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Sahifah of al-Ridha (Arabic:صَّحِيفَة ٱلرِّضَا,Ṣaḥīfah ar-Riḍā,lit. "Pages ofal-Ridha"), also known asSahifat of al-Reza andSahifatal-Imam al-Ridha[1][2] ("Book of Imam al-Ridha"), is a collection of 240hadiths attributed toAli ibn Musa al-Ridha, the eighthShiaImam.[3]
TheSahifah is one of the major sources of Shia belief and has attracted the attention of Shia scholars such asIbn Babawayh andSheikh Tabarsi.[4] It contains hadiths on various topics including the invocation ofAllah; the importance of praying five times a day and of saying the prayer for the dead; the excellence of thehousehold of Muhammad, of the believer, of good manners, of the namesMuhammad andAhmad, of various foods, fruits, and ointments, of obeying parents, of strengthening the bonds of kinship, and ofjihad; a warning against cheating, backbiting, or tattling; and other miscellaneous traditions. The section on Muhammad's household discusses each of its fourteen members separately.[2]
The book was allegedly first written by Abdallah ibn Aḥmad ibn Amer, who said he had heard its contents from his father Aḥmad ibn Amer, who said he had heard them from Ali al-Ridha inMedina in194 AH (809-10 CE). Abdallah ibn Aḥmad ibn Amer was subsequently recognized as acredible narrator of hadith byNajashi, one of the important Shia scholars.[3]
The version printed inCairo by al-Ma'ahid Press in the year1340 AH (1921–1922) begins with the following chain of authorities:[2] Its editor al-'Allāma 'Abd al-Wāsi' stated he received its contents on the authority ofSheikh 'Abd al-Wāsi', who received it from Imam al-Qāsim ibn Mohammed, who received it fromSheikh al-Sayyid Amīr al-Dīn ibn 'Abd Allah, who received it from al-Sayyid Ahmed ibn 'Abd Allah al-Wazīr, who received it from Imam al-Mutahhar ibn Mohammed ibn Sulayman, who received it from Imam al-Mahdi Ahmed ibn Yahya, who received it from Sulayman ibn Ibrahīm ibn 'Umar al-'Alawi, who received it from his father Ibrahīm, who received it from Rida' al-Dīn Ibrahīm ibn Mohammed al-Tabari, who received it from Imam Najm al-Dīn al-Tabrīzi, who received it from al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir, who received it from Zahir al-Sinjani, who received it from al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi, who received it from Abu al-Qasim al-Mufassir, who received it from "Ibrahīm ibn Khu'ra" (by mistake in text "Ju'da"), who received it from Abu al-Qasim 'Abd Allah ibn Ahmed ibn 'Amir al-Ta'i inBasra, who received it from Ali al-Ridha, who claimed his fatherMusā claimed his fatherJa'far claimed his fatherMuhammad claimed his father'Ali claimed his fatherHusayn claimed his father'Ali, son of Abū Tālib, had heard or witnessed its contents in the company ofMuhammad.
The principal narrator of the work was Abdallah ibn Aḥmad ibn Amer, who retells the words ofAli al-Ridha with each entry beginning with a variation of "Through his chain of authorities, he said".[2][a] His father, who was said to have related these words to him, was killed at theBattle of Siffin. The family were descendants of Wahb ibn Amer who was killed withHusayn, son of Ali, at theBattle of Karbala.
Ali al-Ridha was born around151 AH (768–769) although possibly as late as159 AH (775–76), to theImam Musa al-Kadhim and one of hisslaves, probablyNubian.[3] His father died in aBaghdadi prison inRajab, 183 AH (September, 799), during thecaliphate ofHarun al-Rashid, one of theAbbasid dynasty. Ali al-Ridha succeeded to his father's property but not fully to his title. He began to teach and issuefatwas fromthe mosque inMedina, where he lived, but the caliphs did not confirm his title and many of his father'strustees withheld their support (andtithes) under the pretense that his father would soon return as theMahdi.[3] Following Harun's death in 809, acivil war broke out between his sonsAl-Amin andAl-Ma'mun. Al-Amin was beheaded in September 813 during thesiege of Baghdad[6] but his followers continued their resistance under local governors or in favor ofAl-Ma'mun's uncle as late as 827.
The death of Al-Amin permitted Ali al-Ridha greater opportunity to teach.[7] In200 AH (815–816), Ali al-Ridha was invited or forced byAl-Ma'mun to quit his home and estates in Medina and leave for the imperial capital inKhorasan. Al-Ma'mun proclaimed him as the new Imam throughout the empire upon his arrival atMerv in201 AH (817).[3] He went further and named Ali al-Ridha as his crown prince and successor to the caliphate.[3] Following the assassination ofthe imperial vizier and during a relocation of the capital back to Baghdad, Ali al-Ridha died suddenly, most probably on the last day ofSafar,203 AH (September, 818).[3][b] Most sources accuse Al-Ma'mun of having poisoned him.[3]
[T]he likeness of the believer with Allah is like an angel brought nigh; and the believer with Allah is better than an angel brought nigh; and there is nothing more lovable to Allah than a repentant believing man or a repentant believing woman! — Chapter V[c]
The version printed inCairo by al-Ma'ahid Press in the year1340 AH (1921–1922) contained 163hadiths divided into ten sections, the first nine of which concern particular topics and the last of which includes the remainder on miscellaneous topics.[2] The last section ends with a note that the author "dropped some traditions mentioned in these two books of the Imām", considering them to be fabricated. He further noted that other scholars do not ascribe the book to Ali al-Ridha at all.[d]
The ten sections are:
Some hadiths from theSahifah:
6. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said [that Muhammad said]: "The best deeds withAllah are: belief without doubt,invasion without stealing from war booty before it is distributed (ghulul), and properhajj. The first to enterthe Garden will be amartyr; aslave who worships his Lord well and is sincere to his master; and a chaste man who abstains from what is forbidden, has a family, and strives to secure the daily bread of his own family. The first to enterthe Fire will be a domineeringImam [or leader] who does not treat with justice; a possessor of wealth of property who does not pay the right against it; and a boastful, poor [person]."[f]
99. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said [that Muhammad said]: "The best of the people in faith are the best of them ingood manners and the gentlest of them toward their families, and I am the gentlest of you towardmy family"[g]
122. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said [thatAli, son of Abu Talib, said:] "Gabriel, peace be on him, came tothe Prophet, may Allah bless him andhis family, and said: 'Cling toal-Barni dates, for it is the best kind of yourdates; it brings [men] nigh to Allah and send [them] away fromthe Fire'".[h]
123. Through his chain of authorities, he, peace be on him, said [thatHusayn ibn Ali said:] "The Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him, ordered us to rinse out mouth three times after we had eaten".[i]
142. Through his chain of authority, he, peace be on him, said [thatAli ibn Husayn said thatAli, son of Abu Talib, was asked:] "'OCommander of the Faithful, tell me about the excellence ofthe invasion in the path of Allah.' He, peace be on him, answered: 'I was riding behindAllah's Messenger, may Allah bless him andhis family, on his she-camelal-'Adbā' when we came beck from the Campaign ofDhāt al-Salāsil. I asked him about what you have asked me about, and he answered: 'Surely, if the invaders intend to make an invasion, Allah writes for them freedom fromthe Fire, and if they prepare themselves, Allah vies with the angels through them, etc.'" Thetradition is long; thegreatest of Messengers, may Allah bless him andhis family, has presented therein the excellence ofinvasion and jihād in the path of Allah, which is one of the gates tothe Garden, and which Allah has opened for his special friends, as it was said by the Commander of the Faithful, peace be on him".[j]
The following versions are available:[4]
