Textual analysis of Nahjolbalaqa letters based on Bloom’s Cognitive Model

Abstract

The dominion of Islamic world is replete with varied theological and spiritual masterpieces. One such outstanding work which has outlived its own time and the passage of time has not been able to undermine its beauty is Nahjolbalaqa (a road to eloquence). Nahjolbalaqa, the collection of Imam Ali’s (peace be upon him) statements, consists of three different parts alternatively known as ‘Sermons’, ‘Letters’, and ‘Wisdom’. The main purpose of this exploratory study is the textual analysis of ‘letters’ of Nahjolbalaqa according to Bloom’s cognitive model. Based on Bloom’s taxonomy, there are six different cognitive levels commencing with the most concrete and gradually moving toward the more abstract end of the continuum. These levels are termed Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. In the current scrutiny, all the 79 ‘letters’ of Nahjolbalaqa, which amount to 255 titles if we consider their subcategories, have been analyzed according to Bloom’s model in an attempt to come up with a vivid elucidation of their characteristics. As the final analysis of the gained upshots revealed, the majority of ‘letters’ pored over were found to comply with the levels of evaluation and knowledge in Bloom’s model. Ultimately, it is hoped that the present study would prove helpful for commentators and all those who are in need of a deeper understanding of Nahjolbalaqa, particularly when it comes to finding out the corresponding level of abstraction for each individual ‘letter’.