness to the revelation and the justice of the Quran. The aim of this research is to conduct a root-cause analysis to provide a way out of the monopoly of rhetorical inimitability in the early centuries and to quantitatively evaluate the components emphasized by the Imam regarding the epistemological dimension of inimitability in Nahj al-Balagha. The research employs the content analysis method, utilizing the complete collection of sermons with a statistical sample of 37 sermons. The results indicate that epistemological inimitability was indeed addressed by Imam Ali (peace be upon him)following the Prophet. Among 187 attributes of the Quran identified across 241 sermons, 91% emphasized the epistemological dimension, 14.7% the rhetorical dimension, and no attributes were attributed to the "intrinsic/formal" dimension. Furthermore, among the attributes related to the epistemological dimension, "Comprehensiveness" (86%) and the attributes of "Proof" and "Guidance" held the highest frequency in his discourse, signifying a strong emphasis on the epistemological dimension as the most significant facet of inimitability.
pahlavani, M. & razavi keneti, S. S. (2026). Breaking the Monopoly of Rhetorical Inimitability: A Quantitative Assessment of Epistemological Inimitability Components in Nahj al-Balagha. Nahjolbalagheh Research, 25(1), 115-146.
MLA
pahlavani, M., & razavi keneti, S. S. "Breaking the Monopoly of Rhetorical Inimitability: A Quantitative Assessment of Epistemological Inimitability Components in Nahj al-Balagha", Nahjolbalagheh Research, 25, 1, 2026, 115-146.
HARVARD
pahlavani M., razavi keneti S. S. (2026). 'Breaking the Monopoly of Rhetorical Inimitability: A Quantitative Assessment of Epistemological Inimitability Components in Nahj al-Balagha', Nahjolbalagheh Research, 25(1), pp. 115-146.
CHICAGO
M. pahlavani & S. S. razavi keneti, "Breaking the Monopoly of Rhetorical Inimitability: A Quantitative Assessment of Epistemological Inimitability Components in Nahj al-Balagha," Nahjolbalagheh Research, 25 1 (2026): 115-146,
VANCOUVER
pahlavani M., razavi keneti S. S. Breaking the Monopoly of Rhetorical Inimitability: A Quantitative Assessment of Epistemological Inimitability Components in Nahj al-Balagha. Nahjolbalagheh Research. 2026;25(1):115-146 (In Persian).