Imam Ali ΄s Studies

Imam Ali (PBUH) and the Persians’ Problem with Arabic Language

Document Type : .

Author

Abdolrahim Ghanavat

Associate Professor, Department of History and Civilization of Islamic Nations, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

10.30465/alavi.2025.49929.2672
Abstract
The subject of this study is the Persians’ problem with Arabic language in the center of Imam Ali’s government, Iraq. Imam Ali (PBUH) (Caliph from 35 to 40 AH) relocated his capital from Medina, Arabic Peninsula, to Iraq, a region whose old and newly built towns were inhabited by Arabs as well as by many Persians, a majority of who were his proponents. Historical evidence shows that the Persians had preserved their culture, especially their language, but had no command of Arabic language. Different aspects of this issue have been examined in the present study. The main research question is how important the Persians’ problem with the language was, and what remedies were considered for the problem. This study draws upon various library sources, describing and analyzing them within the framework of a socio-historical view. Research shows that despite some accounts to the effect that Imam Ali (PBUH) and Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali codified the Arabic grammar with the purpose of purifying the language, the two men’s main purpose in compiling the grammatical subject matter seem to have been to familiarize the Persians with the language, thereby removing the above-mentioned problem, so that the way would be paved for a closer communication with the Persians

Keywords

Imam Ali (PBUH)
the Persians
Arabic grammar
Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali

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