1. **What is a *ṣaḥīfah* (صَحِيفَة)?**
- A *ṣaḥīfah* means **a written sheet, scroll, or page**.
- In Islam, it can mean **a small written message** or **a collection of written teachings**.
2. **What are the “100 Ṣaḥīfahs”?**
- Some Islamic reports mention that Allah sent down **100 small scrolls** to earlier prophets.
- They are usually mentioned like this:
- 10 ṣaḥīfahs to **Ādam** عليه السلام
- 50 ṣaḥīfahs to **Shīth** (Seth) عليه السلام
- 30 ṣaḥīfahs to **Idrīs** عليه السلام
- 10 ṣaḥīfahs to **Ibrāhīm** عليه السلام
- So “the 100 ṣaḥīfahs” means **100 revealed writings given to some prophets**, not one single book like the Qur’an.
3. **Qur’an Evidence:**
- The Qur’an confirms that Allah gave **ṣuḥuf / scrolls** to some prophets.
**Qur’an Source:**
Surah Al-A‘lā, Surah 87, Ayah 18-19
**Arabic:**
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ
**Translation:**
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures — the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
**Simple Meaning:**
Allah tells us that some true guidance was written in earlier scriptures before the Qur’an, including the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa عليهما السلام.
4. **Another Qur’an Source:**
**Qur’an Source:**
Surah An-Najm, Surah 53, Ayah 36-37
**Arabic:**
أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ
**Translation:**
Has he not been informed of what was in the scriptures of Moses, and of Abraham who fulfilled his duty?
**Simple Meaning:**
This shows that Allah sent earlier written revelations to prophets before the Qur’an.
5. **Hadith Evidence:**
- There is a famous report about the number of scriptures, but **its chains are not strong like Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim**.
- It is reported in **Musnad Ahmad** and **Sunan Abu Dawud** with اختلاف (differences) in grading among scholars.
**Hadith Source:**
Musnad Ahmad, and also reported in Sunan Abu Dawud; authenticity graded differently by scholars
**Hadith Meaning:**
The report mentions that **Allah sent down 100 ṣaḥīfahs**, with some given to Ādam, Shīth, Idrīs, and Ibrāhīm عليهم السلام.
**Simple Explanation:**
This hadith is used to explain the idea of many early revelations, but because its chain is not among the strongest, we should be careful and not treat every detail as equally certain.
6. **Scholars’ Explanation:**
- **Ibn Kathir** explained in his tafsir that the Qur’an confirms earlier scriptures, but the exact details of the number of ṣaḥīfahs come mainly from reports outside the Qur’an.
- **Al-Qurtubi** also mentioned that *ṣuḥuf* are written revelations given to prophets, but the Qur’an itself only clearly names some of them.
7. **Simple Conclusion:**
- **Ṣaḥīfah** = a written scroll or page.
- **100 ṣaḥīfahs** = a report about 100 small revelations given to earlier prophets.
- The **Qur’an confirms** that Allah revealed earlier scriptures, but the **exact number 100** comes from hadith reports, not from a clear Qur’anic verse.
**Takeaway:**
Believe in the prophets and the revelations Allah sent to them, and remember that the Qur’an is the final and complete message.
Allah knows best.