Influence of Imam Ali’s Words upon the Poetry of Mahmood Warraq

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Abstract

As Imam Ali’s precious words, which are endowed with sublime ethical and religious concepts, have been fountainhead of rhetoric, a good number of scholars and poets have attempted to manifest literal and thematic beauty in their works through memorizing Imam’s speeches and benefitting from them. Such influence of Imam Ali’s language and thoughts had a very special manifestation in the poetry of sharp-sighted poets. Mahmood Warraq (d. 221 A. H.) is among such poets whose strongest impression of Imam Ali’s words has manifested itself in changing Imam’s words, both literally and thematically, from prose to poetry. In addition to 21 thematic and 4 visual adaptations, the present research reveals 20 literal adaptations of Imam’s speeches in Warraq’s poetry in order to manifest another scene of profundity and extensivity of the influence as well as uncontested sovereignty of Imam Ali’s sagacious words in the world of eloquence.

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