This research aims to interpret and analyze sermon 216 of Nahj al-Balagha. This sermon is considered one of the most important and richest sermons of Nahj al-Balagha, which provides a profound and comprehensive perspective on the ideology and intellectual system of Amir al-Mu'minin regarding governance and the relationship between the ruler and the people. In this study, Quentin Skinner’s intentionalist hermeneutic method has been used to analyze the sermon in order to understand the true intentions of Imam Ali(ra) in preaching it and gain an in-depth understanding of the concepts and themes hidden within it. According to Skinner’s method, the analysis of the sermon was carried out in five stages: The first stage examined the non-verbal communicative function of the sermon text and showed that articulating the concept of the bilateral flow of rights and responsibilities between rulers and people as well as guiding people towards this concept has been the primary concern of Imam Ali(ra) in this sermon. The second stage, through a precise examination of the historical context of that era, demonstrated that the main intention of Imam Ali(ra) in raising this concept was to return to the Prophetic tradition against the dominant Muawiyah-centered and ignorance-stricken culture of that time. In subsequent stages of analysis, it became clear that Imam Ali(ra), by deploying key concepts such as “perseverance”, “advice” and “cooperation”, has proposed a new norm in defining the relationship between the ruler and the people, which over time and with the full unity of the words and political actions of the Imam, has turned into a widespread and established norm in the history of Islamic civilization.