The Ṣaḥīfah al-Sajjādiyyah — the Book of Prostrations — is a collection of supplications attributed to Imām ʿAlī ibn Ḥusayn Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn رحمه الله, the great-grandson of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ who survived the massacre of Karbala and spent the rest of his life in Madīnah in extraordinary devotion. Often called the Psalms of the Family of Muḥammad ﷺ, it is one of the most profound devotional texts in the entire Islamic tradition — combining the theological precision of a scholar with the depth of feeling of a man who had seen the worst that history could offer and turned all of it into prayer.
What the Ṣaḥīfah Contains
The Ṣaḥīfah al-Sajjādiyyah contains fifty-four major supplications covering every dimension of the human relationship with Allāh ﷻ. There are duʿāʾs for the beginning of the day and the end of it, for the night, for Ramaḍān, for ʿĪd al-Fiṭr and ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā, for seeking forgiveness, for parents, for neighbours, for those in difficulty, and for the Ummah as a whole. The supplications address Allāh ﷻ with a range of names and attributes that constitute, in themselves, a theology of divine beauty — each duʿāʾ a carefully constructed approach to the One who alone can hear and respond.
Its Reception in Sunni Scholarship
Classical Sunni scholars received the Ṣaḥīfah al-Sajjādiyyah with respect and admiration. Imām al-Dhahabī رحمه الله, who praised its author as the greatest worshipper of his generation, implicitly acknowledged the authenticity and value of the work attributed to him. Sunni scholars of Arabic literature recognised in its language a beauty consistent with the prophetic family’s eloquence. The work has never been absent from the devotional library of those Sunni Muslims who read widely in Islamic spiritual literature.
Why Sunni Muslims Should Read It
Imām Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn رحمه الله survived Karbala. He had seen his father Sayyiduna al-Ḥusayn رضي الله عنه killed, his family taken prisoner, and the Prophet’s household humiliated in Kūfah and Damascus. He channelled all of that — all the grief, all the loss — entirely into prayer. The result is a book that teaches the Muslim heart how to turn every human experience — grief, gratitude, fear, hope, longing — into an address to Allāh ﷻ. It does not paper over the darkness. It transforms it.
A Taste of Its Language
In the supplication for parents, Imām Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn رحمه الله addresses Allāh ﷻ: “O Allāh — through them You showed me kindness before I was capable of gratitude, and fed me before I was capable of asking.” In the supplication for the Ummah: “O Allāh — let their hearts be united, their affairs be rectified, and their words be one word of truth.” These are not the words of a defeated man. They are the words of a man who chose, after everything, to speak to Allāh ﷻ.
What is the Ṣaḥīfah al-Sajjādiyyah?
A collection of fifty-four major supplications attributed to Imām ʿAlī ibn Ḥusayn Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn رحمه الله, great-grandson of the Prophet ﷺ and survivor of Karbala. Often called the Psalms of the Family of Muḥammad, it covers every dimension of the human relationship with Allāh ﷻ and is one of the most beautiful devotional texts in the Islamic tradition.
Is the Ṣaḥīfah al-Sajjādiyyah accepted in Sunni Islām?
Yes. Sunni scholars have consistently praised its author as the greatest worshipper of his generation (Imām al-Dhahabī رحمه الله), and the work’s language and theological depth are consistent with the prophetic family’s scholarly and devotional tradition. Sunni Muslims who read widely in Islamic spirituality have always included it among the great devotional texts.
How does the Ṣaḥīfah reflect the life of its author?
Imām Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn رحمه الله wrote these supplications after surviving Karbala — after witnessing the death of his father and the humiliation of his family. Rather than expressing rage or despair, he turned everything into prayer. The Ṣaḥīfah is the record of a heart that chose, in the face of the worst, to speak to Allāh ﷻ — and this choice is perhaps its most important teaching.