Imam Ali’s Exegetical Statements in Hadiqat al-Hikma al-Nabawiyya: A Compilation and Analytical Study

Objective: This study examines the interpretive sayings of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib in Hadiqat al-Hikma al-Nabawiyya fi Tafsir al-Arba'in al-Silaqiyya, a commentary on prophetic hadith by Imam Abdullah ibn Hamza ibn Sulayman. It seeks to collect, classify, and analyze these sayings and clarify the commentator's approach to citing them and employing them as interpretive evidence. The work was selected because of its importance among commentaries on al-Arba'in al-Silaqiyya and the prominent place it accords to Imam Ali's words in explaining prophetic teachings.
Method: The study adopts an inductive and analytical approach based on a comprehensive examination of the sayings attributed to Imam Ali throughout the commentary. It identifies their occurrences, assembles and classifies the material, and analyzes its use in interpreting prophetic hadith. The procedure combines the presentation of relevant passages with critical examination and commentary, focusing on explicit attribution, the materials cited, and their functions within the commentator's broader framework of argumentation.
Results: The findings show that the commentator explicitly names Imam Ali when citing his sayings and directly refers to Nahj al-Balagha. Within his evidentiary framework, Imam Ali's words occupy a position after the Quran and prophetic hadith. His engagement with this material extends beyond Nahj al-Balagha to poetry attributed to Imam Ali and stories and accounts concerning his life. These materials serve to clarify the meanings and purposes of prophetic hadith, demonstrating the range of sources through which the commentator draws on Imam Ali's interpretive authority.
Conclusion: The study concludes that Imam Ali's sayings constitute an important component of the commentary's interpretation of prophetic tradition. Their explicit attribution and varied forms illuminate the commentator's method of explanation and substantiation. Moreover, the author's standing as a trusted Zaydi scholar of the sixth and seventh Islamic centuries gives his explicit reliance on Nahj al-Balagha particular significance as supporting evidence for the attribution of its cited material to Imam Ali. The commentary thus merits attention as a source for studying the use and transmission of these sayings.