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46-536: Ṣaḥīfah (Arabic: صحيفة ), also spelled sahifa or sahifeh , is an Arabic word meaning 'writing', 'book', or 'volume'. It may refer to: al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya , a book of supplications attributed to Ali ibn Husayn, the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fourth Shia Imam the Sahifah of al-Ridha , a collection of 240 hadiths attributed to Ali ibn Musa al-Rida,

92-475: A Sunni collection of prophetic traditions, reads, "Truly the people of my house (Ahl al-Bayt) in my community is like Noah's ark: Whoever takes refuge therein is saved and whoever opposes it is drowned." The sanctity of a prophet's family was likely an accepted principle at the time of Muhammad. Today, all Muslims venerate the household of Muhammad, and blessings on his family ( āl ) are invoked in every prayer. In many Muslim communities, high social status

138-457: A supplication for parents, in which al-Sajjad speaks as if his parents were still alive. Al-Sahifa may be considered as a practical realization of the essential message of Islam, shahadah , that is, "there is no god but God," or simply, God is all and man is nothing. Thus among the themes of al-Sahifa are "There is no goodness but in God," "There is no patience without God's help," "There

184-507: Is also counted in the Ahl al-Bayt. Elsewhere in Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal , Muhammad is said to have recited the last passage in the verse of purification every morning when he passed by Fatima's house to remind her household of the morning prayer. In his mubahala ( lit.   ' mutual cursing ' ) with a delegation of Najrani Christians , Muhammad is also believed to have gathered

230-450: Is also the view of some Sunni scholars, including al-Razi ( d.  1209 ), Baydawi ( d.  1319 ), and Ibn al-Maghazili. Most Sunni authors, however, reject the Shia view and offer various alternatives, chief among them is that this verse enjoins love for kinsfolk in general. In Twelver Shia , the love in the verse of the mawadda also entails obedience to the Ahl al-Bayt as

276-688: Is granted to people claiming descent from Ali and Fatima. They are called sayyid s or sharif s . Several Muslim heads of state and politicians have also claimed blood descent from Muhammad, including the Alawid dynasty of Morocco , the Hashimite dynasty of Iraq and of Jordan , and the leader of the Iranian revolution , Khomeini . Sunnis too revere the Ahl al-Bayt, perhaps more so before modern times. Most Sufi tariq s (brotherhoods) also trace their spiritual chain to Muhammad through Ali and revere

322-440: Is greater than the other: The book of God (Quran), which is a rope stretched from Heaven to Earth, and [the second one is] my progeny, my Ahl al-Bayt. These two shall not be parted until they return to the pool [of abundance in paradise, kawthar ]. The hadith of the ark is attributed to Muhammad and likens his household to Noah's ark . Reported by both Shia and Sunni authorities, the version presented in al-Mustadrak ,

368-409: 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." Once the worshipper admits his inadequacies and sinfulness, he can abase himself before his Lord and ask for His generosity and forgiveness. Al-Sahifa has been likened to a mosaic, every element of which corresponds to an element of

414-693: Is not of your family ( ahl )." Families of the past prophets are often given a prominent role in the Quran. Therein, their kin are selected by God as the spiritual and material heirs to the prophets. The household of Muhammad, often referred to as the Ahl al-Bayt, appear in verse 33:33 of the Quran, also known as the verse of purification . The last passage of the verse of purification reads, "God only desires to remove defilement from you, O ahl al-bayt , and to purify you completely." Muslims disagree as to who belongs to Muhammad's ahl al-bayt and what privileges or responsibilities they have. The majority of

460-431: Is seen as compensation for the exclusion of Muhammad and his family from alms ( sadaqa , zakat ). Indeed, almsgiving is considered an act of purification for ordinary Muslims and their donations should not reach Muhammad's kin as that would violate their state of purity in the Quran. The hadith of the thaqalayn ( lit.   ' two treasures ' ) is a widely-reported prophetic hadith that introduces

506-623: Is shared by Ignác Goldziher ( d.  1921 ) and his coauthors, and mentioned by Sharon, while Wilferd Madelung ( d.  2023 ) also includes the Banu Hashim in the Ahl al-Bayt in view of their blood relation to Muhammad. In contrast, Shia limits the Ahl al-Bayt to Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn, pointing to authentic traditions in Sunni and Shia sources. Their view is supported by Veccia Vaglieri and Husain M. Jafri ( d.  2019 ), another expert. Families and descendants of

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552-410: Is sometimes loosely applied in Shia writings to all descendants of Ali and Fatima. Perhaps because the earlier injunctions in the verse of purification are addressed at Muhammad's wives, some Sunni authors, such as al-Wahidi ( d.  1075 ), have exclusively interpreted the Ahl al-Bayt as Muhammad's wives. Others have noted that the last passage of this verse is grammatically inconsistent with

598-460: Is the act of addressing God with one's praise, thanksgiving, hopes, and needs. Muslims often recite the supplications of their religious authorities, starting with Muhammad and, for the Shia, continuing with their imams. In particular, al-Sajjad likely composed al-Sahifa with the Muslim community in mind. The book, for instance, contains prayers for public occasions, such as Eid al-Fitr , and also

644-592: Is translated as 'habitation' and 'dwelling', and thus the basic translation of ahl al-bayt is '(the) inhabitants of the house'. That is, ahl al-bayt literally translates to '(the) people of the house'. In the absence of the definite article al- , the literal translation of ahl bayt is 'household'. The phrase ahl al-bayt appears three times in the Quran , the central religious text of Islam , in relation to Abraham (11:73), Moses (28:12), and Muhammad (33:33). For Abraham and Moses, ahl al-bayt in

690-479: The mubahala ritual, must have raised their religious rank within the community. If the word 'ourselves' in this verse is a reference to Ali and Muhammad, as Shia authors argue, then the former naturally enjoys a similar religious authority in the Quran as the latter. The Quran also reserves for Muhammad's kin a fifth ( khums ) of booty and a part of fay . The latter comprises lands and properties conquered peacefully by Muslims. This Quranic directive

736-451: The hadith al- thaqalayn defines the Ahl al-Bayt as the descendants of Ali and his brothers ( Aqil and Jafar ), and Muhammad's uncle Abbas. The first two Rashidun caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar , have also been included in the Ahl al-Bayt in some Sunni reports, as they were both fathers-in-law of Muhammad. Nevertheless, these and the accounts about the inclusion of the Umayyads in

782-553: The Banu Hashim (Muhammad's clan) and even to all Muslims . In Shia Islam , the term is limited to Muhammad, his daughter Fatima , his cousin and son-in-law Ali , and their two sons, Ḥasan and Ḥusayn . A common Sunni view adds the wives of Muhammad to these five. While all Muslims revere the Ahl al-Bayt, Shia Muslims assert that members of the Ahl al-Bayt are spiritual successors to Muhammad, possessing divine knowledge and infallibility . The Twelver Shiʿa also believe in

828-499: The Kaaba , located in the holiest site in Islam. However, his theory has only found few supporters, notably Moshe Sharon , another expert. A typical Sunni compromise is to define the Ahl al-Bayt as the Ahl al-Kisa (Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn) together with Muhammad's wives, which might also reflect the majority opinion of medieval Sunni exegetes. Among modern Islamicists, this view

874-577: The Ahl al-Bayt might have been later reactions to the Abbasid claims to inclusion in the Ahl al-Bayt and their own bid for legitimacy. The term has also been interpreted as the Meccan tribe of Quraysh , or the whole Muslim community. For instance, the Islamicist Rudi Paret  [ de ] ( d.  1983 ) identifies bayt ( lit.   ' house ' ) in the verse of purification with

920-557: The Ahl al-Bayt the clan of Muhammad ( Banu Hashim ), the Banu Muttalib, the Abbasids, and even the Umayyads , who had descended from Hashim's nephew Umayya . Indeed, another Sunni version of the hadith al-kisa is evidently intended to append the Abbasids to the Ahl al-Bayt. This Abbasid claim was in turn the cornerstone of their bid for legitimacy. Similarly, a Sunni version of

966-469: The Ahl al-Kisa as the Holy Five. It is, however, the (Twelver and Isma'ili ) Shias who hold the Ahl al-Bayt in the highest esteem, regarding them as the rightful leaders of the Muslim community after Muhammad. They also believe in the redemptive power of the pain and martyrdom endured by the Ahl al-Bayt (particularly by Husayn) for those who empathize with their divine cause and suffering. Twelver Shias await

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1012-551: The Christians' belief in his divinity. Linked to this ordeal is verse 3:61 of the Quran. This verse instructs Muhammad to challenge his opponents to mubahala ( lit.   ' mutual cursing ' ), perhaps when the debate had reached a deadlock. And to whosoever disputes with thee over it, after the knowledge that has come unto thee, say, "Come! Let us call upon our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us pray earnestly, so as to place

1058-569: The Islamicist Oliver Leaman proposes that marriage to a prophet does not guarantee inclusion in his ahl al-bayt . He argues that, in verse 11:73, Sara is included in Abraham's ahl al-bayt only after receiving the news of her imminent motherhood to two prophets, Isaac and Jacob . Likewise, Leaman suggests that Moses' mother is counted as a member of ahl al-bayt in verse 28:12, not for being married to Imran , but for being

1104-651: The Quran and the progeny of Muhammad as the only two sources of divine guidance after his death. This hadith is of particular significance in Twelver Shia, where the Twelve Imams , all descendants of Muhammad, are viewed as his spiritual and political successors. The version that appears in Musnad Ahmad , a canonical Sunni hadith collection, reads, I [Muhammad] left among you two treasures which, if you cling to them, you shall not be led into error after me. One of them

1150-432: The Quran is unanimously interpreted as their families. Yet merit is also a criterion of membership in a prophet's family in the Quran. That is, pagan or disloyal members of the families of the past prophets are not excluded from God's punishment. In particular, Noah's family is saved from the deluge , except his wife and one of his sons, about whom Noah's plea was rejected according to verse 11:46, "O Noah, he [your son]

1196-614: The Quran, the central text of Islam, and Nahj al-balagha , which is attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shia imam and the grandfather of al-Sajjad. The book is known by various honorific names in Shia Islam, including "Sister of the Quran," " Gospel of the Holy Household ," and " Psalms of Muhammad's Household." It is also revered by certain Sufi orders . Numerous commentaries have been written about al-Sahifa . Supplication

1242-681: The Quranic text. In particular, the predominance of mercy in the Quran is reflected in al-Sahifa , where al-Sajjad repeatedly takes refuge in God's mercy and its precedence over His wrath. He thus frequently asks God for forgiveness in al-Sahifa , and so did Muhammad in his prayers, even though both figures are regarded as infallible in Shia Islam. Both men likely repented with utmost sincerity, but their 'sins' were not willful disobedience of God. Rather they repeatedly asked God to conceal ( istighfar ) their inadequacies as limited human beings. This emphasis of al-Sahifa on God's mercy mirrors

1288-504: The above four under his cloak and referred to them as his ahl al-bayt , according to Shia and some Sunni sources, including Sahih Muslim and Sunan al-Tirmidhi . This makeup of the Ahl al-Bayt is echoed by the Islamicist Laura Veccia Vaglieri ( d.  1989 ), and also reported unanimously in Shia sources. In Shia theology works, the Ahl al-Bayt often also includes the remaining Shia imams . The term

1334-649: The attitude of its author, al-Sajjad, who is reported to have said, "It is only strange if a person perishes as he perishes, given the scope of God's mercy." This attitude of al-Sajjad matches that of Muhammad, who suggested that the worshipper "should be firm and make his desire great, for what God gives is nothing great for Him." Yet God's wrath is always kept in view, for any hope in God's mercy should be accompanied by "refraining from arrogance, pulling aside from persistence [in sin], and holding fast to praying [for] forgiveness," as prescribed in passage 12:13 of al-Sahifa . In al-Sahifa , al-Sajjad sometimes alludes to

1380-525: The book in defiance of Umayyad policies. In some supplications, al-Sajjad refers to imamate, a central tenet of Shia Islam. Besides its spiritual dimension, al-Sahifa is also a source of Islamic teachings. Its prayer, "Blessing Upon the Bearers of the Throne," for instance, summarizes Islamic views about angels . The attribution of al-Sahifa to al-Sajjad is often regarded as authentic, although parts of

1426-416: The books may have been artistically edited by others. In Shia tradition, the text is regarded as mutawatir , that is, handed down by numerous chains of transmission. The addenda were collected by the prominent Shia scholar Muhammad ibn Makki ( d.  1385 ), while the munajat were popularized by Muhammad-Baqir Majlisi ( d.   c. 1699 ), another leading Shia scholar. Al-Sahifa

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1472-468: The curse of God upon those who lie." The delegation withdrew from the challenge and negotiated for peace. The majority of reports indicate that Muhammad appeared for the occasion of the mubahala , accompanied by Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn. Such reports are given by Ibn Ishaq, al-Razi, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj ( d.  875 ), Hakim al-Nishapuri, and Ibn Kathir. The inclusion of these four relatives by Muhammad, as his witnesses and guarantors in

1518-409: The earliest version of the hadith of the kisa , Muhammad's wife Umm Salama relates that he gathered Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn under his cloak and prayed, "O God, these are my ahl al-bayt and my closest family members; remove defilement from them and purify them completely." Some accounts continue that Umm Salama then asked Muhammad, "Am I with thee, O Messenger of God?" but received

1564-415: The eighth Shia Imam Sahifat Hammam ibn Munabbih , an early hadith collection attributed to Hammam ibn Munabbih (died 711BC or 748BC) See also [ edit ] Mushaf , a bound collection of ṣaḥīfah s. Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Sahifah . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

1610-445: The injustices suffered by Muhammad's household, the Ahl al-Bayt . There are also cases in the book where al-Sajjad prays for the Muslim community ( umma ) and the rectification of their affairs, as well as soldiers guarding Muslim frontiers. Al-Sahifa might have initially been a sectarian booklet for the Shia. For instance, salutations to Muhammad and his family frequently appear in

1656-468: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sahifah&oldid=1255407390 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Articles containing Arabic-language text Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya ( lit.   '

1702-470: The mother of Moses. Similarly, in their bid for inclusion in the Ahl al-Bayt, the Abbasids argued that women, noble and holy as they may be, could not be considered a source of pedigree ( nasab ). As the descendants of Muhammad's paternal uncle Abbas , they claimed that he was equal to Muhammad's father after the latter died. As hinted above, some Sunni authors have broadened its application to include in

1748-462: The negative response, "Thou shalt obtain good. Thou shalt obtain good." Among others, such reports are given in Sunnan al-Tirmidhi , Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal , and by Ibn Kathir, al-Suyuti, and the Shia exegete Muhammad H. Tabatabai ( d.  1981 ). Yet another Sunni version of this hadith appends Umm Salama to the Ahl al-Bayt. In another Sunni version, Muhammad's servant Wathila bint al-Asqa'

1794-651: The past prophets hold a prominent position in the Quran. Therein, their descendants become spiritual and material heirs to keep their fathers' covenants intact. Muhammad's kin are also mentioned in the Quran in various contexts. Known as the verse of the mawadda ( lit.   ' affection ' or ' love ' ), verse 42:23 of the Quran contains the passage, "[O Mohammad!] Say, 'I ask not of you any reward for it, save affection among kinsfolk.'" The Shia-leaning historian Ibn Ishaq ( d.  767 ) narrates that Muhammad specified al-qurba in this verse as Ali, Fatima, and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn. This

1840-477: The previous injunctions (masculine plural versus feminine plural pronouns). Thus the Ahl al-Bayt is not or is not limited to Muhammad's wives. Ibn Kathir, for instance, includes Ali, Fatima, and their two sons in the Ahl al-Bayt, in addition to Muhammad's wives. Indeed, certain Sunni hadiths support the inclusion of Muhammad's wives in the Ahl al-Bayt, including some reports on the authority of Ibn Abbas and Ikrima , two early Muslim figures. Alternatively,

1886-425: The redemptive power of the pain and martyrdom endured by the members of the Ahl al-Bayt, particularly Husayn. Sunni Muslims, who do not believe in spiritual succession to Muhammad, only hold the Ahl al-Bayt in high regard. When ahl ( أهل ) appears in construction with a person, it refers to his blood relatives. However, the word also acquires wider meanings with other nouns. In particular, bayt ( بَيْت )

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1932-598: The scripture of al-Sajjad ' ) is a collection of supplications . Regarded as a seminal work in Islamic spirituality, al-Sahifa has been praised as the epitome of Islamic spirituality and the answer to many of today's spiritual questions. The book is attributed to Ali al-Sajjad , the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and an imam in Shia Islam , also known by the honorific title Zayn al-Abidin ( lit.   ' ornament of worshippers ' ). Shia tradition holds al-Sahifa in great esteem, ranking it behind

1978-521: The source of exoteric and esoteric religious guidance. A Christian envoy from Najran, located in South Arabia , arrived in Medina circa 632 and negotiated a peace treaty with Muhammad. During their stay, the two parties may have also debated the nature of Jesus , human or divine, although the delegation ultimately rejected the Islamic belief, which acknowledges the miraculous birth of Jesus but dismisses

2024-688: The traditions quoted by the Sunni exegete al-Tabari ( d.  923 ) identify the Ahl al-Bayt with the Ahl al-Kisa , namely, Muhammad, his daughter Fatima , her husband Ali , and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn . Such reports are also cited in Sahih Muslim , Sunnan al-Tirmidhi , Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal , all canonical Sunni collections of hadith , and by some other Sunni authorities, including al-Suyuti ( d.  1505 ), al-Hafiz al-Kabir, al-Hakim al-Nishapuri ( d.  1014 ), and Ibn Kathir ( d.  1373 ). In possibly

2070-501: 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 such collection and subsumes all other collections. Ahl al-Bayt Ahl al-Bayt ( Arabic : أَهْل البَيْت , lit.   'people of the house') refers to the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . In Sunni Islam , the term has also been extended to all descendants of

2116-531: Was translated into Persian during the Safavid era. An English translation of the book, entitled The Psalms of Islam , is also available with an introduction and annotations by the Islamicist W.C. Chittick . In addition to al-Sahifa , there are other collections of prayers attributed to al-Sajjad. The second al-Sahifa was compiled in 1643 by al-Hurr al-Amili , a renowned Shia scholar. The third al-Sahifa

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