Mīzān al-Ḥikma

The Most Eloquent Speech

Volume 1 7 narrations

In this chapter

hadith 964
Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Eloquence is that which is easy [for the speaker] to pronounce and light on the [listeners] intellect.
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): البَلاغةُ ما سَهُلَ على المَنطِقِ وخَفَّ على الفِطْنَةِ.
hadith 965
Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Eloquence is to answer without delay, and to be correct without mistakes.
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): البَلاغةُ أنْ تُجِيبَ فلا تُبْطئَ، وتُصِيبَ فلا تُخْطئَ.
hadith 966
Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Brevity may suffice in accomplishing eloquence.
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): قد يُكْتَفى مِن البَلاغةِ بالإيجازِ.
hadith 967
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Eloquence is not exemplified by the sharpness of the tongue, nor through excess babbling; rather it is through capturing the intended meaning and aiming at the proof.
الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لَيسَتِ البَلاغَةُ بحِدَّةِ اللِّسانِ ولا بِكَثْرةِ الهَذَيانِ، ولكنَّها إصابةُ المَعنى وقَصْدُ الحُجّةِ.
hadith 968
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Eloquence lies in three things: coming close to the intended meaning, avoiding waffling, and communicating more meaning in fewer words.
الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ثلاثةٌ فيهِنَّ البَلاغةُ: التّقَرُّبُ مِن معنى البُغْيةِ، والتَّبَعُّدُ مِن حَشْوِ الكلامِ، والدَّلالةُ بالقليلِ على الكثيرِ.
hadith 969
Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The most expressive eloquence lies in that which is metaphorically correct and easy to grasp, and that which is pleasantly brief.
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أبلَغُ البَلاغةِ ما سَهُلَ في الصَّوابِ مَجازُهُ وحَسُنَ إيجازُهُ .
hadith 970
Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The best speech is that which is decorated by a pleasant structure and is understood by the elite as well as the laymen.
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أحسَنُ الكلامِ ما زانَهُ حُسْنُ النِّظامِ، وفَهِمَهُ الخاصُّ والعامُّ.