Praise and Slander in the Words of Imam Ali
Praise, it is commending in tongue voluntarily good work on purpose. Also it is said that it is commending in tongue every good work, whether it is from the virtuous or the virtues.
As for slander, it is showing evil with the intent of blaming. Because reprehensible qualities are bad for the addressee, affecting him and appearing on his tongue, causing shame and slandering the one who is speaking.
Nahj al-Balagha was crowded with a style of praise and slander that possesses a broad range of connotations. So this gives the speaker a wide horizon in using it to perform his purposes. Also this style used by the Commander of eloquence and declaration, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) in his honorable approach was filled with connotations holding broad implications. So that he took the reader out of his narrow superficial level to the broad semantic horizon, which varies according to the pattern of reading. This variety does not mean confusion in the meaning but rather regularity in convening the message with a high level of eloquence and clarity.
In addition, Imam Ali Bin Abi Taleb (as) used the term (the best) while praising, as when he said: "The best house if it is not the ultimate house, and the best place if you do not make it your home". Imam Ali here is praising the world as long as it is a temporary house, not a place to stay in for good, but rather he considers it as a stage where he keeps himself until he moves to another one. To the Hereafter which is worthy of being the ultimate home. His intention does not stop here, he also recommends and advises the human to look at the world as a temporary stage which will end soon.
He also said :" Get used to being patient with the discomfort, the best ethic is patience." Imam Ali does not just praise patience, he also calls for it and recommends it. He evokes the addressee to follow this virtue and to hold on to it. Besides, it is a metaphorical way which is much stronger than the direct way. This invitation is to show the advantages of this virtue, so when the addressee knows what it is about he follows it and holds on to it.
Considering this concept he (pbuh) has also said :" Musk is the best scent, easy to carry, smells like perfume " here he is not only praising musk, but also mentioning its advantages which make you eager to use it. The advantages are to carry and smell nice.
As for slander, he reflected new purposes other than showing flaws and dispraising, it was narrated that Imam Ali said: " The worst shop is when you take the world as a price instead of what God has for you ". Here Imam Ali does not only the world when it is a price for the humans trade, he tacitly intended for the human to abstain from it and not to be attracted to its deceptive scenery.
The same intention can be found in his saying :" Stay away from the evil people so you do not become one of them. The worst food is the evils food, and the worst injustice is done to the helpless." In this text he advises and orients the addressee to stay away from the evil food, so he not only slanderit, but also advises to stay away from it to avoid its bad effects.
Imam Ali continues advising and orienting people through disparagement, he said :" The worst load to the Doomsday is aggressiveness towards people ". Imam Ali is guiding and advising people to take charity as a load to the Hereafter, and to keep away from fight and aggressiveness.
For the same purpose he said :" The worst successor is the one who follows an ancestor who had already fallen into hell."
Here Imam Ali advises people not to be followers for bad people and to check out well who takes the lead for them.
Thus, compliment and disparagement for the Commander of the Faithful was used for more than direct indications. He used it to educate people through advice, guidance, promises and warning.
