From Nahj al-Balāgha to Gulistan A Comparative Study of the Migration of Thoughts and Themes

It is doubtless that all poets and writers throughout history have been influenced by other poets, scholars and writers. All throughout the twentieth century, the French concept of 'comparative literature', given this human phenomenon of influencing others and being influenced by them, has resulted in extensive and invaluable studiesthat have in the first place attempted to illuminate the part played by French literary men and thinkers in the development of western culture and literature. An area of inquiry in comparative literature is the study of the ways literary men influence and are influenced by others. Given this key principle of influence– which is the basis of comparative literature in its classical sense – we can assert that a great many of Muslim poets and literary men have been influenced by the words of Imam Ali (PBUH) and have incorporated his words into their poems or writings. Sadi is one such great literary man. He has been inspired by the profound themes of Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, Arabic literature as well as the lofty views of Imam Ali (PBUH) and has merged all these with his amazing genius and sparkling wit to create universal elevated literature. Since the impact of Imam Ali's (PBUH) words on Sadi's work has been enormous, the present paper attempts to examine the influence of Nahj al-Balāgha on SadisGulistan.