Maryam Khosroabadi, Milad Ajami,
Volume 1, Issue 52 (winter 2023)
Abstract
The apparent content of the Qāṣiʿa sermon emphasizes the avoidance of division and addresses topics such as the greatness of the Lord, the condemnation of arrogance and pre-Islamic ethics, and the complete models of faith; however, based on the theory of critical discourse analysis by Foucault, this sermon exemplifies a new discursive order within the structure of power. The research question is how this new discursive order is derived from a sermon characterized by sharp and critical language. An examination of the "descriptive", "interpretive", and "explanatory" features of this sermon shows that Imam ʿAlī (AS) recreated the power relations and the position of political actors who challenged the "discursive order" of his caliphate with theological discussions (such as the bloody shirt of ʿUthmān, arbitration (Hakamiyat) and the slogan "there is no command but God’s (lā ḥokm illā li-llāh)" or the claim of forced allegiance (Bayʿah) to him) based on a "new discourse" in order to withstand any rebellion. The assassination of ʿUmar and ʿUthmān and the subsequent wars during Imam ʿAlī's (AS) caliphate indicate the weakening of the caliphate's position against other political participants. Therefore, the added value of using this approach in a deeper and multidimensional analysis of the Qāṣiʿa sermon is understood, which, from the perspective of power relations and social discourse, can enhance our understanding of the events of that time.
