Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya

''Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya'' ( ar, ٱلصَّحِيفَة ٱلسَّجَّادِيَّة, translit=Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādīyya, lit=the scripture of al-Sajjad, ) is a book of supplications attributed to Ali ibn Husayn, the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fourth Shia Imam. A seminal work in early Islamic spirituality, the book is considered to be the oldest prayer manual in Islamic sources. Shia tradition regards the book with great respect, ranking it behind the Quran and Ali's ''Nahj al-Balagha''. Fifty-four supplications form the main body of ''Al-Sahifa'', which often also includes an addenda of fourteen supplications and fifteen s (). ''Al-Sahifa'' is often regarded as authentic by the specialists in the science of hadith. Chittick describes the book as "one of the deepest veins of Islamic spirituality," while Jafri posits that the supplications in ''Al-Sahifa'' embody the answers to many of the spiritual questions faced by the man of our age.

About the book

''Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya'' () is a collection of supplications and whispered prayers () attributed to Ali ibn al-Husayn, the great-grandson of Muhammad and the fourth Shia Imam, also known by the honorific titles al-Sajjad () and Zayn al-Abidin (). Shia tradition regards ''Al-Sahifa'' with great respect, ranking it behind the Quran and Ali's ''Nahj al-Balagha''. According to Chittick, the book is known by various honorific names, including "Sister of the Quran", "Gospel of the Holy Household", and "Psalms of Muhammad's Household".

Chittick defines supplicating or calling upon God as the act of addressing Him with one's praise, thanksgiving, hopes, and needs. Muslims often recite the supplications of those already shaped by God's mercy and guidance, starting with Muhammad and, for the Shia, continuing with their Imams, who saw it as their duty to guide the Muslim community and enrich their religious life. In particular, Chittick suggests that ''Al-Sahifa'' was composed by al-Sajjad with the Muslim community in mind. To support this view, Chittick cites the supplications in ''Al-Sahifa'' for public occasions, such as Eid al-Fitr, and the supplication for parents, in which al-Sajjad speaks as if his parents were still alive.

Chittick views ''Al-Sahifa'' as a manifestation of Islamic spirituality, expressed in a universal language, that of the yearning of the soul for perfection. He summarizes the essence of the Quranic message as , "there is no god but God," and describes ''Al-Sahifa'' as an example of what means in practice, with themes such as "There is no goodness but in God", "There is no patience without God's help", "There is no gratitude but through God," and their complements, "There is no evil but in me", "There is no impatience but in my own ego," and "There is no hate but in myself." According to Chittick, the supplications in ''Al-Sahifa'' are the constant exercise of discerning what belongs to God and what belongs to man, after which man is left with his inadequacies and sinfulness, so he can abase himself before his Lord and ask for His generosity and forgiveness.

Predominance of mercy

The Quran is regarded by Muslims as a window into the character () of Muhammad and Chittick thus likens ''Al-Sahifa'' to a mosaic, every element of which corresponds to an element of the Quranic text and Muhammad's soul. Faced with both the mercy and wrath of God in the Quran, the constant theme of ''Al-Sahifa'' is to seek the former and avoid the latter. In this regard, Chittick writes that ''Al-Sahifa'' shows a remarkable awareness of human imperfection, where al-Sajjad repeatedly acknowledges his own inadequacies as a human being and takes refuge in the Quranic statements about the precedence of God's mercy over His wrath, as exemplified by the passage

Chittick views supplication, in general, as the natural embodiment of , the Islamic admission that man is nothing and God – who is fundamentally mercy – is the only true reality. This emphasis of ''Al-Sahifa'' on God's mercy reflects the attitude of its author: Reacting to Hasan al-Basri's statement, "It is not strange if a person as he perishes. It is only strange if a person is saved as he is saved," al-Sajjad is known to have responded that, "But I say that it is not strange if a person is saved as he is saved. It is only strange if a person perishes as he perishes, given the scope of God's mercy." Al-Sajjad's attitude is that of Muhammad here, who is reported to have said that the worshipper "should be firm and make his desire great, for what God gives is nothing great for Him." Nevertheless, the hope in God's mercy should be accompanied by "refraining from arrogance, pulling aside from persistence n sin and holding fast to praying orforgiveness," as prescribed in passage 12:13 of ''Al-Sahifa''.

Political views

According to Chittick, in some of the prayers in ''Al-Sahifa'', al-Sajjad alludes to the injustice suffered by his family, Muhammad's household, and the usurpation of their heritage. There are also examples in ''Al-Sahifa'' where al-Sajjad prays for the Muslim community ( ) and the rectification of its affairs, as well as the soldiers guarding the Muslim frontiers.

It seems that ''Al-Sahifa'', which was protected from government agents by al-Sajjad's sons and companions, was a sectarian and organisational booklet. The views in ''Al-Sahifa'' might have also contributed to the uprising against the Umayyads. Salutations to Muhammad and his family appear in most of the supplications of ''Al-Sahifa'', against the policies of the Umayyads. In a number of supplications, al-Sajjad explains the concept of imamate, central to the Shia belief.

Other dimensions

While the supplicatory form of ''Al-Sahifa'' emphasizes the spirituality of Islam, Chittick maintains that the book also provides a broad range of practical teachings about the faith, from theological to social. For instance, according to Chittick, among the existing works, the prayer "Blessing Upon the Bearers of the Throne" best summarizes the Islamic views about angels. The book also frequently refers to Islamic practices, emphasizing the necessity of implementing the guidelines of the Quran and the hadith literature, as well as the importance of social justice.

Authenticity

''Al-Sahifa'', attributed to al-Sajjad, is often regarded as authentic by the specialists in the science of hadith, who maintain that the text is , i.e., it has been handed down by numerous chains of transmission. Chittick, however, suspects that the fifteen whispered prayers () in ''Al-Sahifa'' might have been artistically edited. According to Shia tradition, al-Sajjad collected his supplications and taught them to his family, particularly his sons, Muhammad al-Baqir and Zayd. These supplications over time became widely disseminated among all Shia Muslims.

Translations

''Al-Sahifa'' was translated into Persian during the Safavid era, and an English translation of the book, entitled ''The Psalms of Islam,'' is also available with an introduction and annotations by Chittick. Numerous commentaries have been written about ''Al-Sahifa''.

Other collections

Aside from ''Al-Sahifa'', various authors have attempted to collect other supplications attributed to al-Sajjad. The second ''Al-Sahifa'' was compiled in 1053 AH (1643 CE) by al-Hurr al-Aamili, a renowned Shia scholar. The third ''Al-Sahifa'' was collected by Afandi, a student of Majlisi. The fifth ''Al-Sahifa'' by Muhsin al-Amin, a well-known contemporary Shia scholar, is the longest and subsumes all the supplications included in the earlier attempts.

Content

Fifty-four supplications form the main body of ''Al-Sahifa'', which also includes fourteen additional supplications and fifteen s (). Their titles are as follows:
# Praise of God
# Blessing upon Muhammad and his Household
# Blessing upon the bearers of the Throne
# Blessing upon the attesters to the messengers
# Supplication for himself and the people under his guardianship
# Supplication in the morning and evening
# Supplication in worrisome tasks
# Supplication in seeking refuge
# Supplication in yearning
# Supplication in seeking asylum with God
# Supplication for good outcomes
# Supplication in confession
# Supplication in seeking needs rom God# Supplication in acts of wrongdoing
# Supplication when sick
# Supplication in asking release
# Supplication against Satan
# Supplication in perils
# Supplication in asking for water uring a drought# Supplication on noble moral traits
# Supplication when something made him sorrow
# Supplication in hardship
# Supplication for well-being
# Supplication for his parents
# Supplication for his children
# Supplication for his neighbors and friends
# Supplication for the people of the frontiers
# Supplication in fleeing o God# Supplication when his provision was stinted
# Supplication for help in repaying debts
# Supplication in repentance
# Supplication in the night prayer
# Supplication in asking for the best
# Supplication when afflicted
# Supplication in satisfaction with the decree
# Supplication upon hearing thunder
# Supplication in giving thanks
# Supplication in asking pardon
# Supplication in seeking pardon
# Supplication when death was mentioned
# Supplication in asking for covering and protection
# Supplication upon completing a reading of the Quran
# Supplication when he looked at the new crescent moon
# Supplication for the coming of the month of Ramadan
# Supplication in bidding farewell to the month of Ramadan
# Supplication on the Day of Fast-Breaking and Friday
# Supplication on the Day of Arafa
# Supplication on the Day of Sacrifice and Friday
# Supplication in repelling the trickery of enemies
# Supplication in fear
# Supplication in pleading and abasement
# Supplication in imploring God
# Supplication in Abasing himself
# Supplication for the Removal of Worries

Addenda

His supplications for the days of the week

Fifteen whispered prayers

See also

* List of Shia books
** '' Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim'' (attributed to Ali)
** '' Al-Risalah al-Huquq'' (attributed to al-Sajjad)
** '' The Fifteen Whispered Prayers'' (attributed to al-Sajjad)
** ''Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah'' (attributed to Ali al-Ridha)
** '' Al-Sahifat al-Ridha'' (attributed to Ali al-Ridha)
** ''Al-Jafr'' (book) (reportedly mentioned by Jafar al-Sadiq)
** ''Al-Jamiah'' (reportedly mentioned by Jafar al-Sadiq)
** ''Mushaf Fatimah'' (reportedly mentioned by Jafar al-Sadiq)

References

Sources

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External links

Sahifa-e-Sajjadia Duas in Audio, Video and PDF formatAn English text translation of the ''Sahifa'', and audio files in Arabic

{{Authority control

Shia hadith collections
Shia prayers