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| Author | Ali al-Sajjad (c. 659–713) |
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| Language | Arabic |
| Published | 7th CenturyCE 1st CenturyAH |
| Part ofa series on Shia Islam |
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Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya (Arabic:ٱلصَّحِيفَة ٱلسَّجَّادِيَّة,romanized: Al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya,lit. 'the scripture of al-Sajjad') is a book ofsupplications attributed toAli al-Sajjad (c. 659–713), the fourthimam inShia Islam, and thegreat-grandson of theIslamic prophet,Muhammad. The oldest prayer manual inIslam,al-Sahifa has been praised as the epitome of Islamic spirituality and the answer to many of today's spiritual questions. In particular, Shia tradition holds the book in great esteem, ranking it behind theQuran, the central religious text of Islam, andNahj al-Balagha, which is attributed to the fourthCaliph and first Shia imam,Ali ibn Abi Talib. 54 supplications form the core ofal-Sahifa, which often also includes an addenda of 14 supplications and 15 whispered prayers (munajat).
Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya (lit. 'the scripture of al-Sajjad') is a collection ofsupplications.[1] Regarded as a seminal work in Islamic spirituality,[2]al-Sahifa has been praised as the epitome of Islamic spiritual expression and as a source of guidance for many contemporary spiritual questions.[3] The book is attributed toAli al-Sajjad, the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and an imam inShia Islam, also known by the honorific title Zayn al-Abidin (lit. 'ornament of worshippers').[4][1] Within Shia tradition,al-Sahifa is held in great esteem, ranking immediately after the Quran—the central text of Islam—andNahj al-balagha, attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shia imam and grandfather of al-Sajjad.[5] The book is also known by several honorific titles, including “Sister of the Quran,” “Gospel of theHoly Household,” and “Psalms of Muhammad's Household.”[6] It is additionally revered by certainSufiorders.[7] Numerous commentaries have been written onal-Sahifa.[4][8]
Supplication refers to addressing God with praise, thanksgiving, hopes, and needs.[9]Muslims often recite the supplications transmitted by their religious authorities—beginning with Muhammad and, for the Shia, continuing with their imams.[10] Al-Sajjad likely composedal-Sahifa with the wider Muslim community in mind. The work includes prayers for communal occasions such asEid al-Fitr, as well as a supplication for parents in which al-Sajjad speaks as though his parents were still alive.[11]
Al-Sahifa may be viewed as a practical expression of the essential Islamic testimony of faith, theshahadah—that “there is no god but God,” meaning that God is everything and the human being is nothing without Him. Among its central themes are “There is no goodness but in God,” “There is no patience without God's help,” and “There is no gratitude except through God,” along with their complementary acknowledgements: “There is no evil but in me,” “There is no impatience but in my own ego,” and “There is no hate but in myself.” Once the worshipper admits his own shortcomings and sinfulness, he can humble himself before God and seek His generosity and forgiveness.[12]
Al-Sahifa has been likened to a mosaic in which each element corresponds to a component of the Quranic text.[13] In particular, the predominance of divine mercy in the Quran is reflected throughoutal-Sahifa,[14] where al-Sajjad repeatedly seeks refuge in God's mercy and emphasizes its precedence over His wrath.[15] He thus frequently asks God for forgiveness inal-Sahifa—as did Muhammad in his prayers—even though both figures are regarded as infallible in Shia Islam.[16] Both likely repented with utmost sincerity,[17] but their “sins” were not acts of deliberate disobedience.[18] Instead, they repeatedly asked God to conceal (istighfar) their human limitations.[19]The emphasis inal-Sahifa on God's mercy also mirrors the attitude of its author, al-Sajjad, who is reported to have said, “It is only strange if a person perishes as he perishes, given the scope of God's mercy.”[20] This posture resembles that of Muhammad, who taught that a worshipper “should be firm and make his desire great, for what God gives is nothing great for Him.”[20] At the same time, awareness of God's wrath is maintained, since hope in divine mercy must be coupled with “refraining from arrogance, pulling aside from persistence [in sin], and holding fast to praying [for] forgiveness,” as stated in passage 12:13 ofal-Sahifa.[21]
Inal-Sahifa, al-Sajjad sometimes alludes to the injustices suffered by Muhammad's household, theAhl al-Bayt.[22] There are also cases in the book where al-Sajjad prays for the Muslim community (umma) and the rectification of their affairs, as well as soldiers guarding Muslim frontiers.[23]Al-Sahifa might have initially been a sectarian booklet for the Shia.[24] For instance, salutations to Muhammad and his family frequently appear in the book in defiance of Umayyad policies.[25] In some supplications, al-Sajjad refers to imamate, a central tenet of Shia Islam.[24]
Besides its spiritual dimension,al-Sahifa is also a source of Islamic teachings. Its prayer, "Blessing Upon the Bearers of the Throne," for instance, summarizes Islamic views aboutangels.[2]
The attribution ofal-Sahifa to al-Sajjad is often regarded as authentic,[6] although parts of the books may have been artistically edited by others.[26]In Shia tradition, the text is regarded asmutawatir, that is, handed down by numerous chains of transmission.[6] The addenda were collected by the prominent Shia scholarMuhammad ibn Makki (d. 1385), while themunajat were popularized byMuhammad-Baqir Majlisi (d. c.1699), another leading Shia scholar.[6]
Al-Sahifa was translated intoPersian during theSafavid era. An English translation of the book, entitledThe Psalms of Islam, is also available with an introduction and annotations by the IslamicistW.C. Chittick.[1]
In addition toal-Sahifa, there are other collections of prayers attributed to al-Sajjad. The secondal-Sahifa was compiled in 1643 byal-Hurr al-Amili, a renowned Shia scholar. The thirdal-Sahifa was collected by Afandi, a student of Majlisi. The fifthal-Sahifa byMuhsin al-Amin, a well-known contemporary Shia scholar, is the longest such collection and subsumes all other collections.[27]
