Authenticity of Nahj al-balagha and the Acceptance of Good from Weak Hadith

Salam,

Nahj al-balagha, as you know, is highly regarded by the Shi’i 12ers. I’ve seen comments or posts of a few laymen Zaydis quoting this compilation. It is my understanding that Zaydi scholars are well aware that several of these sermons/letters may be inauthentic. Do Zaydi scholars, despite holding the view of possible distortion, still hold this text with esteem and/or include it in their teachings? Do all scholars agree or disagree on its authenticity?

Also, regarding weak/inauthentic texts, whether they be books or hadith alike, do Zaydis hold the Sunni view in that it is acceptable to take from them lessons or the good from them? If so, why? Am aware of the difference between weak hadith and inauthentic ones. I’m asking for this in perspective of both hadith and texts, in general, since hadith are so widespread now and texts are relied on for the strength of the faith of many. 

wa alaikum as-salam,

Nahj al-balagha, as you know, is highly regarded by the Shi’i 12ers. I’ve seen comments or posts of a few laymen Zaydis quoting this compilation. It is my understanding that Zaydi scholars are well aware that several of these sermons/letters may be inauthentic. Do Zaydi scholars, despite holding the view of possible distortion, still hold this text with esteem and/or include it in their teachings? Do all scholars agree or disagree on its authenticity?

According to the Zaydiyya, Nahj al-Balāgha is a valuable and highly important compilation of the sermons, letters, and sayings of Imāmunā wa Amīr al-Muʾminīn ʿAlī ʿalayhi as-salām. Although Zaydī scholarship is aware that not every passage in the work is fully authentic, whether due to the absence of an isnād or because of concerns about particular content, this does not diminish the overall acceptance or esteem of the book.As you surely know, the ṣihhah of a text or tradition is not established solely through a sound chain of transmission (isnād). Rather, it is also supported through qarā’in (corroborating indicators and secondary evidence). This methodological approach aligns closely with the principles of modern historical scholarship as well.Therefore, even if a specific khuṭbah is not ṣaḥīḥ in its isnād, it is not automatically deemed inauthentic. Unfortunately, with the rise of Salafism, many have become fixated on isnād alone and assume that authenticity (ṣaḥīḥ) or weakness (ḍaʿīf) rests exclusively on chains of transmission.Nahj al-Balāgha is broadly accepted within the tradition of Ahl al-Bayt ʿalayhim as-salām. The prevailing scholarly attitude is one of overall acceptance, and there are even commentaries (shurūḥ) on it by our A’immah ʿalayhim as-salām. If particular passages are judged inauthentic, they are set aside, but this does not undermine the general status of the work as a whole.

Also, regarding weak/inauthentic texts, whether they be books or hadith alike, do Zaydis hold the Sunni view in that it is acceptable to take from them lessons or the good from them? If so, why? Am aware of the difference between weak hadith and inauthentic ones. I’m asking for this in perspective of both hadith and texts, in general, since hadith are so widespread now and texts are relied on for the strength of the faith of many. 

Zaydism, unlike Imamism, is not a tradition that developed in isolation from the broader landscape of Islamic scholarship. Many of the uṣūl upheld by Sunni scholars are likewise maintained within Zaydī scholarship. Consequently, our approach to ḥadīth is similar to that of Ahl al-Sunnah, including the acceptance of weak narrations in matters of faḍāʾil and other areas where the use of such reports poses no harm.At the same time, Zaydism differs from Sunnism in that it is less strictly ḥadīth-centered. The primary foundation (aṣl) of our tradition is the teaching of the Ahl al-Bayt ʿalayhim as-salām. All Islamic sources, the Qur’an, the Sunnah, matters of creed (ʿaqīdah), and the Sharīʿah, are approached through the interpretive lens of the Ahl al-Bayt ʿalayhim as-salām. This interpretive heritage is preserved not only through ḥadīth but also through the written works and transmitted teachings of our scholars.This orientation reflects our adherence to the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa ʿalā Ālihi wa sallam instruction to hold fast to the Thaqalayn, the two weighty trusts: the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt ʿalayhim as-salām.

I assume you can read arabic, so here is one of our Shuruh on it:

الديباج الوضي في الكشف عن أسرار كلام الوصي - شرح نهج البلاغة - المؤيد بالله ابي الحسن يحيى بن حمزة بن علي الحسيني

wa salam