alSahifa

al-Sahifa is a transliteration of the Arabic term al-Sahifa, meaning “the scroll” or “the tablet.” In Islamic literary usage, the title is applied to several writings and is not confined to a single work. The designation is commonly used for manuscript collections, devotional texts, or compilations of sayings and prayers, and it appears in both Shi’a and Sunni contexts. Because “sahifa” simply denotes a scroll or codex, many different texts have been labeled with this name over the centuries.

The best-known example is Sahifa al-Sajjadiya, a collection of supplications, prayers, and devotional exhortations attributed to Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, the fourth Shia imam. This text has been widely transmitted, translated, and studied within Shia devotional and ethical literature, and it has influenced later religious poetry and practical piety.

Beyond Sahifa al-Sajjadiya, other works in Islamic literature have used the title al-Sahifa for shorter treatises, compilations of hadith, or doctrinal writings. The exact content and authorship of these works can vary, and editions may differ in organization and attribution. In contemporary scholarship, “Sahifa” is often specified with a full title to distinguish among distinct texts that share the generic designation.

In sum, al-Sahifa serves as a generic label for scroll-like Islamic texts, with Sahifa al-Sajjadiya as the most prominent example in the tradition, while other sahifas reflect the broader practice of compiling prayers, sayings, and teachings in a codex form.