Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
A friend of mine gave me a book to read entitled Nahjol-Balagha. I think this is a book read by the shia. Is the book authentic and reliable and good to read for sunnis?
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
Most of the narrations in this book are not authentically established from Imam Ali (Allah be pleased with him), and it contains many harmful and spurious statements that he certainly did not say. It was put together by a Shiite, without sound chains of narration, and with obvious intent of promoting Shiite claims.
Imam Yusuf al-Nabahani (Allah have mercy on him), the great sufi and scholar, strongly warned Sunnis against reading this work.
We should never forget the principle that, “Avoiding harm is giving precedence over achieving benefits,” especially when the harm is likely and the benefits doubtful.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani