What does « Parchment / Book » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Parchment / Book (صحف) in the Quran, with 9 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

صحف

Parchment / Book

Root: ص - ح - ف

Creed (aqida) 9 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of Parchment / Book

As-sahifa: what is spread out, like the face's surface.

As-sahifa: the page on which one writes, plural suhuf.

The Almighty says: 'in honored scriptures' (Abasa 13). 'The scriptures of Ibrahim and Moses' (Al-A'la 19).

The revealed Scriptures.

Parchment / Book in the Quran (9)

Meccan: 8 Medinan: 1

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'la 2

Ta-Ha 1

Az-Zukhruf 1

An-Najm 1

Al-Muddaththir 1

'Abasa 1

At-Takwir 1

Al-Bayyina 1

Surah Ta-Ha : 133 Meccan

﴿وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا يَأْتِينَا بِـَٔايَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦٓ أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِم بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ﴾

And they say, "Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?" Has there not come to them evidence of what was in the former scriptures?

Surah Az-Zukhruf : 71 Meccan

﴿يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِصِحَافٍ مِّن ذَهَبٍ وَأَكْوَابٍ وَفِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ ٱلْأَنفُسُ وَتَلَذُّ ٱلْأَعْيُنُ وَأَنتُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ﴾

Circulated among them will be plates and vessels of gold. And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes, and you will abide therein eternally.

Surah An-Najm : 36 Meccan

﴿أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ﴾

Or has he not been informed of what was in the scriptures of Moses

Surah Al-Muddaththir : 52 Meccan

﴿بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًا مُّنَشَّرَةً﴾

Rather, every person among them desires that he would be given scriptures spread about.

Surah 'Abasa : 13 Meccan

﴿فِى صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ﴾

[It is recorded] in honored sheets,

Surah At-Takwir : 10 Meccan

﴿وَإِذَا ٱلصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ﴾

And when the pages are made public