The Effect of Nahj-ul-Balagha on Saadi’s Boostan

Islamic texts have been proved to have great effects on Persian literary texts and this can be seen in almost every literary work. Among these texts, the most influential have been the Holy Quran, Hadith, and Nahj-ul-Balagha. Many Persian writers and poets have endeavored to make use of Islamic texts, particularly the teachings of Nahj-ul-Balagha as much as possible due to its highly eloquent position and its comprehensive account of religious, social, cultural, political, and ethical issues. They have tried to get inspired by the style used in dealing with such issues and put them into practice while writing and composing; hence, guarantee their living an immortal life just as Nahj-ul-Balagha which is certain to survive as long as the earth and the heavens exist. Among the Persian writers and poets, Saadi was remarkably influenced by Nahj-ul-Balagha to the extent that it has been considered to be the most important and comprehensive model (following Qoran) for Saadi. The methodology used was descriptive-analytical. The results indicate that Saadi was profoundly influenced by Nahj-ul-Balagha. There were 260 items of direct and 600 items of indirect influences from Nahj-ul-Balagha in Saadi’s writings. Furthermore, in his book Boostan, Saadi used Imam Ali’s remarks in Nahj-ul-Balagha and, undoubtedly, one of the secrets for the immortality of Saadi and his legacy has been the effect of this invaluable book and mining its treasures.