Imam Ali ΄s Studies

The Structure of Power in the Sermon of Qāṣi'a: Reconstructing Shi’a Hegemony in Confrontation with Rival Discourses in Kufa

Document Type : .

Authors

Morteza Arab 1
Mohamad Molavi 2

1 Department of Theology, Faculty of Law and Theology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

2 Quran and Hadith Sciences Department, Imam Khomeini International University

10.30465/alavi.2025.52250.2737
Abstract
The Qas'ia sermon from Nahj al-Balagha is a discursive text delivered in Kufa after the Battle of Nahrawan (38 AH), engaging in opposition to rival Shi'i discourses (Ahl al-Saqifa, Shami, and Kharijite) to establish the hegemony of the Alid discourse. This study adopts a descriptive-analytical method and Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis framework to investigate the structures of power and ideology within the sermon. At the descriptive level, ideological vocabulary such as “humility” and “arrogance,” alongside grammatical constructions and conceptual metaphors, legitimizes the Shi'i discourse while associating rivals with deviation. At the interpretive level, Quranic references and interdiscursive conflicts, drawing on the religious culture of Kufans, reinforce Alid authority. At the explanatory level, by portraying opponents as followers of arrogance and misguidance, the sermon restructures Kufa’s social order and institutionalizes Shi'i identity as a resistance against deviation. The findings underscore the pivotal role of language in producing power, redefining social identities, and consolidating hegemony within Kufa’s historical-social context. This research highlights the significance of discourse analysis in understanding religious texts and their impact on social transformations.

Keywords

Nahj al-Balagha'
'Qas'ia sermon'
'critical discourse analysis'
'Fairclough'
'power'
'Hegemony'
'

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