sahifa

Sahifa is an Arabic term meaning scroll or page. In classical usage, it refers to a sheet of writing and, by extension, to a manuscript, tract, or booklet. In Islamic literature, the word is often used as a title for compact or self-contained writings, including collections of sayings, legal opinions, or devotional texts.

A widely known example is the Sahifa Sajjadiya, a collection of supplications attributed to Imam Zayn al‑Abidin, the fourth Shi’a imam. Also known as the Psalms of Islam, it is valued for its prayers, ethical guidance, and reflections on personal conduct, social justice, and piety. The Sahifa Sajjadiya has played a prominent role in Shi’a devotional practice and study, and it has been studied and reprinted in many languages.

Beyond this, “Sahifa” is used more generally across Arabic, Persian, and Urdu literature to designate various short treatises, editorial collections, or standalone pages within larger works. In contemporary usage, the word can also refer to a page or issue of a newspaper or periodical in some Arabic- and Persian-language contexts.

Overall, Sahifa denotes a discrete written unit within a larger corpus, with its exact contents and attribution varying by time and tradition. The term highlights the historical practice of preserving knowledge and prayers in compact, portable formats, and its continued use in religious and literary contexts reflects the enduring value placed on concise, written expressions.