In a small Egyptian village called Dalāṣ, in the year 608 AH (1212 CE), a child was born whose pen would one day compose verses that would echo across eight centuries, touching the hearts of Muslims from Morocco to Malaysia. Abū ʿAbdallāh Sharaf al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd al-Būṣīrī—known simply as Imam al-Būṣīrī—would become the author of what many consider the most recited poem in human history after the Qurʾān itself: the Qaṣīda al-Burda, the Poem of the Mantle.¹

The Formation of a Soul

Al-Būṣīrī's lineage traced back to the Sanhājī Berber tribe of North Africa, though his father hailed from Abūṣīr (from which the family derived its nisba), while his mother belonged to Dalāṣ.² From his earliest years, young Muḥammad demonstrated an insatiable thirst for sacred knowledge. He memorized the Qurʾān while still a child, his voice carrying its verses through the narrow streets of his hometown.³

The pull of learning drew him northward to Cairo, the beating heart of Islamic scholarship in the Mamlūk era. There, he immersed himself in the traditional sciences: Arabic grammar and morphology, literature, Islamic history (tārīkh), Qurʾānic exegesis (tafsīr), theology (ʿaqīda), logic, debate, and prophetic biography (sīra).⁴ But Cairo offered more than books—it was a city where the spiritual and temporal intertwined, where calligraphers etched beauty onto tombstones and poets sang in the courts of sultans.

To support himself, al-Būṣīrī became a master calligrapher, his elegant hand inscribing epitaphs on gravestones throughout Cairo.⁵ His poetic gifts soon earned him recognition, and he was hired as a municipal clerk and court poet, tasked with composing panegyrics for the Sultan and Egyptian officials. His pen flowed with ease, crafting verses that pleased his patrons—yet something in his soul remained unsatisfied.⁶

A Spiritual Turning Point

The transformation came when al-Būṣīrī encountered Shaykh Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Mursī, the illustrious successor of the great Sufi master Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī.⁷ The Shādhilī order, with its emphasis on spiritual presence (ḥuḍūr), love of the Prophet ﷺ, and integration of outer knowledge with inner realization, resonated deeply with the poet's yearning heart. Al-Būṣīrī became a devoted disciple (murīd), studying alongside other luminaries including Ibn ʿAṭāʾ Allāh al-Iskandarī (author of the Ḥikam) and ʿIzz al-Dīn ibn ʿAbd al-Salām.⁸

When Shaykh al-Shādhilī passed away, al-Būṣīrī composed a moving eulogy for his spiritual grandfather—an early sign of the devotional poetry that would define his legacy. Yet his path took a darker turn when he began to see the corruption within Egypt's bureaucracy. Disturbed by the infamies he witnessed, al-Būṣīrī penned sharp invective poems exposing these wrongs. The political elite, stung by his critiques, turned against him. Weary and disillusioned, he withdrew from government service entirely.⁹

Returning to Cairo, al-Būṣīrī opened a primary school for children, channeling his energies into teaching. Later, he moved to Alexandria—then a flourishing center of sacred knowledge and Sufism—where he devoted himself completely to studying the life of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. Every hadith about the Messenger's character, every detail of his battles and miracles, every account of his mercy and majesty—al-Būṣīrī absorbed them all, until his heart overflowed with a love that demanded expression.¹⁰

The Night of the Mantle

The defining moment of al-Būṣīrī's life came through affliction. He was struck by fālij—a stroke that paralyzed half his body, leaving the once-eloquent poet helpless and confined.¹¹ In his suffering, al-Būṣīrī turned to the only intercessor he trusted completely. His friend Zayn al-Dīn Yaʿqūb ibn al-Zubayr had earlier suggested he compose a poem in praise of the Prophet ﷺ. Now, in his darkest hour, al-Būṣīrī took up that challenge as a spiritual lifeline.

Night after night, he recited the verses he composed, weeping, supplicating, begging the Prophet ﷺ to intercede with Allāh for his healing. The poem poured from him—a confession of his sins, a celebration of prophetic perfection, a desperate prayer wrapped in the most exquisite Arabic verse. When exhaustion finally overcame him, he fell asleep.

In his dream, the Beloved appeared. The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, in his transcendent beauty, approached al-Būṣīrī and gently passed his blessed hand over the poet's face. Then, with infinite mercy, he wrapped al-Būṣīrī in his own mantle (burda).¹² When al-Būṣīrī awoke, he found himself able to move. The paralysis had vanished. He rose from his bed and walked—restored, transformed, and overflowing with gratitude.

He told no one of the miracle. But walking through the streets of Alexandria, he encountered a Sufi (faqīr) who stopped him and said, "I want you to give me the poem in which you praise the Prophet ﷺ." Astonished, al-Būṣīrī asked how he knew of it. The Sufi replied, "I saw the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ last night in a dream, and he recited it. Then he said to me: 'Go to Būṣīrī, give him my greetings of peace, and tell him: I have interceded for you, and you are healed.'"¹³

The Celestial Lights: Understanding the Burda

The full title of al-Būṣīrī's masterpiece is al-Kawākib al-Durriyya fī Madḥ Khayr al-Bariyya (The Celestial Lights in Praise of the Best of Creation), though the world knows it simply as the Burda—the Poem of the Mantle.¹⁴ Composed in 160 verses (or 162 in some recensions), it follows the classical Arabic qaṣīda form, with each line ending in the letter mīm (making it a mīmiyya). Between verses, Muslims worldwide sing the refrain that has become synonymous with the poem itself:

Mawlāya ṣalli wa sallim dāʾiman abadan ʿAlā ḥabībika khayri al-khalqi kullihim

"My Master, bestow blessings and peace continuously and eternally upon Your Beloved, the Best of All Creation."¹⁵

The Burda unfolds across ten thematic chapters:

1. Chapter on Love (Maḥabba) – The poet confesses his struggle with desire and his yearning for spiritual purity, establishing the human condition that every reader recognizes.

2. Chapter on Warning Against the Ego (Taḥdhīr) – A sober meditation on the nafs (ego) and its deceptions, calling believers to vigilance.

3. Chapter on the Praise of the Prophet ﷺ (Madḥ) – Here the poet's heart bursts forth in celebration of the Messenger's unparalleled character and station.

4. Chapter on His Birth (Mawlid) – Al-Būṣīrī recounts the miraculous signs that attended the Prophet's ﷺ birth, when creation itself rejoiced.

5. Chapter on His Miracles (Muʿjizāt) – A poetic catalog of the prophetic miracles, from splitting the moon to healing the sick.

6. Chapter on the Excellence of the Qurʾān (Sharāf al-Qurʾān) – Verses that praise the inimitable beauty and power of divine revelation.

7. Chapter on the Night Journey (Isrāʾ) – Al-Būṣīrī traces the Prophet's ﷺ miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension through the heavens.

8. Chapter on Jihād – Celebrating the Prophet's ﷺ courage and the early Muslims' sacrifices in defending the truth.

9. Chapter on Seeking Forgiveness and Intercession (Istighfār wa Tawassul) – The poet returns to himself, acknowledging his sins and pleading for the Prophet's ﷺ intercession.

10. Chapter on Intimate Discourse (Munājāt) – The poem concludes with heartfelt supplication, seeking divine mercy through the Prophet's ﷺ mediation.¹⁶

What makes the Burda extraordinary is not merely its literary excellence—though scholars have marveled at its eloquent wordplay, perfect meter, and rich imagery—but its spiritual authenticity. Al-Būṣīrī wrote from a place of brokenness, not pretension. As one contemporary translator observed, the Burda makes no claims to loftiness; it is a poem for saint and sinner alike, offering every Muslim a voice to say, "Lord, my hope in You is not through my deeds; my hope in You is through the Chosen One."¹⁷

The Other Masterworks

While the Burda remains al-Būṣīrī's most famous composition, it is far from his only contribution to Islamic literature. His corpus includes several other significant works:

The Hamziyya (Al-Qaṣīda al-Hamziyya)

The Hamziyya, composed in 456 verses, is actually a longer and more complex poem than the Burda, though less widely known.¹⁸ Following the bahr al-khafīf meter, each verse ends with the letter hamza, giving the poem its name. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, who recently completed the first full English translation, describes it as a greater literary accomplishment than the Burda, encompassing prophetic biography, Qurʾānic miracles, comparative religion, and even a vivid medieval travelogue of the journey from Cairo to Mecca and Medina.¹⁹

The Hamziyya reveals al-Būṣīrī's vast learning in prophetic biography (sīra) and his ability to weave together history, theology, and spiritual insight into a single tapestry of verse. Like the Burda, it has been sung in gatherings across the Muslim world for centuries and has inspired numerous commentaries and expansions.

The Muḍariyya (Al-Qaṣīda al-Muḍariyya)

Also known as Umm al-Qurā (The Mother of Villages), the Muḍariyya is another prophetic eulogy in the mīmiyya form.²⁰ While shorter than both the Burda and Hamziyya, it holds a special place in devotional practice and is often recited alongside its more famous sibling.

The Muḥammadiyya and Other Works

Al-Būṣīrī's Muḥammadiyya and other devotional poems in praise of the Prophet ﷺ were later compiled into the Dīwān al-Būṣīrī, published in Cairo in 1374/1955.²¹ Each work demonstrates his mastery of Arabic prosody and his unwavering focus on celebrating the Beloved of Allāh ﷺ.

A Legacy That Spans Centuries

From the moment of its composition, the Burda was recognized as something sacred. Even during al-Būṣīrī's lifetime, Muslims began memorizing it, reciting it for blessings (baraka), using its verses as protective amulets, and singing it at gatherings.²² When the great Shāfiʿī ḥadīth master Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (d. 852 AH) studied the Burda, he received it through an unbroken chain connecting directly to al-Būṣīrī himself—establishing a scholarly isnād (chain of transmission) for the poem comparable to chains for ḥadīth.²³

The poem's acceptance across the Sunni tradition is remarkable. Luminaries from all four schools of jurisprudence (madhāhib) wrote commentaries on the Burda:

• Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (Shāfiʿī), the great Egyptian jurist and Sufi
• al-Bājūrī (Shāfiʿī), whose commentary became a standard text in al-Azhar
• ʿAlī al-Qārī (Ḥanafī), the Ottoman scholar and muḥaddith
• al-Kharpūtī (Ḥanafī), whose glosses enriched understanding
• Ibn ʿAjība (Mālikī), the Moroccan Sufi saint whose Mainstay commentary brings out the poem's mystical depths²⁴

The Burda adorns the walls of mosques from Istanbul to Jakarta. It has been calligraphed onto the walls of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina itself—an honor reserved for the most sacred texts.²⁵ It has been translated into Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Swahili, English, French, German, and countless other languages. New poems have been composed by interpolating additional verses between al-Būṣīrī's original lines. Musicians and munshidīn (vocalists) across generations have set it to melodies that move listeners to tears.

To this day, the Burda is recited in moments of both celebration and sorrow: at mawlid gatherings celebrating the Prophet's ﷺ birth, in weekly ḏikr circles, during illness as a petition for healing, and at funerals as the deceased are lowered into their graves.²⁶ Muslims across theological and cultural boundaries unite in their love for these verses.

The Poet's Final Years

Al-Būṣīrī spent his final years in Alexandria, that luminous city where philosophy and spirituality had mingled since ancient times. He continued teaching, writing, and guiding students until he passed away in 694 AH (1294 or 1295 CE) at the age of approximately 83 (some sources say 86 or 87).²⁷ He was buried in a small zāwiya (Sufi lodge) in Alexandria, which was later transformed into a mosque bearing his name—a fitting monument for a man whose words had become a mosque for the heart.

Among his students were some of the era's greatest scholars, including Imam Abū Ḥayyān al-Gharnāṭī and Imam Fatḥ al-Dīn ibn Sayyid al-Nās, ensuring that his legacy extended beyond poetry into the broader Islamic sciences.²⁸

Why the Burda Endures

What explains the Burda's unparalleled staying power? Why do Muslims eight centuries later—educated in universities, connected by technology, living in vastly different contexts—still gather to sing al-Būṣīrī's verses?

First, the poem is universal in its humanity. Al-Būṣīrī does not present himself as a perfected saint but as a struggling believer wrestling with his ego, acknowledging his shortcomings, and desperately seeking divine mercy. Every Muslim recognizes this struggle.

Second, the Burda is a comprehensive expression of Muḥammadan love (maḥabbat al-Rasūl). It captures the multifaceted beauty of the Prophet ﷺ—his mercy, his courage, his miracles, his message—in language that moves both the scholar and the common believer. Love for the Prophet ﷺ is not an abstract doctrine in the Burda; it is visceral, poetic, and immediate.

Third, the poem embodies the Sunni tradition's balance. Al-Būṣīrī venerates the Prophet ﷺ with the highest praise while maintaining proper boundaries of tawḥīd (divine unity). He acknowledges the Prophet's ﷺ special station and intercession while directing all worship to Allāh alone. This theological carefulness is one reason the Burda has been endorsed across madhāhib and generations.

Finally, the Burda carries baraka—a spiritual potency that believers testify to experiencing. Whether through al-Būṣīrī's original miraculous healing, or through countless subsequent accounts of comfort, healing, and divine favor, the poem is seen not merely as literature but as a means (wasīla) of drawing closer to Allāh through His Beloved ﷺ.

Conclusion: A Mantle for Every Generation

Imam al-Būṣīrī's life teaches us that affliction can become a doorway to divine grace, that brokenness can birth beauty, and that sincere love for the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ transforms not only the lover but all who encounter that love. In an age when Muslims face unprecedented challenges—spiritual confusion, cultural upheaval, physical and emotional ailments—the Burda offers what it has always offered: a path back to the Prophet ﷺ, and through him, to the Divine Presence.

As you read or recite al-Būṣīrī's verses, remember the paralyzed poet weeping in Alexandria, remember the Prophet's ﷺ hand upon his face, remember the mantle of mercy that covered him—and know that this same mercy is extended to you.

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Recommended Reading from MeccaBooks

To deepen your connection with Imam al-Būṣīrī's legacy, explore these essential works available at MeccaBooks.com:

1. The Burdah: The Singable Translation of Busiri's Classic Poem in Praise of the Prophet translated by Mostafa Azzam – The first English translation designed to be sung with the original melodies, bringing the Burda to life for English speakers.
2. The Burdah of Imam al-Busiri by Essential Islam – A meticulously produced edition featuring Arabic text, English translation, and concise commentary to aid study and memorization.
3. Mainstay: A Commentary on Qasida al-Burda by Ibn Ajiba – One of the most beloved classical commentaries, by the Moroccan Sufi saint, offering deep spiritual insights into each couplet.
4. The Hamziyya: Selected Verses translated by Aziza Spiker – An introduction to al-Būṣīrī's longer masterpiece, with Arabic text, translation, and transliteration.
5. The Burda Translation (Burda, Mudariyya & Muhammadiyya) by Guidance Media – A comprehensive volume containing three of al-Būṣīrī's major poems with translation and transliteration.
6. Guardian of the Cloak: In Defence of al-Busiri's Ode al-Burda by Shaykh Dawud ibn Sulayman al-Baghdadi – A scholarly defense addressing accusations against the Burda, demonstrating its orthodoxy and acceptance by mainstream scholars.
7. The Hamziyyah of Imam al-Buṣīrī translated and introduction by Hamza Yusuf, Foreword by Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi. Complete translation to al-Būṣīrī's longer masterpiece, with Arabic text, and translation.
8. The Mantle Adorned - translated and introduction by Abdal Hakim Murad. The Mantle Adorned is a completely new translation of the Burda (‘Mantle Poem’). Abdal Hakim Murad has consulted the classical commentaries to produce this clear and careful English version.

 

 

Footnotes

1. Stetkevych, Suzanne Pinckney. "From Text to Talisman: Al-Būṣīrī's Qaṣīdat al-Burda (Mantle Ode) and the Supplicatory Ode." Journal of Arabic Literature 37, no. 2 (2006): 145-189. ↩

2. Ibn Shākir al-Kutubī, Fawāt al-Wafayāt, ed. Iḥsān ʿAbbās (Beirut: Dār Ṣādir, 1973), 4:245. ↩

3. Al-Ṣafadī, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Khalīl ibn Aybak. Al-Wāfī bi-l-Wafayāt (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1962), 2:175. ↩

4. Imam Ghazali Institute, "An Introduction to Qasidah Burdah: The Most Famous Poem in the World," accessed October 2, 2025, https://www.imamghazali.org/blog/introduction-to-qasidah-burdah. ↩

5. Britannica, "al-Būṣīrī," accessed October 2, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Busiri. ↩

6. Qasida Burda official website, "Biography of Imam Al-Busiri," accessed October 2, 2025, https://www.qasidaburda.com/. ↩

7. Wikipedia, "Al-Busiri," accessed October 2, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Busiri. ↩

8. Islamic Lifestyle Solutions, "Imaam Sharaf al Din Al Busiri," accessed October 2, 2025, http://islamiclifestylesolutions.co.za/imaam-sharaf-al-din-al-busiri/. ↩

9. Qasida Burda website, "Biography." ↩

10. Dalail Al Khayrat website, "Imam Al Busiri and The Burda," accessed October 2, 2025, https://dalailalkhayrat.com/blogs.php?blog=imam-al-busiri-burda. ↩

11. Qasidah Burdah blog, "Biography of Imam Al-Busiri," accessed October 2, 2025, https://qaseedaburdah.wordpress.com/biography/. ↩

12. Ibid. ↩

13. Ibid. ↩

14. Wikipedia, "Al-Burda," accessed October 2, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Burda. ↩

15. Ibid. ↩

16. Qasida Burda website, "Structure." ↩

17. Imam Ghazali Institute, "Introduction to Qasidah Burdah." ↩

18. Wikipedia, "Al-Hamziyya," accessed October 2, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Hamziyya. ↩

19. Abu Zahra Press, "The Hamziyyah of Imam al-Busiri," accessed October 2, 2025, https://abuzahra.org/products/the-hamziyyah-of-imam-al-busiri. ↩

20. MeccaBooks, "The Hamziyya: Selected Verses," accessed October 2, 2025, https://www.meccabooks.com/products/the-hamziyya-selected-verses. ↩

21. Islamic Lifestyle Solutions, "Imaam Sharaf al Din Al Busiri." ↩

22. Britannica, "al-Būṣīrī." ↩

23. Wikipedia, "Al-Burda." ↩

24. MeccaBooks, "Mainstay: A Commentary on Qasida al-Burda By Ibn Ajiba," accessed October 2, 2025, https://www.meccabooks.com/products/mainstay-a-commentary-on-qasida-al-burda-by-ibn-ajiba. ↩

25. Studio Almadina, "The Most Famous Poem Ever Written: Examining the Burda of Imam al-Busiri," accessed October 2, 2025, https://www.almadina.org/studio/articles/the-most-famous-poem-ever-written-examining-the-burda-of-imam-al-busiri. ↩

26. Ibid. ↩

27. Dalail Al Khayrat website, "Imam Al Busiri and The Burda." ↩

28. Imam Ghazali Institute, "Introduction to Qasidah Burdah." ↩