The Rhetorical Structure of Governance and Strategic Planning Mechanisms in Nahjul Balagha

Abstract

Nahj al-Balagha represents an intellectual and rhetorical document with a comprehensive civilizational dimension, encompassing sermons, letters, and wisdom that embody the pinnacle of Arabic eloquence and the depth of human and political vision. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the rhetorical structure of Nahj al-Balagha as a mechanism for governance and strategic planning within it, as a text that combines moral values and administrative awareness, not to mention that it presents an integrated intellectual model for governance and administration. To reveal the effectiveness of Alawite discourse in constructing administrative and leadership concepts, such as justice, consultation, organization, accountability, planning, and human development, the study adopted the rhetorical analytical approach. The study concluded that the Imam (peace be upon him) employed brevity to establish the principles of good governance, adopted preemptive warning as a strategic tool to confront seditions before they occurred, used similes and metaphors to map crises and conflicts, and used repetition and rhythm as a means of mass mobility and prioritization. He also formulated a civilizational future vision based on three pillars: knowledge, scripture (revelation), and community unity. In his texts, eloquence is transformed into a tool for reforming the state and society. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the rhetorical structure in his approach (peace be upon him) is not merely an aesthetic goal, but rather a strategic means for managing political and social thought and behavior, making his administrative thought ahead of many modern theories of governance and strategic planning in its institutional awareness