However...

However, for the sake of our study we have attempted a serious analysis into the subject without necessarily expending critical examination and investigation. The study of the authenticity of the Ṣaḥīfa may be undertaken in a number of ways. To begin with, we have chosen a study of the semantic meanings and usages of the word Ṣaḥīfa, in order to evaluate the historical meanings of the word and identify what they indicate to.

This is followed by a linguistic analysis of the text in order to assess the possible similarities and differences in the manner of the author’s deployment of language and use of allusion and reference. Furthermore, an attempt will also be made here to look at any possible significant and characteristic or thematic usages that may be specific to the text.

An analysis of this kind, for a text of this nature, is significant as it may be one of the few alternatives besides the traditional analysis to candidate for critical examination. Such an analysis may possibly be able to place the Ṣaḥīfa within a certain time frame, together with traditional analysis. Moreover, this kind of analysis may indicate any specific usage that may direct towards indicating authorship.

The last part of this section, deals with how traditional Islamic scholarship has evaluated and transmitted texts. Together with an analysis and application with reference to the Ṣaḥīfa, a brief overview will be given concerning the sciences (ʿilm al-ḥadīth and ʿilm al-rijāl) developed for evaluating texts. For the object of our study and analysis, as for the Ṣaḥīfa, reference will be made to the text established by al-Shaḥīd al-Awwal translated by Chittick.

2.2 Semantic meanings and usage of the word Ṣaḥīfa According to Ibn Manzūr (d. 711/1311) the word ṣaḥīfa is meant to be something that is written upon.100 Al-Zuhrī (d. 742/1341) maintains that muṣḥaf (pl. of ṣaḥīfa, other forms of the plural are saḥā‘if, suḥufun and suḥfun) is a collection of that which is ‘written between two covers’, similarly Al-Jawharī (d. ca 860/1456) refers to the word ṣaḥīfa to mean book.101 According to Lane (d.