Exploring Reasons of Diversity in Imam Ali's Words about People of Kufa

Imam Ali chose Kufa as the base of Caliphate in 35 AH/655 AD. Since the newly established city with a totally emigrated population reflected a variety of political, social and cultural viewpoints, events of Kufa both shows the situation facing Imam Ali in that period and helps understanding his words and sayings. Studying circumstances of Kufa during reign of Imam Ali as the social and cultural context of his words will therefore guide us to discovering the reasons of the diversity in his words about people of Kufa and help us better understand what he said. This paper aims to explore characteristics and traits of people of Kufa as described by Imam Ali in Nahj al-Balaghah. Imam Ali has praised them in some occasions and blamed them in some other. This paradox in Imam’s words in fact reflects the mixed stances taken by the people toward events of the time. The present paper intends to explore the reasons of this diversity in Imams words by considering the social, political and cultural circumstances of the time.