Sajjadiya

Sajjadiya, also known as Sahifa al-Sajjadiya, is a collection of supplications, prayers, and spiritual exhortations attributed to Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, the fourth Shia imam, who is commonly known as Imam Sajjad. The text is considered a foundational devotional work in Shia Islam and is widely revered for its intimate dialogue with God and its ethical reflections.

The contents comprise eloquent prayers and meditations addressed to God, exploring divine attributes, gratitude, humility, repentance, and the proper conduct of individuals and rulers. The supplications cover personal needs, guidance for justice and governance, consolation for the afflicted, and admonitions against arrogance and tyranny. The style is penitential, lyrical, and discursive, often framed as a direct conversation with the divine.

Authorship and dating are subjects of scholarly discussion. The prayers are traditionally attributed to Imam Sajjad, but the compilation likely reflects a process of transmission and editing in the early Abbasid period by later scholars. The earliest extant manuscripts and testimonies date from the 9th to 11th centuries CE. The text has been transmitted in Arabic and has been translated into many languages, with numerous commentaries and scholarly notes.

Cultural and religious significance is wide-ranging. In Shia communities, the Sahifa is used in personal devotion and public liturgies, particularly during periods of fasting and Muharram commemorations. It has influenced Persian, Urdu, and Turkish devotional literature and is often praised for its emphasis on social justice, compassion for the oppressed, and the harmony of spiritual and ethical life.