Comparing the Lexical Layer Style Speeches and Letters of Nahj Al-balagha A Case Study of 15 Sermon and 15 Political, Social and Ethical Letters

Surface layer style of vocabulary of the language, which organizes the stylistic analysis, is of paramount importance because words are the most important tools of literary texts which have a considerable role in ideology. In fact, the selection and arrangement of special words make the unique and personal style of the writer. Nahj Al- balagha as one of the unique masterpieces of humanity after the Quran has played a key role in world literature. Undoubtedly, choice of words has a significant impact on immortality. Therefore, using a descriptive - analytic method, the present study aimed to compare the formal and colloquial features of 15 sermons with 15 social, political, and ethical letters from Nahj al-Balagha.  It aims to discover the moral and stylistic differences in spoken and written words of Imam Ali (AS), expressed through sensory and intellectual terms, expressed or implied, marked and unmarked to discover situational context. Findings indicate that the choice of abstract, marked or implied words in sermon is more than that of letters. In contrast, the high frequency of concrete, explicit, and unmarked has made the letter styles more scientific. Choice of words in spoken and written styles of Nahj al-Balagha has been directly influenced by situational context words.