Document Type : Research Paper

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Abstract

Although agnates' authority has no place in Twelvers' traditions and jurisprudence, many of the commentators of Nahj al-Balāgha, based on the wise saying, إِذَا بَلَغَ النِّسَاءُ نَصَّ الْحَقَائقِ فَالْعَصَبَةُ أَوْلَى have discussed the priority of agnates, in the act of marriage, over the maternal authority. While opposing traditions in this regard are more than enumeration limit and the brevity of this tradition causes the imposition of their own opinion on Nahj al-Balāgha. Moreover, this tradition has an explicit, clear and correct meaning to which the commentators and translators have been oblivious; this unnoticed meanings is pertinent to the terms haqā’iq ('حقائق') and asaba ('agnates'). haqā’iq is the plural of haqiqa ('حقیقه') and refers to a person who needs to be protected and 'agnates' refers to those who provide this protection.

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