Reconstructing the Principles of Peace in the Light of Nahj al-Balagha

War and peace are key issues in international politics, drawing a variety of perspectives from scholars. It seems that in all schools of thought, peace is favored over war, and pacifism is widely accepted as a reasonable principle. Islam, being the final and complete divine religion, places particular emphasis on peace, considering it a core principle, a viewpoint that is also strongly reflected in the actions and teachings of the Imams (peace be upon them). Nahj al-Balagha, a collection of sermons, letters, and maxims attributed to Imam Ali (as), emphasizes the importance of peace. This study seeks to reconstruct the principles of pacifism through a descriptive and analytical examination of Imam Ali’s (as) discourses. The findings indicate that peace and reconciliation, which are often considered synonymous, are, in fact, distinct concepts. A close examination of Imam Ali’s (as) teachings reveals principles such as guidance, restraint, and prevention of war escalation, vigilance before and after peace agreements, delay of war to convince public to embrace peace and abandon conflict and finally, adherence to peace agreements constitute the framework of pacifism in his teachings.

Keywords:

peace , war , reconciliation , Imam Ali (AS) , Nahj al-Balagha