UNDERSTANDING THE POEM OF THE BURDAH

IN SUFI COMMENTARIES

Rose Aslan

TheAmericanUniversityinCairo

UNDERSTANDINGTHEPOEMOFTHEBURDAHINSUFICOMMENTARIES

AThesisSubmittedtoTheDepartmentofArabandIslamicCivilizations

inpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeofMastersofArts

byRoseAslan

(underthesupervisionofDr.AbdelRahmanSalem)

June2008

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TheAmericanUniversityinCairo

UNDERSTANDINGTHEPOEMOFTHEBURDAHINSUFICOMMENTARIES

AThesisSubmittedbyRoseAslanTotheDepartmentofArabandIslamicCivilizationsJune2008inpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsforThedegreeofMastersofArtsHasbeenapprovedby

Dr.AbdelRahmanSalemThesisCommitteeChair/Advisor_________________________________________Affiliation___________________________________________________________Dr.BradleyCloughThesisCommitteeReader/examiner________________________________________Affiliation____________________________________________________________Dr.HudaLutfiThesisCommitteeReader/examiner________________________________________Affiliation_______________________________________________________________________________ _______ ________________ _________DepartmentChair/ Date Dean Date ProgramDirector

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DEDICATION

ToMuhammad…

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Firstofall,ImustthankMuhammadHabib;Icouldnothavegottenthroughthisintenseperiodofmylifewithouthisconstanthelpandsupport.Imustalsothankmythesisadvisor,Dr.AbdelRahmanSalemforhispatienceandfaithinmeaswediscussedmythesisandforhisusefulfeedback.Iamalsogratefultothereadersonmythesiscommittee,Dr.BradleyCloughandDr.HudaLutfi,fortheircarefulreadingofmythesisandconstructivecriticism,theircommentshavehelpedmeimmenselyandwillbeimplementedinfutureprojectsbasedonmythesis.OtherprofessorsintheDepartmentofArabandIslamicCivilizationshavebeeninstrumentalinmycareeratAUC,includingDr.MattMalczycki,Dr.MohamedSerag,Dr.MahmoudElRabie,Dr.SamiaMehrez,andDr.HishamHellyer.Mygratitudealsogoestotheadministrativestaff,MaggieDaoud,MarwaSabryOsman,andNohaShawkyfortheirreadinesstoanswerquestionsandguidemethroughthebureaucraticmazethatisAUC.IamalsoindebtedtoDr.MuhammadRekabiofAl-AzharUniversityforhiswillingnesstoansweranyquestionsIhavehad,providemewithaconstantstreamofpertinentbooks,andtodiscussvitalaspectsofmythesis.Finally,myfriendsandfamilyhavealwaysencouragedmetopursuemydreamsandhavebelievedinme,forthistheywillalwayshaveaspecialplaceinmyheart.

ThisthesisistypesetintheKoufrUnifontinMSWordforMac,availableathttp://www.smi.uib.no/ksv/Jaghbub.html.

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ABSTRACT

AmericanUniversityinCairo

UNDERSTANDINGTHEPOEMOFTHEBURDAHINSUFICOMMENTARIES

RoseAslan

(UnderthesupervisionofDr.AbdelRahmanSalem)

ThisthesisexploresinterpretationsofthepoemoftheBurdahcomposedbyImamal-Būṣīrī,amysticalpanegyricpoemthatisassociatedwithmiraclesandisbelievedbysometohavehealingandtalismanicproperties.ByexaminingvariouswritingsbySufischolarsontheBurdah,Ihaveshedlightontheirinterpretationsofthepoemanditsmysticalqualitiesinordertocometoadeeperunderstandingofthepoemitself,itscontext,andtheimpactithashadonIslamicateliteratureandSufipractices.Mostimportantly,IexplorethethemeofseekingintercessionfromtheProphetMuḥammadandtherolethattheBurdahplaysinthisprocess.

AnumberofcommentatorsIdiscussinthisstudyidentifytheirpetitiontothe

Prophetasaprimarymotiveforproducingtheircommentaries.Iwillarguethattherearethreelevelsthatplayoutinthisprocess,namely1.themesinthepoemoftheBurdahitselfthatdealwiththetopic,2.thestoryofal-Būṣīrī’scompositionoftheBurdahasameansofseekingintercessionfromtheProphetandforgivenessfromGod,and3.thecompositionofcommentariesbySufiswhobyclarifyingandinterpretingtheBurdah,hopedfortheirsinstobeforgivenandfortheProphettointercedeforthemashedidforal-Būṣīrī.Whiletherearethosewhotreatthepoemmerelyasanotherliterarytext,thosewhobelieveinitsspiritualefficacyuseal-Būṣīrī’sbiographyasamodelthattheyaspiretoinordertopurifythemselvesinthespiritualpath.

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TABLEOFCONTENTS

PAGE

DEDICATION……………………………………………………….iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………….iv

ABSTRACT………………………………………………...…………v

CHAPTER

1 INTRODUCTION……………................................................2

ExploringtheBurdah………………………………....……..6

LiteratureReview..…………………………………………..13

TheBurdahinTranslation…………………………………..18

TheoreticalFramework…………………………………….20

2 CONTEXTUALIZINGTHEBURDAH

Biographyofal-Būṣīrī………………………………………..23

TheLegendoftheBurdah……………………………………34

HistoricalandLiteraryBackground……….………………..37

LiteraryAspectsoftheBurdah………………...…………….39

3 SUFICOMMENTARIESOFTHEBURDAH………………45

IntercessionintheCommentaries………………………….62

4 THEBURDAHASASOURCEOFINSPIRATION.……….67

DreaminginIslam…………………………………………….68

AStoryofHealing:ComposingtheBurdah………………...70

PoetryasaMeantoVisions…………………………………..73

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TheBurdahasaToolforHealingandProtection…….……77

5 CONCLUSION………………………………………….…….84

BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………….……………………………..89

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CHAPTERONE

INTRODUCTION

ThepoemoftheBurdahisoneofthemostimportantpoemswritteninArabic

andithasinspiredSufisthroughouttheMuslimworldtoexploreitsinner

meaningsandspecialhealingandprotectivepowers.Itretainsitspopularity

eventoday,forexample,uponenteringtheterms“Burdah”and“poem,”intothe

GoogleInternetsearchengine,onewillfindmorethan76,400entriesthatleadto

websitesthatdiscussthepoem,Wahhābīpolemicsagainstit,aswellas

recordingsandvideosofrenditionsofitsrecitition.Searchthecatalogofany

libraryintheMuslimworld,andonewillfindatleastahandful,andmostofthe

timesmanymore,ofstudies,poeticexpansionsandimitations,and

commentariesonthepoem.ThisthesisexploresinterpretationsofQasīdatal­

Burdah,amysticalpanegyricpoemthatisassociatedwithmiraclesandis

believedbysometohavehealingandtalismanicproperties.Thepoemwas

composedbyImamSharafal-Dīnal-Būṣīrī,athirteenth-centuryEgyptianSufiof

NorthAfricanoriginwholivedduringthevibrantandoftenviolentMamlūk

period.Hewrotethepoemasaformofcatharsis,usingitasawaytopurify

himselffromhispastsinsandwrongdoingsandtoovercomeaphysicalsickness.

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ThroughouttheMuslimworld,fromal-Būṣīrī’stimetothepresent

day,Muslimshaverecitedthepoemindividuallyandtogethertoinvoke

blessingsontheProphetMuhammadandtoaskforhisintercessiononthe

DayofJudgment.IntheArabandIslamicworld,hundredsof

commentarieshavebeenwrittenontheBurdahandithasbeentranslated

intomanylanguages,includingUrdu,Pashto,KhorezmianTurkic,

Persian,Malay,Turkish,Berber,Chinese,Uzbek,andevennumerous

versionsinEnglishandotherWesternlanguages.1AccordingtoIgnaz

Goldziher,“ithasbeencommentedonmorefrequentlyandcopiously

thananyotherArabicpoem,”2surelyareflectionoftheimportantstatus

ithasheldinMuslimsocieties.Thepoemwassopopularduringthe

OttomanperiodthateventhetomboftheProphetinMadīnahwas

decoratedwithitsverses,onlytobetorndownwiththeadventofthe

PuritanWahhābimovementinSaudiArabia.Manyprivatehousesofthe

richintheArabworldandperhapsbeyondwerealsocoveredwiththe

versesoftheBurdah.3Inaddition,aspecialroomforreceivingdignitaries

1SeeStefanandChristopherShackleSperl,ed.,QasidaPoetryinIslamicAsiaandAfrica,ed.J.E.MontgomeryandR.M.A.Allen,vol.I,ClassicalTraditionsandModernMeanings(Leiden:E.J.Brill,1996),SuzanneStetkyvch,"FromTexttoTalisman:Al-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)andtheSupplicatoryOde,"JournalofArabicLiterature37,no.2(2006),SuzanneStetkyvch,"FromSirahtoQasidah:PoeticsandPolemicsinAl-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde),"JournalofArabicLiterature38,no.1(2007).2IgnazGoldziher,AShortHistoryofClassicalArabicLiterature,trans.JosephDesomogyi(Berlin:Hildesheim,1966),57.3SeeunpublishedMAthesisforphotosanddiscussionofthetextoftheBurdahthathasbeendiscoveredonthewallsandmosquesinCairo,NohaMohamedKhaledAbou-Khatwa,

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intheOttomanTopkapiPalaceinIstanbulwascoveredwithtilesthatnot

onlyincludedversesfromtheQur’an,butalsoanumberofversesfrom

theBurdahthatdealwiththeProphet’smiracles,ormuʾjizāt.4

Acompleterenditionofthepoemalsoadornsthewallsofthemosque

andtombcomplexofal-BūṣīrīinAlexandria.5Atthesamemosque,the

BurdahisstilldutifullyrecitedeveryFridaybymembersofthe

Qādirīyyah-QāsimiyyahSufiorderandonSundaysbymembersofthe

Shādhiliyyah-HamīdiyyahSufiorderinthemosquesofSayyidahZaynab

andSayyidahNafīsahinCairo.MembersoftheSufiordersandMuslim

pilgrimsvisital-Būṣīrī’stombfromaroundtheworldtoseekthebarakah,

orblessings,oftheBurdah.StoriesofrecitationsoftheBurdahareoft-

mentionedincommentariesonthepoem,asarereportsoflessonsthat

weregivenbyprominentAzharsheikhs.6ManuscriptsoftheBurdahand

itscommentariesaboundinlibrariesandprivatecollectionsintheMuslim

worldandWesternlibrariesandcopiesofthepoem,popular

“InscriptionProgramsinCaireneDomesticArchitecture(14th-18thCentury)”(AmericanUniversityinCairo,2001).4GulruNecipoglu,Architecture,Ceremonial,andPower:TheTopkapiPalaceintheFifteenthandSixteenthCenturies(Cambridge,MA:MITPress,1991),150.5ObservedbyauthoronnumerousvisitstoMasjidal-BūṣīrīinAlexandria.6ZakīMubārak,Al­Madāʾiḥal­nabawīyyahfīal­adabal­ʿArabī(Cairo:Daral-Katibal-Arabi,1935),199-200

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commentaries,7andpoeticalexpansions(tashṭīr)canbefoundatmost

bookstoresintheArabworld.

IdecidedtoworkonthistopicasIwasstruckbythebeautyanddepthofthe

Burdahandwantedtodelvedeeperintoitandthusbegantoreadthe

commentaries.Afterundertakingpreliminaryresearchonthetopic,Iwas

surprisedtolearnthat,asfarasIknow,veryfewstudieshavebeencarriedout

ontheBurdahanditscommentariesintheEnglishlanguage.Numerousscholars

haveinvestigatedtheliteraryaspectsoftheBurdahinbothArabicandEnglish

andhaverepeatedlydealtwiththenarrativeofthecompositionoftheBurdah

andal-Būṣīrī’slife.8Onlyonetranslationofasingleminorcommentaryis

availableinEnglish,9andsinceitisonlyavailableinanunpublishedPhD

dissertationfrom1985,itisrelativelyunknownandinaccessible.ThusIfeltit

wouldbeappropriatetonarrowthegapofknowledgeaboutthisimportant

poembysheddinglightnotonlyupontheliteraryaspectsofthepoem,butmore

7Particularlythatofanabridgedversionofal-Bājūrī’sḤāshīyatal­Burdah,aswellassimpleglossesininexpensivebookletsprovidedbymodernandreligiousscholarsandwhoprovideaglossaryofdifficultwordsandprovideshortandsimpleinterpretationsofthepoem.8SeeMaḥmūdSālimMuḥammad,Al­Madāʾiḥal­nabawīyyahḥattānihāyatal­ʿasral­Mamlūkī(Beirut:Daral-Fikral-Mu'asir,1996);ʿAbdal-ʿAlīmQabbānī,Al­Būṣīrī:ḥayātuhuwashʿiruh(Alexandria:Daral-Ma'arif,1968);ZaynabʿAzab,ʿAbdal-ṢamadʿAshshāb,Al­BūṣīrīshāʿirAl­madīḥal­nabawī:dirāsahtahlīlīyyahmuʿazzazahbi­qasīdatayal­Burdahwa­al­Hamzīyyah(Rabat,Morocco:Al-Jam'iyyahal-Maghribiyyahlil-Tadamunal-Islami,1999);ʿAlīNajībʿAṭawī,Al­Būṣīrī:shāʿiral­madāʾihal­nabawīyyahwa­ʿalamuhu(Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-'Ilmiyah,1995).9DevinA.DeWeese,“TheKashfAl-HudaofKamalAd-DinHusaynKhorezmi:AFifteenth-CenturySufiCommentaryoftheQasidatal­BurdahinKhorezmianTurkic”(UniversityofIndiana,PhDdissertation,1985).

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importantly,uponthereligiousandspiritualaspectsofthepoemasunderstood

byitscommentators.

ExploringtheBurdah

ByexaminingvariouswritingsbySufischolarsontheBurdah,Ihopetoshed

lightontheirinterpretationsofthepoemanditsmysticalqualitiesinorderto

cometoadeeperunderstandingofthepoemitself,itscontext,andtheimpactit

hashadonIslamicliteratureandpractices.Mostimportantly,Iwantexploreat

thethemeofseekingintercessionfromtheProphetMuḥammadandtherolethat

theBurdahplaysinthisprocess.AnumberofcommentatorsIwilldiscussinthis

studyidentifytheirpetitiontotheProphetisaprimarymotiveforwritingtheir

commentaries.Iwillarguethattherearethreelevelsthatplayoutinthisprocess,

namely1.themesinthepoemoftheBurdahitselfthatdealwiththetopic,2.the

storyofal-Būṣīrī’scompositionoftheBurdahasameansofseekingintercession

fromtheProphetandforgivenessfromGod,and3.thecompositionof

commentariesbySufiswhobyclarifyingandinterpretingtheBurdah,hopedfor

theirsinstobeforgivenandfortheProphettointercedeforthemashedidforal-

Būṣīrī.Whiletherearethosewhotreatthepoemmerelyasanotherliterarytext,

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thosewhobelieveinitsspiritualefficacyuseal-Būṣīrī’sbiographyasamodel

thattheyaspiretoinordertopurifythemselvesinthespiritualpath.

AlthoughcertainOrientalistswhohavestudiedtheBurdah,suchReneBasset,

aFrenchscholarwhodiedin1924inAlgeria,claimedthat“thereisnotraceof

Sufisminit[theBurdah],”10othersrecognizeditsmysticinfluencesthatled

scholarstowriteSufiinterpretationsofthepoem.Amodernscholarwhoworked

onaCentralAsiancommentaryoftheBurdah,DevinDeWeesepositsthat“in

viewofal-Būṣīrī’sSuficonnections,itisdoubtfulthatthemysticalinterpretation

oftheworkisentirelytheinventionoflatercommentators.”11Althoughthe

BurdahisitselfnotaSufipoemasonewouldrefertothedeeplymysticaland

ecstaticpoetryofIbnal-Fārid,Ibnal-ʿArabī,al-Hallāj,andothers,thepoemis

indeedsaturatedwithSufimetaphorsandrhetoric.MuḥammadKhafājī,an

Egyptianscholarconfirmsthepoetryofal-BūṣīrīasbeingSufi-inspired,stating,

Thepoetryofal-BūṣīrīwasfullofintenseSufispiritandinitcanbefoundthelightofSufisandtheirmodesofexpression.AfterIbnal-Fāriḍ,al-BūṣīrīwastrulythegreatestpoetfromEgyptandnootherpoetthatcamebeforeorafterhimcouldreachhislevelofpoeticalbeautyandexpression.12

10ReneBasset,"Burda,"inEncyclopediaofIslam(2008).11DeWeese,269.12Khafājī,258.

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TherearemanyverseswhosesymbolismandimagerycorrespondtoSufi

teachingsandconcepts,forexampleadvicetorestrainthenafs,orself,using

popularmetaphorsinSufidiscourse,

Whocanrestrainmyboltingsoulfromitsselfishdesires,Likebridlesthatbringrestivesteedsundercontrol?(16)

Donotattempttobreakitsappetitethroughwantonindulgence­

Noticehowfoodonlystrengthensaglutton’scraving(17).

Theselfislikeaninfant­ifyouleaveit,itwillgrowuplovingtosuckle,Butifyouweanit,soonitwillloseitsdesireforthebreast(18).

Diverttheself’sdesiresandavoidempoweringit­

Wheneverdesiretakescharge,iteitherdestroysordefiles(19).

Shepherdoveritasitgrazesfreelyinthefieldofactions,Butshoulditfindthepasturagesweet,restrainitscasualroaming(20).

Howoftenithasfoundsomedeadlypleasuredelightful,

Notknowingthatpoisonlieshiddenincream!(21).

Beonguardagainstthetrapsofhungerandsatiety­Anemptystomachcanbeworsethanafullone(22).

Emptyouteverylasttearfromaneyethathasgorged

Onforbiddendeserts,andclingtoadietofremorse(24).

ContradicttheinfantileselfandSatan,anddisobeythem­Ifeitherofthemoffersyousincereadvice,besuspicious!(25)

Inaddition,intheBurdah,al-BūṣīrīreferstonūrMuḥammad,which,accordingto

AnnemarieSchimmel,“isoneofthecentralthemes(ifnotthecentraltheme)of

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mysticalprophetology.”13Theconceptwasfirstdevelopedbymystics,suchas

Sahlal-Tustarī(d.283/896),whoderiveditfromtheLightverseoftheQur’an,

GodistheLightoftheheavensandearth.HisLightislikethis:thereisaniche,andinitalamp,thelampinsideaglass,aglasslikeaglitteringstar,fuelledfromablessedolivetreefromneithereastnorwest,whoseoilalmostgiveslightevenwhennofiretouchesit.14

EssentiallynūrMuḥammadreferstotheideathatbeforecreation,Godcreatedthe

lightofMuḥammadthatworshippedGodfromthebeginning.Fromthislight

emanatedtheprophetsandspiritualuniverse.WhiletheProphetMuḥammad

wascreatedfromtheclayofAdam,hisspiritualessencehadalreadyexistedfor

aneternityandpermeatedtheuniverse,15

AllofthesignsbroughtbythenobleprophetsbeforehimCametothemthroughhislightalone(52).

Heisthebounteoussunandtheyherorbitingplanets­Sherevealstheirlightsforhumanityinthedarknessofnight(53).

DespitethefactthatitcontainsnumerousesotericmysticalandSufireferences,

theBurdahhasreachedamuchwideraudiencethantheworkofthe

aforementionedpoetsduetoitsaccessiblelanguageanddevotionalstyle.Al-

BūṣīrīwasaSufianddiscipleofAbūal-ʿAbbāsal-Mursī,awell-knownsheikh

andfounderofthewidespreadShādhilīSufiorderinspiredbyhisteacher,Abū

al-Hasanal-Shādhilī.Al-BūṣīrīwrotetheBurdahduringatimewhenSufism

13Schimmel,AndMuḥammadisHisProphet,123.14 Qur’an24:35. 15Ibid.,125.

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flourishedunderthegenerouspatronageoftheMamlūkrulersandelite

membersofsociety.ButitisintheworksofSufiswherewecanfindarich

collectionofinterpretationsoftheBurdah.

Inmyresearch,Ihaveidentifiedseveralsignificantcomponentsthatmay

explainwhytheBurdahgainedsuchimportanceinMuslimcommunitiesand

howcertainhealingandprotectivepropertiescametobeattributedtoit.Iposit

thattheBurdah,acompactpoemwritteninhighlyrefinedandeloquentArabic

givesexpressiontothosewhoarethemselvesunabletoconstructsuch

exceptionalandbeautifullanguage.Thepoemcontainsmanyimportantaspects,

stemmingfromthestoryofamanwhorepentstoGodforhissinofnot

dedicatinghislifeandworktoahighergoal,athemewhichanyMuslimcan

easilyidentifywithasthisrepresentsthewell-knownjihādal­nafs,orgreater

strugglewithoneself.Inaddition,thepoemalsocontainsthecarefullychosen

snippetsofthesacredbiographyoftheProphetMuhammad,withreferencesto

eventsandmiraclesfromhislifeaswellasabundantpraiseofhim.Thepoem

endswiththepoet’smiraculousrecoveryfromhisillness,returntoGod,

reconciliationwithhisfaith,andanepiphanyabouttherealityoftheworld.Fora

considerablyshortpoem,itcontainsmanyseparatecomponents,allofwhichare

veryattractivetothereader,whocaneasilyemphasizeandevenexperiencewhat

al-Būṣīrīwentthroughonhisspiritualjourney.

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Furthermore,MuslimsareraisedtolovetheProphetMuhammadfromthe

daytheyarebornandmanydesiretoseehimintheirdreamsorevenwhilethey

areawake.StoriesaboundofvisionsoftheProphetandbearwitnesstothefact

thatthisisasought-aftergoalofMuslims,manyofwhomhavewrittenstoriesof

theirvisionsandadviceandinstructionsonthebestwaytobringaboutthis

vision.Mostimportantly,animportantauthentichadithreports:“AbuHuraira

reportedthattheMessengerofAllahsaid:‘Hewhosawmeinadreamhas

certainlyseenme,forSatancannottakemyform.’”16Therefore,whileMuslims

whoclaimtoseeanyonebuttheProphetmaybedoubted,theonlyvisionthat

canbeguaranteedtobeabsolutelytrueaccordingtoMuslimsisthatofthe

Prophet,whereallothervisionsmayormaynotbefalse.Thus,scholarsand

ordinaryMuslimshaveattributedaspecialqualitytotheBurdah.Theybelieve

thatifonereadsitwithapureintentionandengagesinpraisingtheProphet,one

canthenhavevisionsoftheProphetMuhammadjustasal-Būṣīrīdidwhenhe

composedtheBurdah.Thus,thestoryofal-Būṣīrī’slifeandhiscompositionofthe

BurdahareessentialtounderstandingtheimportanceoftheBurdahinMuslim

society.Ineffect,thepoemcannotbeseparatedfromitscompositionalnarrative,

whichfurtherstrengthensitspopularityandblessingsaccordingtothebeliefsof

thosewhoreciteit.UnderstandingtheloveoftheProphetMuhammadandhis

16Saḥīḥal-BukhārīandSaḥīḥMuslim

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roleasanintercessorasexperiencedineveryMuslim’slifecouldshedlighton

thepopularityoftheBurdah.

ScholarswhohavewrittencommentariesontheBurdahhavedonesoinorder

toexpoundthiscaptivatingpoemandtoexplainitsmeaningsinfurtherdetail

andtorevealitssecretsandelegantlanguage.Whiletheearliercommentators

fromtheMamlūkandearlierOttomanerafocusedoninterpretingthelinguistic,

andmetaphorandliteralmeaningsofthepoem,wecanseeadevelopingtrend

amonglatercommentatorstoaddfurtherglossesbasedontheiractual

experiencesofrecitingandutilizingthepoemforthepurposeofhealing.These

latercommentatorshighlightedcertainversesandenumeratedupontheir

talismanicusesbasedontheirownexperiences;thisknowledgewastaughtto

thembytheirteachers.ThesecommentatorswereallSufisandoftenprominent

scholarsofIslamfromAl-Azharandotherimportantcentersoflearninginthe

Muslimworld.Includedintheirranksaretheologians,jurists,judges,leadersof

al-AzharandZaytūnahmosquesanduniversities,andotherhigh-standing

membersandreligiousleadersofMuslimsociety.

Inanutshell,thisstudywillattempttounderstandtherolethattheBurdah

hasplayedinthelivesofMuslimsaroundtheworldexploringhowithas

inspiredSufis.Itishopedthatitwillcontributetotheunderstandingofanumber

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ofissuesincluding:theimportanceoftheProphetMuhammadinthelivesof

Muslims,theuseofliterarytalismansamongSufis,andhowtheBurdahhas

inspiredanentiregenreofcommentaries,aswellasspecialbeliefsandpractices.

LiteratureReview

NumerousstudieshavebeenconductedontheliteraryaspectsoftheBurdah,

inparticularSuzanneStetkvych’stworecentarticlesareofgreatmeritand

importance.AscholarofArabicliterature,Stetkvych’sfirstconcerninher

researchistoanalyzetheliteraryaspectsofthepoemandtoisolatetherhetorical

toolsanddevicesutilizedbyal-Būṣīrīandtocomparethepoemwiththosebyhis

predecessorsandcontemporaries.17Inherfirstarticle,“FromTexttoTalisman,”18

Stetkvychattemptstoexplainthestoryofal-Būṣīrī’smiraculouscureandthe

influenceoftheBurdah,whichledtolargeamountsofimitations,expansions,

translations,andcommentariesbeingproduced,byexploringitsliteraryaspects.

StetkvychtracespossibleoriginsofthestructurepresentintheBurdahandhow

thepoettranscendedtraditionalclassicalmadḥpoetryinthatitaddressedthe

objectofpraiseonaspirituallevel.Sheprovidessnippetsoftranslationsof 17BasedonpersonalcommunicationwithDr.SuzanneStetkvychthroughemail,Ihavelearnedthatsheisalsopreparingafull-lengthmonographthatwillcovertopicsincludedinthetwoarticlesmentionedhereaswellasthegenreofmadḥpoetryinArabicandtheburdahsofKaʿbb.Zuhayr,al-Būṣīrī,andAhmadShawqī.18Stetkyvch,"FromTexttoTalisman:Al-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)andtheSupplicatoryOde."

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severalcommentariesthatmentionthehealingpowersofcertainverses.But

Stetkvychdoesthisonlytogiveevidenceofthegreatpopularityandattention

theBurdahhasreceived,butsherefrainsfromanalyzingtheseliterarytalismans

ortheirpresenceinthecommentaries.StetkvychcategorizestheBurdahas“an

Arabicpanegyricode(qaṣīdatal-madḥ)ofthesupplicatoryvariety,addressedto

theProphetMuḥammadasthemamdūḥ,andpleadingforhisintercessionon

JudgementDay.”19Throughoutthebulkofherarticle,Stetkvychscrutinizesthe

poemfromwithinitscontextofthegenreofclassicalArabicpanegyricpoems,

payingattentiontothestructureofthepoeminrelationstoothersfromwithin

thegenreandthethemeofintercessionandpetitionwithinthepoem.

Stetkvych’sapproachisliteraryandsheisconcernedprimarilywith

methodicallyanalyzingtherefinedritual-liturgicalstructureofthepoem,which

shebelieveshasledtothe“literaryandreligioussuccess”oftheBurdah.20

EssentiallyStetkvychsumsuptheBurdahasbeing“aliturgicaltextwhose

recitationconstitutedareenactmentofal-Būṣīrī’sexperienceofofferingagiftof

praisetotheProphetandreceivinginreturnthegiftofspiritualtransformation/

healing.21

19Ibid.,153.20Ibid.,181.21Ibid.,181.

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Inhersecondarticle,“FromSīrahtoQaṣīdah,”22Stetkvychcontinuesthe

thesisofherpreviousarticleandexaminesfurthertopics,suchasal-Būṣīrī’s

portrayaloftheProphetMuḥammadintheBurdahandassertsthatthissectionof

thepoempromoteswhatsheterms“anideologyofIslamicManifestDestiny.”23

Basically,sheholdsthatthissectionofthepoemissupposedtoconfirmthe

prophethoodandmessageofIslamanditspresenceintheworldandtoestablish

thattheProphetMuḥammadisindeedabletointercedeforMuslimsontheDay

ofJudgment.Mostimportantly,Stetkvycharguesthatal-Būṣīrī’sportrayalofthe

ProphetMuḥammad’slifewasnotintendedtobehistoricallyaccurate,ratherthe

“poeticizationoftheseoriginallyprosematerialsachievedanincreased

polemicization.”24

AhmedTaherHasanein’sstudy25oftheBurdahisatechnicalandcriticalwork

inwhichheattemptstoprovethatanumberofversesincludedtowardstheend

ofthecommonlyacceptedversionoftheBurdahwerenotactuallywrittenbyal-

Būṣīrī.Inthesecondhalfofhisarticle,HasaneinexplorestheinfluencethatIbn

al-Fāriḍ’spoetryhaduponal-Būṣīrī’sandthesubsequentwaveofimitationsand

expansionsthatal-BūṣīrīleftinthewakeoftheBurdah.Healsopointsoutthat 22Stetkyvch,"FromSirahtoQasidah:PoeticsandPolemicsinAl-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)."23Ibid.,1.24Ibid.,3.25AḥmadṬāherḤasanein,"IṭlālahālāBurdatal-Būṣīrītatarāsilātiha"Alif:JournalofComparativePoetics23,no.LiteratureandtheSacred(2003).

- 16 - 16

whileal-BūṣīrīmayhavebeeninfluencedbyIbnal-Fāriḍ’spoetry,whose

audiencewasmainlyelitegroupofSufischolars,theBurdahbecamemore

widespreadthroughouttheMuslimworldduetoitssimpleeloquence.26

Hasanein’sarticleisvaluableinthatitexaminestheconnectionbetweenaseries

ofpoetswhoinfluencedoneaftertheother,buthisarticleismainlydescriptive

withlittleanalysis.

ZakiMubarak’searlytwentieth-centurystudy27onpanegyric(madīḥ)poems

thatpraisetheProphetMuḥammadisusefulinthatitcoverstheentiregenreof

madḥpoetryfromitsoriginsuptotheMamlukperiod.Hisbookincludesabrief

chapterontheBurdah,itscomposition,adiscussionofitsvariouscommentaries

anditsinfluenceonArabicliterature.AnactivescholarofSufismandArabic

literatureandaliterarycriticduringthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury,

Mubārak’smodernistandrationalisttendenciesinhibithimfromengagingwith

hissubjectfromascholarlyperspectiveduetohisrejectionofpractices

associatedwiththeBurdah.AsonemodernscholarnotedofMubarak’sviewson

Sufiwritings,“twentieth-centuryEnlightenmentrationalismwasthestandardby

whicheverystatement…wastobeevaluated.Indoingso,hedemonstrateda

completeinabilitytoregisterthetonalityofthedifferentnarrativestrategies

26Ibid.,103.27ZakīMubārak,Al­Madāʾiḥal­nabawīyyahfīal­adabal­ʿArabī(Cairo:Daral-Katibal-Arabi,1935).

- 17 - 17

employedinMuslimliteratureovertheages.”28Hisfailuretorefertosources

andattimes,superficialexaminationoftopics,takesawayfromthemeritofthe

book.Whilehisbookisagoodsourcetobeginwith,itcannotbereliedonfor

accuracy.

BriefremarksontheBurdah’stalismanicpropertiesandinterpretations29have

alsobeenmentionedinlargerstudiesonpanegyricpoemsoftheProphet

MuhammadandhisroleinMuslimsociety.AnnemarieSchimmel’sAnd

MuḥammadisHisMessengerprovidesacomprehensiveandsensitivestudyofthe

venerationoftheProphetinIslamicpiety,withspecialreferencestohispraisein

Sufipoetryandwritings.WhileSchimmel’sbookoffersanexcellentbird’seye

viewoftheimportanceoftheProphetinIslamandtocontextualizehisrolein

Muslim’slives,herapproachisprimarilydescriptive.Schimmelpresents

countlessideasandconceptsthatshebrieflypassesover,becauseofthis,her

workisonlyoflimitedbenefitandmoredetailedandanalyticalstudiesneedto

becarriedoutonthistopic.

28EbrahimMoosa,GhazaliandthePoeticsofImagination,ed.CarlErnstandBruceLawrence,IslamicCivilizationsandMuslimNetworks(ChapelHill:UniversityofNorthCarolinaPress,2005),20.

29SeeAnnemarieSchimmel,AndMuhammadIsHisMessenger.ChapelHill,NC:UniversityofNorthCarolinaPress,1985,181-187.

- 18 - 18

TheBurdahinTranslation

ApartfromalargenumberoftranslationsinIslamicatelanguages,there

havealsobeenanumberofEnglishtranslationsproducedoverthelastcentury.

Subsequently,Ihaveperusedtheavailabletranslationsandcomparedand

contrastedtheiraccuracyintranslationaswellasliteraryqualityandeasein

comprehension.Apartfromalargenumberofunpublishedtranslationsby

amateurtranslatorsthatcanbefoundinabundanceonline,therearefourmain

translationsbyscholarsthatIhaveconsultedformyresearch,theseinclude:R.A.

Nicholson’sclearbuthighlyclassicaltranslationfoundinAReaderonIslam,30

ThorayaMahdiAllam’shighlypoeticyetobscureandawkwardEgyptian

edition,31SusanStetkvych’sliteralandaccuratetranslationwhichcanbefound

withinhertwoarticlesthatcompriseastudyoftheliteraryaspectsofthe

Burdah,32andfinallyHamzaYusuf’sfluidandrefinedtranslation.33

IultimatelydecidedtouseYusuf’stranslationnotonlyduetoitshighly

accurateandinsightfultranslationbasedonsolidscholarshipandchainsof

30MuhammadSharafal-Dīnal-Busiri,AReaderonIslam,trans.ArthurJeffery(Gravenhage:Mouton,1962).31Sharafad-DinMuhammadibnSa'idal-Busiri,Al­Busiri'sBurdah,trans.ThorayaMahdiAllam(Cairo:GeneralEgyptianBookOrganization1987).32Stetkyvch,"FromTexttoTalisman:Al-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)andtheSupplicatoryOde."andStetkyvch,"FromSirahtoQasidah:PoeticsandPolemicsinAl-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)."33Sharafad-DinMuhammadibnSa'idal-Busiri,TheBurda:ThePoemoftheCloakofAl­Busiri,trans.HamzaYusuf(Thaxted,Essex:SandalaLtd.,2002).

- 19 - 19

traditionsrelatingbacktoal-Būṣīrīhimself,butalsobecauseofitsbeautyand

spiritthatitgivestotheBurdahinEnglish,astheAmericancalligrapherofthe

Burdah,MohamedZakariyasays,“whenthereisloveandimaginationto

amplifyskill,wondersofliteraturebecomeapparent.”34HamzaYusufisahighly

respectedAmericanconverttoIslamwhoisoneoftheleadingspiritualleaders

ofAmericanMuslims.Hespentover10yearsstudyinginvariousArabcountries

andinparticular,studiedtheBurdahunderthewell-knownSyrianscholar,

ShaykhMuḥammadal-Yaʿqūbī.Inaddition,Yusuf’stranslationwasgivenfinal

touchesbyawell-knownAmericanMuslimpoet,DanielAbdulHayyMooreand

editedbyanotherprominentAmericanMuslimscholar,MichaelWolfe.What

madeYusuf’srenditionofthehighlyelaboratepoemstandoutwasthefactthat

theEnglishseemstoemitthesamelevelofdevotionandmysticallongingforthe

ProphetMuḥammadastheoriginalArabicdoes.ItisasifYusufhasnotmerely

translatedtheBurdahintoEnglish,butalsomanagedtotransferitsessencealong

withit–trulyararefeatamongtranslatorsofpoetryinanylanguage.

Whiletheothertranslationsmaybeincrediblyaccurate,attimestheir

Shakespeareanwordingandclassicalpoeticstructuredistancesthe

averagereaderfromthepoem,renderingitdryandultimately

inaccessible.Yusuf’sEnglishrenditionoftheBurdahisascloseasonecan

34Ibid.

- 20 - 20

gettotheArabicwithoutactuallyresortingtotheoriginalandthereforeI

willbeusingthisversionthroughoutmythesis.Allothertranslations

fromArabic-languagecommentariesaswellasprimaryandsecondary

Arabicsources(exceptfortheQur’anandHadith)aremineunlessnoted

otherwise.Asforthenumberingoftheverses,Ihaveusedthesame

systemasthatofSuzanneStetkvych,35whodeterminedhernumbering,

basedonacomparisonofvariousversionsandthenchosethemost

accurateone.IsubsequentlymatcheduplinesfromYusuf’stranslationto

thatofStetkvych’sandconfirmedthenumberingwiththevarious

commentariesinmypossession.

TheoreticalFramework:

Myprimarysourcesformyresearchareliteraryinnature,comprising

thetextoftheBurdahitselfaswellasanumberofcommentariesonthe

poemcomposedinEgyptandTurkeyduringdifferentdynasties.These

aredrawnfrombothpublishedtextsandunpublishedmanuscriptsin

ordertorepresentdifferentstylesofcommentariesfromdifferenttime

periods.Inaddition,forpracticalreasons,Ihavehadtoprimarilylimit

myselftocommentariesthatareavailableineditedandpublishedforms

35InhertwoarticlesontheBurdah,“FromTexttoTalisman,”and“FromSīrahtoQaṣīdah.”

- 21 - 21

versusmanythatareonlyavailableinmanuscriptform.Unfortunately,I

havebeenunabletolocateanyMamluk-eracommentariesthathavebeen

publishedalthoughIwasabletolocatetwomanuscriptsofnotefromthis

eraatAl-AzharLibrary.ThebulkofpublishedcommentariesIhavefound

arefromtheOttoman-era.

ByseekingtounderstandhowSufishaveinterpretedanimportantpraise

poemoftheProphetMuhammad,Ihopemyfindingswillshedlighton

importantissuesthatcancontributeinausefulwaytotheever-growingwealth

ofknowledgeinArabicLiteratureandIslamicStudies.Ihavemadeuseof

historicaltexts,particularlyhagiographiesandbiographies,tomapoutal-

Būṣīrī’slifeandhistoricalcontextaswellasthatofthecommentatorsonthe

Burdah.Inaddition,IhavedrawnonstudiesfromArabicliteratureassourcesfor

informationonal-BūṣīrīandtheBurdahanddifferentscholars’interpretations

andglossesofthepoem.Moreover,IhavemadeuseofresearchfromEnglish-

languageworksinIslamicStudies,whichhavehelpedinparttoshapemythesis.

ByapproachingtheBurdahasatextthatisreveredbymanyMuslimsandnot

merelyastatictextpresentonlyinprintform;itismygoaltoanalyzethe

differentwaysMuslims,particularlySufis,valueandunderstandthetextand

howthisreflectsontheirworldviewanddevotionfortheProphetMuḥammad.

- 22 - 22

Inthisway,WilliamGraham’sastutequotewillguidemyanalysisand

methodologyforthispaper,

Themostcrucialkindof‘authenticity’ofascriptureoranythingelseofreligioussignificanceis,inthefinalanalysis,itsabsoluteauthenticityintheunderstandingandfaithofaparticularindividualoraparticulargroupinaparticularage.Whatapersonorcommunityrecognizesastrue,hasfaithinastrue,isaslegitimateanobjectofscholarlyconcernastheequallyelusivegenesisor‘originalsource’ofanidea,animage,amyth,orevenatext;andcertainlyitismoreimportantthanthelatterinseekingtounderstandthepersonorgroupinvolved.36

Thus,inaccordancewiththestandardofscholarlyapproachsetforthbyGraham

above,Iapproachthebeliefsanddoctrineaspresentedinthisthesisinthe

contextofthosewhobelieveinthem.Incontrasttothemethodologyof

Orientalistscholars,Idonotattempttoinvestigatethevalidityofthebeliefsor

recordedexperiences,rather,Iattempttounderstandhowtheywereformedand

toplacethemintheirappropriatecultural,historical,religiousandintellectual

Weltanschauung.

36WilliamA.Graham,DivineWordandPropheticWordinEarlyIslam:AReconsiderationoftheSourceswithSpecialReferenceoftheDivineSayingorHadithQudsi(TheHague:Mouton,1977),2.

- 23 - 23

CHAPTERTWOCONTEXTUALIZINGTHEBURDAH

Biographyofal­Būṣīrī

Beforeproceedinganyfurther,itisimportanttoexamineal-Būṣīrī’s

backgroundandlifeinordertounderstandhowhecametowritetheBurdahand

underwhatcircumstances.Asthestoryofthepoem’scompositionisas

importantasthepoemitself,hisjourneyfromamisanthropiccourtpoettoan

enlightenedSufiisalongoneandmustbeunderstoodwithinthiscontext.In

ordertoattempttopiecetogetherthepiece’sofhistoricalrecordsofal-Būṣīrī’s

lifeandtoworkoutabroadtimeline,Ihavelocatedthemostimportanthistorical

biographicalworksthatoffervarioussnippetsofhislife.Inaddition,Ialso

somewhatfollowedMuḥammadKīlānī’s37timelineofal-Būṣīrī’slife.Kīlānī

offersaloosesketchbasedonacombinationofhistoricalrecordsandanalysisof

al-Būṣīrī’spoetryinformedbyreferencestogeographicallocations,events,and

otherpiecesofinformation.Despitecluesthatpointtoaspectsofal-Būṣīrī’slife,

thistimelineremainsspeculativeandcallsforaseparatestudytoestablishan

authoritativebiographyofal-Būṣīrī.

37InDīwānal­Būṣīrī.

- 24 - 24

Al-Būṣīrī’sfullname38isMuḥammadb.Saʿīdb.Ḥammādb.Muḥsinb.Abū

Surūrb.Ḥibbānb.ʿAbdullahb.Mallakal-Sanhajī.39Differentbiographers

presentslightlydifferentversionsofhislifealthoughcertainfactsareagreed

uponbyall.OfNorthAfricandescent,hewasbornonaTuesdayonthefirstof

theIslamicmonthShawwāl;andalthoughdifferenthistorianshaveproposed

thathewasbornin607,608,and610,themajorityagreeon608/1211.40Bornin

thevillageofDalāṣ,hismother’shometown,hewasraisedinhisfather’svillage

ofBūsirQūrīds,whichislocatedontheWestbankoftheNileinthepresent-day

governateofBeniSuifnearFayoum.BūsirQūrīdswasknowntobethehomeofa

numberofNorthAfricanBerberimmigrantsandal-Būṣīrī’sfamilywasno

exception,ittraceditsorigintotheSanhajītribeofMorocco.Thefamous

38Biographicalinformationbasedonthefollowingsources:AbūFalāḥʿAbdal-Ḥayyb.al-ʿImādal-Ḥanbalī,Shadharātal­dhahabfīakhbārmandhahab,8vols.,vol.5(Cairo:Maktabatal-Qudsiyyah,1931).,Muhammadb.Shākirb.Aḥmadb.ʿAbdal-Raḥmānal-Kutubī,Fawātal­wafayāt,ed.SheikhAliMuhammadMu'wad,2vols.,vol.2(Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-Ilmiyyah,2000).,Khayral-DīnZiriklī,Al­Aʿlām:qāmūstarājimli­ashharal­rijālwa­al­nisāʾninal­ʿArabwa­al­mustʿaribīnwa­al­mustashriqīn(Beirut:Daral-Ilmlil-Malayin,1990).andImāmSharafad-Dīnal-Būṣīrī,DīwānAl­Būṣīrī,ed.MuhammadSayyidKīlānī(Cairo:MaktabatMustafaal-Bābīal-Halabī,1973).39Thisisoneversionofhisfullname,otherversionsincludeMuhammadb.Saʿīdb.Ḥamādb.Muḥsinb.ʿAbdullahb.Hīyyanīal-Habnūnīal-SanhajīAbūʾAbdulahSharifal-Dīnal-Dalāṣ,al-KutubicallshimMuhammadb.Saʿīdb.Ḥamādb.Muḥsinb.ʿAbdullahb.Sanhajb.Malālal-SanhajīandIbnal-ʿImādcallshimMuhammadb.Saʿīdb.Ḥamādal-Dallāṣ.AnothernamealsousedisDalāṣīrī,acombinationofhismother’sandfather’sfamilynames.AccordingtoMuḥammadSayyidKīlānīinhisintroductiontoal-Būsīrī’sDiwan,someofhisbiographiesmentionedonlyshortenedversionsofhisnameswhileothersaddedadditionstitlesandattributes.Theonethingthatallhistoriansagreeonisthatal-Būsīrī’sfirstnamewasMuhammadandthathewasfromtheBanuHabnūnclan,whichwasabranchofthemajorNorthAfricanBerberSanhajītribe.40Taqīal-Dīnal-Maqrīzī,Kitābal­muqaffāal­kabīr,ed.Muhammadal-Yaʿlāwī,vol.5(Beirut:Daral-Gharbal-Islami,1991),663

- 25 - 25

historianal-Maqrīzī,claimedthatal-Būṣīrī’sfamilywasfromtheHammād

CitadelinMoroccoandwasapartoftheBanūḤabnūntribe.41

Littleisknownabouthischildhoodalthoughscholarssurmisethathe

receivedtheusualeducationforchildrenofhistime;hewouldhaveattendeda

Qur’anschoolandmemorizedtheentireQur’an.Kīlānīassertsthatal-Būṣīrī’s

familymusthavebeenpoorashewasforcedtosearchforworkfromayoung

age.Sometimeduringhisyouth,hemadehiswaytoCairo,wherehepursuedhis

studies.TherehewasexposedtotheimportantIslamicsciences,Arabiclanguage

andlinguistics,literature,history,andthebiographyoftheProphetMuḥammad.

Evenasayoungman,al-Būṣīrībegantocomposepoetry,althoughnotofa

religiousnature.Forexample,intheyear637/1240,attheageof30,hecomposed

apoemtopetitiontheKingNajmal-Dīnal-Ayyūbīwhenhefailedtoallota

generousendowmenttoal-Būṣīrī’smosque.42Anaccomplishedpoet,hewould

oftenrecitehispoetryandgivelessonsatmosquesinCairo.Anumberofyoung

poetsstudiedunderhim,suchasʾAthiral-DinMuḥammadIbnYusufAbū

Hayyānal-Andalusī(d.725/1325),Abūal-Fatḥb.Sayyidal-Nāsal-Yaʿmarī(d.

734/1334),andʿIzzal-Dīnb.Jamāʿah(d.735/1335).43

41Ibid.42MuḥammadSayyidKīlānī,Dīwānal­Būṣīrī(Cairo:MaktabatMustafaal-Babial-Halabi,1973),6-743Ibid.,7.

- 26 - 26

Al­Būṣīrī:TheMisanthropicPoet

WhileheisbestknownforthedeeplyreligiousBurdahandtheHamziyyah

poems,al-Būṣīrī’scompletediwanisstillextantandincludespoetrythatreveals

thetransitionfromaroughandterseyouthtoamaturemanwithadeeply

spiritualdisposition.Basedonhispoetry,onecanmapouthisspiritual

developmentasherecordshisexperiencesinlife,interactionswithpeople,

complaints,andinsights.Al-Būṣīrī’sshortandslenderstatureledtohisbeing

ridiculedbypeopleandthesourceoftheirjokes.Earlyoninhiscareer,hewrote

anumbersatirepoemsthatrevealedhisfeelingsaboutbeingridiculed.Healso

hadahardtimeacceptingcriticismfromotherpoetsandevenwrotearebuttalof

apoet,oneZaynal-Dīnb.al-Raʿādwhohadinsultedhiswork.44Hewasknown

tohaveaharshtongueandtookpleasureincomposinghijaʾ,orsatire,poetryto

insulthisenemies.Thehistorianal-ShehābMahmūd,acontemporaryofal-

Būṣīrī,wrotethathewasamisanthropewhowouldattackotherswithhiswords

andhadabadreputationinthecourtsofprincesandviziers.45

Al-BūṣīrīlivedinvariouslocationsinCairoandintheDeltaregion,working

primarilyasascribeandpoetforthelocalrulers.Atonetime,arulerofferedhim

thepositionofamuḥtasib,ormarketinspector,inCairo,butherejectedit.From

44Ibid.,8.45Ibid.,8;al-Maqrīzī.,664.

- 27 - 27

thisjoboffer,wecanascertainthatal-Būṣīrīmusthavehadadecentknowledge

ofIslamiclawasthejobofmarketinspectorrequiresathoroughknowledgeof

Islamicjurisprudenceandlaw.HelivedforalongtimeintheLowerEgypttown

ofBilbīs(fromaround659-663/1261-1265)andworkedthereasascribeand

manuscriptcopyist.Heseemstohavealsobeenskilledinaccounting,although

al-Maqrīzīclaimedthathemadealotofmistakesandwasnotcompetentinthis

skill.46Al-BūṣīrīwasinterestedinreligiouspolemicsandreadtheHebrewBible,

NewTestament,andreligioushistoryofJudaismandChristianityprimarilyin

ordertodefendIslamandthepositionoftheProphetMuḥammad.Someofhis

colleaguesatworkwereJewishandChristianandhewasknowntoengagein

fierydebateswiththem.HewasinterestedinprovingtothemthattheGospels

didnotindicatethatJesuswasagodandthatitcontainedsignsofthecomingof

theProphetMuḥammad.Hewasalsoconcernedwithcorrectingwhatheheldto

bemistakesintheHebrewBiblethattoldstoriesoftheprophetsandoftheir

sins.47

Inadditiontobeingapoet,al-Būṣīrīwasalsoafinecalligrapherand

composerofprose,althoughnothingofhiswritingorcalligraphyisextant.

Comingfromahumblebackground,itwassaidatonepoint,hemadealiving

46Al-Maqrīzī,663,669.47Dīwānal­Būṣīrī,8.

- 28 - 28

designingtheengravingsfortombstones.48Inanattempttomakemoney,healso

openedaQur’anschoolforchildreninCairo,butthisventurefailedandhewas

forcedtocloseit.49Asforhisdomesticlife,hispoemspaintahellishimpression

oflivingwithhisconstantlypregnantwifeandgaggleofchildren.Hetalksofhis

wifeconspiringwithhissister-in-lawtogethimtodivorceherbyhittinghim

andpullingoutthehairsfromhisbeard.Healsocomplainsindetailaboutold

age,hisinabilitytoprovidehischildrenwithenoughfoodandtheproblemhe

facedwhenhecouldnotprovidehisdaughterwithfurnishingsforherhomefor

hermarriage.50

HespentsometimeinthecentralDeltatownofal-Maḥallah,wherehewas

thepoetandscribeforthemayorandreceivedamonthlywageforcomposing

panegyricpoemsoftheruler.51Inal-Maḥallah,al-Būṣīrīclashedwiththelocal

Christianscribes,copyists,andpoetsandwroteversescomplainingofhis

treatmentattheirhands.52Sometimeduringhisstayinal-Maḥallah,itseemshe

brokehislegonavisittothepublicbathsandcomplainedbitterlyabouthisleg

inanumberofpoems.53

48Ibid.,11.49Ibid.,14.50Ibid.,22.51Ibid.,14.52Ibid.,15.53Ibid.,16.

- 29 - 29

Hisrelationwithotherswassobadthatitreachedthepointwherethey

wishedhewoulddie.Once,whenhebecameverysick,arumorquicklyspread

thathehaddied.Uponrecoveringfromhissickness,hewroteasatiricalpoemto

mockhisenemieswhohadspreadrumorsofhisdeath:

Iamnottheonewhowoulddiebeforethem

Iwillsurvivethemandweepovertheirgraves,

It’struethatIhadalmostlostmylife

butthegenerosityofthisviziergavemeanewlife.54

Al-Būṣīrīdidn’tonlyhaveenemiesamongJewsandChristians,butalso

amonghiscoreligionists,andeventhoseclosesttohim,includinghiswife.He

wrotesatiricalpoemsattackinganyonewhocriticizedorinsultedhim,recording

eacheventandrebuttalinapoem.Accordingtoal-Maqrīzī,al-Būṣīrīwould

befriendimportantmembersofthecourt,suchasthevizierZaynal-DīnYaʿqūb

b.al-Zubayr,andwouldsupportthemnomatteriftheywerejustoroppressive

rulers.55HesupportedtheMamlūkrulersandwrotezealouspanegyricpoems

praisingtheTurkishMamlūksthatalsoaffrontedthelocalArabpopulation.56

Theonlypositivecharacteristicofal-Būṣīrīrecordedbyal-Maqrīzīwasthathe

wasgenerous.57

54Ibid.,9.55Al-Maqrīzī,66256Kīlānī,10.57Al-Maqrīzī,663.

- 30 - 30

Al­Būṣīrī:TheEnlightenedSufi

Althoughal-Būṣīrī’smodernbiographer,MuḥammadSayyidKīlānī,doesn’t

seemtopresentacleartimelineofhisspiritualdevelopmentandmixesin

discussionsofal-Būṣīrī’ssatiricalpoetryandpoorrelationswithpeople

alongsidehispracticeofSufism,itseemsthatadistinctionneedstobemade.

Kīlānīpositsthatal-Būṣīrī

…asamancouldnotbenefitfromtheteachingofal-Shādhilī,becauseinhismoralsanddomesticlife,wefindthingsthatdon’tcorrespondtoSufiethics.Inaddition,hehadalargefamilyandwasdriventocomposepoemsinpraiseoftheprincesandviziers.Inthesepoems[al-Būṣīrī]sometimespraisedoppressiverulerswhodeservedtoberebukedandthishasnothingtodowithSufism…Asforal-Būṣīrīasapoet,hewasgreatlyinfluencedbySufism.58

Itisnotknownwhenexactlyal-BūṣīrībecameadiscipleofAbūal-ʿAbbāsal-

Mursī,butitcanbepositedthatthishappenedlateroninhislife,atleastsome

yearsbeforethedeathofal-Mursīin686/1287.Atleastinthebeginningofhis

practiceofSufism,al-BūṣīrīseemedtohavestruggledtofollowSufiprinciples

anddesiredtoliveinisolationfrompeoplealthoughhewaspreventedashehad

alargefamilyandwasoftenunabletofeedthemduetohispoverty:

IfIwereonmyown,Iwouldhavebeenadisciple inaSufihosteloraworshipperinacave59

HislaterpoetryconsistsmainlyofpanegyricpoemspraisingtheProphet

Muḥammadandbearslittlesimilaritytothatofhisearliersatiricalpoems.

58Ibid.,21.59Ibid.,14.

- 31 - 31

PerhapsafterbecomingaSufidisciple,heunderwentaspiritualawakening,

whichmaybeseenintheformtheBurdahandtheaccompanyingstoryofits

composition,andrefrainedfromhispreviousharshandmisanthropicnature.

Thereseemstobeconflictinginformationaboutal-Būṣīrī’slifeasseeninthe

biographiesofnon-SufihistoriansandthatofhagiographieswrittenbySufi

scholars.EspeciallysinceSufihagiographiesalwaysdescribehimasanolder

manwithaheadofwhitehair,itcanbepresumedthatwhilehemighthavebeen

amisanthropeandgenerallyunpleasantpersonduringhisyouth,hemusthave

changedhiswaysperhapslateroninhislifeasanolderman.

Thetimelineofal-Būṣīrī’slifeisnotclear,althoughitisknownthatasa

grownman,hewasdrawntowardsSufismandjoinedtheShādhilīorderunder

theguidanceofhisShaykhAbūal-ʿAbbāsal-MursīinAlexandria,whichatthe

timewasacenterforNorthAfricanSufis.Atthistime,theShādhilīSufiorder

wasstillinitsinfancy,havingbeenfoundedbyal-Mursī,whowasthediscipleof

Abūal-Ḥasanal-Shādhilī.Al-Būṣīrīwasfondofal-MursīandstudiedSufi

thoughtandpracticeunderhim;thisbackgroundwouldhaveastronginfluence

onhislaterpoetry.60Hewasfaithfultohisorderandwrotepoemsfullofpraise

ofal-Shādhilīandal-Mursīandtheirspiritualattributesandranking.61Al-Būṣīrī

wasthecontemporaryofIbnal-Fāriḍ,thegreatSufipoetandmystic.Itwasalso

60Kīlānī,20.61Ibid.,19.

- 32 - 32

saidthathewasafriendofIbnʿAṭāʾAllahal-Sakandarī,theSufischolarand

juristswhowrotethefamousḤikam,orcollectionofSufiaphorismsaswellasa

spiritualbiographyofal-Shādhilīandal-Mursī.

InSufihagiographies,al-Būṣīrīispaintedasasaint-likefigurewhohad

reachedthehighspiritualstation(maqam)ofal­ghawthiyyahal­kubrā.62Theyclaim

thatwhenhewouldwalkdownthestreet,theyoungandoldwouldcomeoutto

greethimandkisshishand.Hisbodywassaidtohaveemittedasweetscentand

heworefineclothes,hadaheadofsnow-whitehair,ahumblesmile,was

aestheticinhislifestyle,andhadarespectableandvirtuouscharacter.Kīlānī

disregardstheseattributesofal-Būṣīrībasedonhisreadingsofhispoetry.63

Kīlānīfailstoseethatitisquitepossiblethatal-Būṣīrīwasindeedanunpleasant

personformuchofhislifeuntilhediscoveredSufism,mendedhisways,and

reachedahighspiritualstationthatwasrespectedandacknowledgedbyhis

fellowSufis.

Despitethis,Kīlānīdividesal-Būṣīrī’spraisepoetryoftheProphet

Muḥammadintotwoperiods,thefirstfrombeforeal-Būṣīrī’sHajjandthesecond

afterhisreturnfromtheHajj.Kīlānīpositsthatal-Būṣīrīdidnotperformhis

62ThistitlewasalsogiventothegreatNorthAfricanmystic,AbuMadyanandindicatesaveryhighspiritualstationoftheholder.63Kīlānī,11.

- 33 - 33

pilgrimageuntilatleastafter653/1255.BeforegoingonHajj,hecomposeda

numberofpraisepoems,especiallyonesthatreferredtohislongingtovisitthe

tomboftheProphet.64UponhisarrivaltoMadīnahandMakkah,hecomposed

poemsrevealinghisjoyofbeingatthetombofhisbelovedandotherplacesthe

Prophethadvisited.65

AlthoughburiedinAlexandria,itisnotknownifal-Būṣīrīspenthislastyears

inCairoorAlexandria.WhilehisofficialtombislocatedinAlexandria,there

previouslyhasbeensomedisputeaboutwhereal-Būṣīrīwasburied.Al-Maqrīzī

recordedthathediedintheal-ManṣurīHospitalinCairo.66Furthermore,al-

ʿAyyashī,aNorthAfricantravelerwhovisitedCairoin1073/1663,mentioned

thathevisitedal-Būṣīrī’stombintheareaofthejuristImamal-Shāfiʿī’stomb

locatedinthesoutherncemeteryofCairo.Onescholarhasascertainedthatthe

initialconfusionaboutal-Būṣīrī’sburiallocationisduetothefactthattherewas

anotherscholar,Abūal-QāssimHibatAllahb.ʿAlīb.Masʿūdal-Ansārīal-

Khazrājīal-Munastīrī,alsoknownasal-Būṣīrī,whodiedacenturybeforeoural-

Būṣīrī’sdeathin598/1202.Theolderal-Būṣīrīwasindeedburiedatthefootofal-

64Ibid.,25.65Ibid.,26.66al-Maqrīzī,663.

- 34 - 34

Muqattamhills,wherehistorianspresumablythoughttheyoungerpoetAl-Būṣīrī

wasburied.67

TheLegendoftheBurdah

Allofal-Būṣīrī’sbiographersdiscussthelegendofhowtheBurdahwas

composed,thefirstbeingrecordedbythehistorianMuḥammadb.Shākirb.

Ahmadb.ʿAbdal-Raḥmānal-Kutubī(d.764/1363)inFawātal­wafayāt.Al-Kutubī

narratesthestoryfromal-Būṣīrīasfollows:

IhadcomposedanumberofpraisepoemsfortheProphet,includingonethatwassuggestedtomebymyfriendZaynal-DīnYʿaqūbb.al-Zubayr.Sometimeafterthat,Iwasstrickenbyfālij,68anillnessthatparalyzedhalfofmybody.IthoughtthatIwouldcomposethispoem,andsoImadesupplicationstotheProphetMuḥammadtointercedeformeandcureme.Irepeatedlysangthepoem,wept,prayed,andaskedforintercession.ThenIsleptandinmydream,IsawtheProphet.Hewipedmyfacewithhisblessedhandsandcoveredmeinhiscloak(burdah).ThenIwokeupandfoundIwasabletowalk;soIgotupandleftmyhouse.Ihadtoldnooneaboutwhathadhappened.

IencounteredaSufi(faqīr)onmywayandhesaidtome:“IwantyoutogivemethepoeminwhichyoupraisetheProphet.”

Isaid:“Whichone?”

Sohesaid:”Theonethatyoucomposedduringyoursickness.”

Thenherecitedthefirstverseandsaid:“IswearbyGodthatIhearditinadreamlastnightbeingsunginthepresenceofthe

67KhurshidRizvi,"TheTombofAl-Busiri,"HamdardIslamicus4,no.1(1981).,7368Aformofparalysis,translatedbyS.Stetkvychashemiplegia,see“FromTexttoTalisman,”151.

- 35 - 35

ProphetMuḥammad.IsawtheProphetwaspleasedwithitandcoveredthepersonwhosangitwithhiscloak.”

SoIrecitedthepoemtohimandhememorizeditandrelatedhisvisiontoothers.69

Whilehisearlierbiographersallprofessedtheirbeliefinthestoryofthe

compositionoftheBurdah,hislaterbiographers,suchasKīlānīalongwith

othermorepuritanMuslimscholars,stronglyrefutethestory.Itisnotmy

placehereasascholartojudgetheauthenticityofal-Būṣīrī’sstory,

althoughIwouldpositthatonemustbesensitiveinapproaching

hagiographiesandnottotakethemattheirfacevalue.Whileanyoneis

freetolabelthelegenda“fabricationoftheimagination”asdoesKīlānī,I

wouldhesitatetohastenjudgmentonthenarrative.70Withoutventuring

intothevalidityofthestory,onecanlearnalotfromthenarrativeinterms

oftheimportancethatmanyMuslimsplaceonit,theirloveforthe

ProphetMuhammadandthestrongbeliefinitshealingandtalismanic

powers.

Soonafteritscomposition,newsofhealingqualitiesofthepoem

quicklyspread.Thefollownarrativetellshowmiraculouspowersofthe

Burdahquicklyspread,

ThestoryreachedBahāʾal-Dīnb.Ḥannā,whosentformeandtookthepoemandsworethatoutofreverenceforthepoem,hewould

69Muhammadb.Shakirb.Ahmadb.Abdal-Rahmanal-Kutubi,Fawātal­wafayāt,Vol.2.,ed.SheikhAliMuhammadMu'waḍ,Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-Ilmiyyah,2000,346-7.70Diwanal­Busiri,ed.MuḥammadSayyidKīlānī,28.

- 36 - 36

onlylistentoitwhilestandingbareheaded.Heandhisfamilylovedtolistentoit.

Thenafterthat,heheardthatSaʿdal-Dīnal-Fāriqīwasafflictedwithaneyediseasethatlefthimnearlyfullyblind.

Hesawsomeoneinadreamtellhim:“GotoyourfriendandtaketheBurdahandputitonyoureyesandwiththepermissionofGod,youwillbecured.Sohewenttohisfriendandrelatedhisdreamtohim.

Hisfriendsaid:“Idon’tknowanythingaboutrelicsoftheProphet’sBurdah.”Thenhesatincontemplationforonehourandthensaid:“PerhapstheBurdahreferstoal-Būṣīrī’spoemal­Burdah.Yāqūt,71goopenthetrunkthatcontainstherelicsandtakeoutal-Būṣīrī’spoem.”

SohebroughtitandSaʿdal-Dīntookit,putitonhiseyesandwascured.AfterthatitwascalledtheBurdah–andGodknows.72

Whileoriginallynamed“Al­kawākibal­durrīyyahfīmadḥkhayral­barīyyah,”

or“TheCelestialStarsinPraiseoftheBestofCreation,”newsofits

healingqualitiesquicklyspreadanditacquiredseveralnames,themost

popularincludingtheBurdah,orthecloakoftheProphet,andtheBarāʾah,

thehealer.

71PresumablythenameoftheservantofSaʿdal-Dīnal-Fāriqī.72IbnShākiral-Kutubi,Fawatal­wafayāt,Vol.2,ed.SheikhAliMuhammadMu'wad,Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-Ilmiyyah,2000,346-7.

- 37 - 37

HistoricalandLiteraryBackground

Al-BūṣīrīlivedduringtheheightoftheMamlukdynastyinEgyptinthe

thirteenthcentury(seventhcenturyAH),atimeofheightenedreligiousfervor

thatwitnessedtheever-growingpopularityandinfluenceofSufism.73The

Mamluk-erainEgyptandSyrialastedfromthemiddleoftheseventhcentury

A.H./thirteenthcenturyuntil922/1551.TheMamlukmilitaryelitewereall

foreign-bornslaveswhoseprimarylanguagewasTurkish.Althoughthey

remainedsomewhatalooffromsociety,theMamluks,marriedlocalwomenand

participatedinreligiousandculturalactivitiesandmanywerealsoeducatedin

theIslamicsciencesaswellasSufism.74Duringthistime,theMamlūkrulerswere

strongsupportersoftheSufisandwouldflocktothemtoreceiveblessings.75

Duringthisperiod,underthegenerouspatronageoftheMamluks,many

institutionscenteredaroundSufiorderswereestablishedandoftenserved

parallelpurposestoservicesofferedinmadrasahs.76

TheMamlūkswereinvolvedinfightingtheCrusadersledbyLouisIXwho

wereinvadingMuslimterritoriesandal-Būṣīrīwitnessedthevictoryofthe

73FawzīMuḥammadAmīn,Al­Mujtamʿaal­Misrīfiadabal­ʿasral­Mamlūkīal­awal(Cairo:Daral-Maʿārif,1982),163.74JonathanBerkey,"'SilverThreadsamongtheCoal':AWell-EducatedMamlukoftheNinth/FifteenCentury,"StudiaIslamica(1991),109-10.75Ibid.,164.76Th.EmilHomerin,"SufisandTheirDetractorsinMamlukEgypt:ASurveyofProtagonistsandInstitutionalSettings,"inIslamicMysticismContested,ed.FrederickDeJonandBerndRadtke,IslamicHistoryandCivilization:StudiesandTexts(Leiden:E.J.Brill,1999),226.

- 38 - 38

Muslimarmyinthefamousbattleofal-Manṣūrah.Inadditiontobeingfaced

withinvadingMongolandFrencharmies,famineandinfestationwerecontinual

problems,77perhapsitwastheinstabilitythatledtosuchferventpiety.Asense

ofurgencywasoftenpresentanddifferingfactionsfoughttogaincontroland

claimlegitimacy.SufismwasgenerallyacceptedintomainstreamIslamalthough

certaingroupsweresometimessingledoutbyscholarsandpolemicalworks

writtenontheircontroversialbeliefsandpractices.78Ontheotherendofthe

spectrum,manyreligiousandsecularleadersinpowerlenttheirsupporttoSufis

seekingmysticalexperiences,whichwouldbringthemclosertoGod.79

Whilesomeskepticalscholars,suchasKīlānī,criticizethiseraforbeingatime

ofsuperstitionandignorance,otherswouldcharacterizeitasatimeofspiritual

awarenessandwidespreadpiety.KīlānīmentionsthatmanySufisatthistime

wouldreporthavingseentheProphetintheirdreamsandwouldhave

conversationswithhim.80WellknownSufileadersspreadtheirteachingsin

EgyptduringtheMamlūkperiodincludeAbūal-Hasanal-Shādhilī,Abūal-

ʿAbbāsal-Mursī,SayyidIbrahīmal-Disūqī(d.676/1277),andSayyidAhmadal-

Badawī(d.675/1276).IntheLevant,mysticssuchasIbnal-ʿArabī(d.637/1240),

77Ibid.,231.78Ibid.,227.79Ibid.80DiwanAl­Busiri,27.

- 39 - 39

ʿAfīfal-Dīnal-Tilimsānī(d.690-1291),andṢadral-Dīnal-Qūnawīcreatedanew

Sufiparadigmbasedontheconceptofwaḥdatal­wujūd,ortheunityofbeing,and

dedicatedtheirlivesandteachingstopurificationoftheirheartsandachieving

unionwithGod.81

Moreover,al-Būṣīrī’serawasatimeofaflourishingculture,poetscompeted

witheachothertocomposemorecomplexandlinguisticallystunningpoemsand

thegenreofmadḥ,orpanegyricpoems,becausetheywereverypopular.Someof

themorewell-knownpoetsincludeal-KhaymīandIbnWafā.82Al-Būṣīrīwasthe

contemporaryofthegreatSufipoet,Ibnal-Fāriḍ(d.732),whosepoetryheused

attimesasamodelforhisown.Ibnal-Fāriḍ’spoetryreceivedrenownduringhis

lifetimeandhismysticalpoetryhadgreatinfluenceonlaterArabicpoetryand

alsopropagateddoctrinessetforthbyIbnal-ʿArabī.83

LiteraryAspectsoftheBurdah

TheBurdahhashadconsiderableinfluenceintherealmofArabicliterature,as

onescholarputit,“its[TheBurdah’s]famespreadovertheEastandWestand

poetswroteexpansionsbasedonitandscholarswrotemanycommentarieson

81Homerin,228.82Amīn,165.83Homerin,228.

- 40 - 40

it.”84Essentially,theBurdahdoesmorethanjustexpressthepoet’sloveforthe

ProphetMuḥammad;infactSufis,suchastherenownedYemeniHadramawt

scholarHabībʿAlīal-Jifrī,claimsthatitcan“touchpeoples’heartsand

spirits…andeverytimeIhearit,Ifindmyheartismovedandmanyotherpeople

alsoexperiencethis.”85Thepoemisuniquebecauseaccordingtoal-Jifri,it

representstheheightofArabicpoetry,whereinonecanalsofindinsightful

meaningsandrefinedlanguagethatcanberepeatedwithoutevergrowing

tiresome.86

ThestructureoftheBurdahistraditionalinnature,followingthe

patternestablishedbyclassicalArabpoets.Itcanfitinanumberofpoetic

genres,primarilymadīh,orpanegyricpoetry,aswellasSufipoetry.The

firstverses(1-7)beginwiththemesofnasīb,inwhichal-Būṣīrīcriticizes

himselfforhisintensepassiontowardstheobjectofhisloveandthen(8-

16)hepointsouthismistakesthathavepushedhimtoblatantlyignore

advicegiventohim,

What’swrongwithyoureyes?Yousay,“Stop!”Butthatonlyincreasestheirpainfuldownpour;

Oryourheart?Yousay,“Wakeup!”

84MuḥammadʿAbdal-MunʿimKhafājī,Al­Adabfīal­turāthal­Ṣufī(Cairo:MaktabatGharīb,1980),255.85IbnḤajaral-Haytamī,Al­ʿUmdahfīsharḥal­Burdah,ed.BassamMuhammadBarud(Dubai,UAE:Daral-Faqih,2003),13.86Ibid.

- 41 - 41

Butitwandersevenfurtherastrayindistraction!(3)

Hethen(17-25)goesontolayoutwaysinwhichonecanengageina

strugglewithone’slowerselfbutreverts(26-28)toself-blameinhumble

recognitionthathecannotheedhisownadvice,

Diverttheself’sdesiresandavoidempoweringit­Wheneverdesiretakescharge,iteitherdestroysordefiles(19)

Icounselyoutogood,butallthewhileignoreitmyself.

Ihaven’tbeenupright,sohowdareItellyou,“Beupright(27).”

Hethen(29-33)compareshissinfulselfwiththatoftheidealfigureofthe

ProphetMuḥammaduntilhedelvesintoanalloutmadīḥoftheProphet

(36-58)andhisattributesandqualities,andthengoesontonarratethe

biographyoftheProphet’slife,startingwithhismiraculousbirth(60-74),87

IhaveneglectedthepathoftheonewhobroughtblacknightsTolifebypraying,untilevenhisfeetswelledwithdistress(29).

Hisformandcharactersurpassedeventhepreviousprophets,

Andnonehaveapproachedhiminknowledgeornobility(38).Exquisiteasalily,illustriousasafullmoon,

Magnanimousastheocean,persistentastime(55).Hisbirthrevealedthepurityofhiselementalnature­

Opureformfirsttolast!(59)Jinncriedoutfromafar,andtheflareofhisbirthlitupthedarkenedland.

TheTruthbecameplainasdayinwordandmeaning(65).

87Sperl,QasidaPoetry,471.

- 42 - 42

Whatfollowsisthenapoeticdescription(73-87)oftheProphet’s

muʿajizāt,ormiracles,thatestablishhisprophethoodandauthority.Then

al-BūṣīrīnarratesincidentsoftheProphetprotectingothersintimeof

needandhowhehopestobewatchedoverbyhim(75-81),

God’sprotectionwasallheneeded:noexcessarmor,Strategiclookouttowers,orpowerfulfortresses!(79)

Ifeverthepeopleofmytimeintendedtomistreatme,

Isimplytookrefugeinhisharbor,andnoharmcame(80).

Upuntilnow,weseeal-Būṣīrīengagedinthethemesofhardshipand

redemptionthroughtheProphetwithproofsoftheProphet’smiraculous

powersandabilitytoprotectandhealhisfollowers.Thereafteral-Būṣīrī

expresseshisfaithintheQur’an(88-104),firstbyiteratingthebenefitsof

readingitandthehealingpowersofthescripture,

TheyarefullofclearwisdomwithoutdoublemeaningsForanyonetornbydissension,andthisproofneedsnojudge(94).

Thereciter’seyesweresoothedbyit,soIsaidtohim,

“YouhavegraspedtheropeofGod­nowholdontight”(99)

IfyoureciteitwhentheFire’sflamesoverwhelmyou,Itscoolspringsofflowingwaterwillputthemout(100).

Verses105-117describetheblessingsspreadtoMuslimsbymeansoftheir

loveoftheProphetandthengoontorecountthestoryofhismiʿrāj,or

ascensiontotheHeavens,andstoriesofthebattles(117-139)foughtbythe

- 43 - 43

Prophetandhisvictoriesandtherewardsbestoweduponthosewho

participateindefendingIslam,88

Oyouwhoarethegreatestsignforthediscerning,Themostblessedgiftofthosedesiringgain!(106)

Youspentthenightascendinguntilyoureachedthestationof“twobows’lengthornearer,”

Apointofintimacyneverbeforerealizednorevendreamedof(108).

Hecontinuedtoencounterthemineveryfieldofbattle,Until,duetopiercingspears,theyresembledfleshonskewers(119).

EachansweringGod’scallexpectingdivinerequital,

BravelyengagedinbattlewithweaponsuprootingrejectionofReality(124).

Youwillneverseeatrueallyofhisunlesshebevictorious,

Noratrueenemyofhisotherthandejectedanddefeated(136).

HeplacedhiscommunityintherefugeofhisWay,Justasagreatlionretreatswithitscubstothesafetyofitslair(137).

Attheendofthepoem(140-44),al-Būṣīrīonceagainconfesseshissinsofwriting

poetryintheserviceofrulersandwastedinlifeinthisoccupation,

Ihaveservedhiminthispoeticpraisehopingtoredeem

Theerrorsofalifemisspentincourtlyverseandpatronage(140).

Sincebothhavefetteredmewithayokethatportendsabadend,AsifIwereasacrificiallamb,singledoutforslaughter(141).

Thepoemendsinaculminationofthepoetrequestingintercessionand

protectionfromtheProphet(144-158)andcloseswithprayersupontheProphet,

88Ibid.,472.

- 44 - 44

SinceIhavefocusedallmythoughtsonpraisinghimalone,Hehasprovedthebestofthosecommittedtomyultimatesalvation(149).

AndletacloudofYourincessantprayers

RaindowngentlyontheProphetandpourforthforever(159).

Composedintheornamentalbadīschoolofpoetrythatdependson“a

remarkableamalgamoflexicalandconceptualleitmotifs,”89theBurdahfollows

theclassicqasidapattern.Inthisform,thepoetbeginsbyemphasizinghis

personalfailingsandlackofmeaninginhislife,thengoesontopraisethe

Prophetandhisperfectattributesanddefeatofhisenemies,finallyendingwith

theredemptionofthepoet.SeveralscholarshavepointedoutthattheBurdah

bearsaresemblancetobothSufiandclassicalpoetry,forexamplethatofal-

Mutannabī,oneofwhosepoemsalsosharesthesamepoeticalmeterofbasīṭand

therhymingletterofmīm.90Inaddition,SuzanneStetkvychandZakīMubārak

havebothnotedthesimilaritybetweenthebeginningoftheBurdahandaSufi

ghazalbytheʿUmarIbnal-Fāriḍ(d.632/1235).Theysuggestthatthebeginning

oftheBurdahisamuʿāraḍah91ofIbnal-Fāriḍ’spoemalthoughthereislittleother

parallelandtheyfallundertwodifferentpoeticgenres.92

89Sperl,QasidaPoetry,473.90Ibid.,474.91Acontrafaction,imitatingtherhymeandmeter92SuzanneStetkvych,“FromTexttoTalisman,”9-10;ZakīMubārak,al­Madāʾḥal­nabawīyah,183-184.

- 45 - 45

CHAPTERTHREESUFICOMMENTARIESOFTHEBURDAH

Whileliterallyhundredsoftranslationsandcommentarieshave

appearedthroughouttheMuslimworld,Ihaveonlybeenabletoexamine

anumberofArabic-languageversionscomposedbybothArabsandnon-

Arabs,ofwhichverylittlehasbeenwrittenaboutinEnglish.WhileIhave

beenabletolocate12printedcopiesofArabiccommentariesinEgyptas

wellasseveralinmanuscriptform,manymoreexistinbothprintedand

manuscriptforminlibrariesaroundtheworld.Apartfromquestionable

commentariesavailableontheInternetinEnglishandArabic,referenceto

severalcommentariesinthepreviously-mentionedarticlesofSuzanne

Stetkvych,93andquotationsfromcommentariesinthelatenineteenth-

centuryFrenchtranslationoftheBurdahbyReneBasset,94tomy

knowledge,nostudiesdedicatedtothisimportantgenreofSufiliterature

hasbeenpublished.Fromthecommentariesavailabletome,Ihavechosen

toexploreindetailtheonesthatappeartohavebeenthemostpopularin

theirtimebyprominentscholarsorthosethatpresentsubstantial

commentaryandanalysisintheirwork.Ihavefoundthatsome

93Stetkyvch,"FromTexttoTalisman:Al-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)andtheSupplicatoryOde.",Stetkyvch,"FromSirahtoQasidah:PoeticsandPolemicsinAl-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde).94Sharafad-DinMuhammadibnSa'idal-Busiri,LaBordahDuCheikhElBousiri:PoemeEnL'honneurDeMohammed,trans.ReneBasset(Paris:E.Leroux,1894).

- 46 - 46

commentariesaremerelyglorifiedglossariesandtheseworkshadlittleto

addtomyresearch,althoughtheywouldbeofinteresttosomeone

conductingresearchinArabiclanguageandlinguistics.

AnoverviewofthegenreofSuficommentariesontheBurdahisnecessary;

andIshallbrieflydiscusssomeofthemostprominentcommentariesandtheir

mainmethodsusedinapproachingtheBurdah.IncommentariesoftheBurdah,

Sufischolarsexpounduponthepoem’sliteraryqualities,analyzeitsgrammatical

structure,highlightitstalismanicproperties,identifyitsoriginsintheQur’an

andHadithandinterpretitsmysticalconnotations.Itcanbepositedthatthe

BurdahisapoeticalexpressionofIslamicdoctrine,orʿaqīdah.Ensconcedwithin

theelegantversesareadensepresentationofthetenantsandbeliefsofIslamand

didacticSufimetaphors.Thus,whennotengagedwithgrammaticalanalysis,the

commentatorsspendtheirtimeunravelingthemetaphoricalpassagesto

expounduponthereligiousandspiritualthemessetforthinthepoemina

scholarlyproseform.AslittleisknownaboutthesecommentariesinWestern

scholarship,Ihavechosentopresentbackgroundinformationandabrief

overviewoftheapproachofeachcommentary.Ihavechosenhighlightedeight

commentaries,eitherthosewrittenbymorewell-knownscholarsor

commentariesbylesser-knownauthorsthatoffersubstantialanalysis.

- 47 - 47

TheearliestcommentaryIcouldlocatewasamanuscriptwritteninMaghrebi

scriptandcomposedbyMuḥammadb.ʿAbdullahal-Zarkashī(d.794/1392).Al-

ZarkashīwasaMamluk-eraShafiʿīscholaroffiqh,tafsīr,andotherIslamic

sciencesfromCairoandstudiedwiththelikesofImādal-DīnIbnKathīrinSyria

andotherleadingscholarsofhistime.95Helivedonlytwogenerationsafteral-

Būṣīrīandtraceshissilsilah,orchainoftradition,fortheBurdahbacktohis

teacher,ʿIzzal-ShaykhNūral-Dīnal-Hāshimī,whotooktheBurdahfromShaykh

ʿAlāʾal-DīnMughultay.Al-Zarkashī’sSharḥal­Burdahprimarilycomprisesa

linguisticanalysisofeachwordandetymologyandsometimesusesexamples

frompoetryforevidence.Hewasobviouslyquiteenamoredbythepoem,as

illustratedintheintroduction,

Reciting[theBurdah]canpreventdisasters,ifpeopleonlyknewaboutvalueofthepoem,thentheywouldwriteitontheirpupilsoftheireyeswithgoldink.96

Inhiscommentary,Al-Zarkashīexplainsonlythedifficult,orgharīb,words

andleavesoutwordsthatheviewedasobvious.Thenhediscussesthegeneral

meaningandattheend,healwaysasksanumberofphilosophicalquestions

relatedtotheversesandproposesanumberofanswers.97Bywritinghis

commentary,al-Zarkashīseemstohaveintendedonreplicatingal-Būṣīrī’s

95AndrewRippin,"Al-Zarkashī,"inEncyclopediaofIslam(2008).96Muhammadb.Behaderb.ʿAbdullahal-Zarkashī,Sharḥal­Burdah,vol.Maghāribah,MS.2079(Cairo:Al-AzharLibrary),3.97Ibid.

- 48 - 48

spiritualexperiencebyproducingaworkthatsimplifiedtheBurdahandmadeit

moreaccessibletoreaders,

WhenIsawtheeloquenceoftheBurdah,Iwantedtoexplainitwithacommentarythatwouldopenpeople’seyes.Thiscommentaryincludes[references]tomany[Islamic]sciences;andthroughthiscommentary,asasinfulservantofGod,IseekintercessionfromtheProphet,al­mamdūḥ[thepraisedone],themostnobleofcreation…towipeawaymysins.98

Kamālal-DīnHusaynKhorezmi99(d.839/1435-36)wasanotedCentralAsian

mysticoftheKubrawiyyahSufiorder,100Muslimscholar,andpoetwhowas

killedbytheUzbekauthoritiesduetosomeofhiscontroversialbeliefssetforth

inhispoetry.101HusaynKhorezmiwrotetwocommentariesontheBurdah,the

firstanArabicversionentitledRaḥatal­Arwāḥthatisnolongerextantanda

secondoneentitledKashfal­HudāwrittenfortheUzbekTurkicconquerorsof

Khorezminthelocaldialect.Thisistheonlycompletecommentarythathasthus

farbeentranslatedintoEnglish.UnliketheothercommentariesIhaveexamined,

HusaynKhorezmiavoidslinguisticandgrammaticalanalysisandaimstodistill

theSufisymbolismintheBurdah.ThecommentaryisdedicatedtotheUzbek

rulersandstartsoutwiththeArabicoriginalofeachversewithaTurkic

98Ibid.99InArabictransliteration,hisnameisspelledKhuwārizmī.100FoundedbyNajmal-DīnKubrāintheearlyseventh/thirteenthcenturyprimarilyinCentralAsia.101InhisPhDdissertation,DevinA.DeWeeseincludedacompletetranslationofthecommentaryintoEnglish,“TheKashfAl-HudaofKamalAd-DinHusaynKhorezmi:AFifteenth-CenturySufiCommentaryoftheQasidatAl-BurdahinKhorezmianTurkic”(UniversityofIndiana,PhDdissertation,1985)

- 49 - 49

translationandsubsequentlyanarrativethatexpoundsuponthemeaningofthe

verseorruminationsuponthemysticalconnotationshiddenwithinthelines.In

Kashfal­Hudā,healsomentionshisothercommentary,Raḥatal­Arwāḥand

explainsthatitincludes”wondrousverificationsandmarvelousanalyses,

embellishedallusionsandpreciousproofs.”102Interestinglyenough,Husayn

KhorezmiconsiderstheBurdahtohavetheabilitytoaidbothone’sspiritualand

physicalbeing.Intheintroductiontohiscommentary,heappealstotherulerfor

whomheproducedthecommentary,“Myhopeisthatthis‘triflingmerchandise

ofthedealsoulofEgypt’willbemarkedbythesignofacceptanceintheaugust

presenceoftheruler.”103Inadditiontohopingforhisownredemption,heuses

hiscommentarytoinstructtheruleronhowhecanalsoredeemhimselfthrough

recitationofthepoem,

Ialsoinstructthismonarchofsublimehonor,thiskingofkingsandroyalprotector,sothatifintimesofweightyconcernshewouldreadthisode,whichblessescreation,withsincerityandfaithfulness,thenGodshallproducehisdesires,bestowsalvationfromthecalamitiesoftheworld,andreserveforhimagreatstationinthenextworld.104

Zakariyyaal-Anṣārī(d.926/1520)wasascholarfromtheprovinceof

SharqiyyahinLowerEgyptwhospentmostofhislifeinCairo.Hestudiedthe

Islamicsciences,particularlyIslamicjurisprudence,underIbnḤajaral-ʿAsqalānī,

102Ibid.,289.103DeWeese.104Ibid.,288.

- 50 - 50

aleadingjuristofhistimewhoalsowroteacommentaryontheBurdah.Al-

AnṣārīwasinvolvedwithseveralSufiorders,wroteseveralworksonSufi

thought,andwasbelievedtohavereachedahighspiritualstation.Notonlywas

al-Anṣārīanoutstandingteacherandauthor,buthewasalsothechiefShafiʿī

judge(QādīQuḍātal­Shāfiʿiyyah)undertheMamlukprinceQaytbayandwasalso

honoredwiththetitlesofshaykhal­Islamandthemujaddid,orreformer,ofthe

ninth/fifteenthcentury.105HiscommentaryentitledAl­Zubdahal­rāʾiqahfīsharḥ

al­Burdahal­fāʾiqahisquitesimpleinitspresentation.Throughhiscommentary,

heoffersinterpretationsforallofthedifficultwordsandanalyzesal-Būṣīrī’s

rhetoricalstyle.Apartfrombrieflynarratingthestoryofhowal-Būṣīrīcameto

composetheBurdah,hedoesn’tmentionanyofthepoem’sspiritualbenefitsor

delveintothegeneralsignificanceofeachverse.106

Anotherprominentcommentary,Rāḥatal­arwāḥ,107wascomposedbythe

OttomanTurkishHanafijudgeandjuristMuḥammadb.MuṣtafāMuḥyīal-Dīn

b.Muṣliḥal-Dīnal-Qawjawīal-Ḥanafīal-Rūmi,whoisbetterknownasShaykh

105E.Geoffroy,"ZakariyyāʾAl-Anṣārī,AbūYaḥyāB.MuḥammadB.Zakariyyā,ZaynAl-DīnAl-Sunaykī,"inEncyclopaediaofIslam(2008).106Zakariyyaal-Anṣarī,Al­Zubdahal­rāyqahfīsharḥal­Burdahal­fāyqah,Ms.Mejamīʾa237(Cairo:Al-AzharLibrary).107ShaykhZadeh’scommentaryhasthesametitleasthatofHusaynKhorezmi’slostArabiccommentary.WithouthavingaccesstoHusaynKhorezmi’scommentary,itisimpossibletoknowthecontent,butitcanbeconjecturedthatastheywerebothethnicTurks,thatperhapsShaykhZadehwasinspiredbythatofHusaynKhorezmi.

- 51 - 51

Zadeh(d.951/1544).108ShaykhZadehwasaprominentHanafischolarofhis

timewhotaughtinthemadrasahofKhawajaKhayral-DīninIstanbul.Hethen

chosetogointospiritualretreat(ʿuzlah)andlefthisteachingpost.Legendgoes

thatheonlyreceivedameagerpensionof15Dirhamsandheconsideredittobe

toomuchforhimself.Hewouldsay,“Ionlyneed10Dirhamsformyselfandmy

householdandIwilldedicatemyselftogainingknowledgeandengagingin

worship.”109Hewasveryhumbleandlovedtobeinthecompanyofrighteous

people.Hewouldevenbuyhisownhouseholdsuppliesinthemarketdespite

thefactthathehadservants.Hewouldgivelessonsontafsirinhismosqueand

manylocalswouldgathertohearhimspeakandseekblessingsandbenefits

fromhim.InsymboliclanguagesimilartothatofIbnArabi(683/1240),Shaykh

Zadehusedtosay,

IfIeverhadtroubleunderstandingthemeaningofaQur’anicverse,IwouldturntoGodandmychestwouldexpandandlightwillfillitfromanunknownsource.Thelightwouldappearinfrontofmeanditwouldguidemetothetabletofdestiny(al-lawḥal-maḥfūẓ).IwouldthenbeabletoextractthemeaningofthecertainQur’anicversefromthetablet.110

108Completebibliographicalinformationatakenfromfollowingsources:al-Ḥanbalī,Abīal-ḤassanātMuḥammadʿAbdal-Ḥayyal-Kanūnīal-Hindi,Kitābal­fawāʾidal­bahīyyahfītarājimal­Ḥanifiyyah(Cairo:Maṭbaʿatal-Saʿādah,1906).,201;MuḥammadibnʿAlīal-Shawkāni,Al­Badral­ṭaliʿbi­maḥāsinmanbaʿdaal­qarnal­sābiʿ,vol.2(Cairo:Maṭbaʿatal-Saʿādah,1929).;MuḥammadAmīnibnFaḍlAllahMuḥibbī,Khulaṣatal­athar,vol.4(Beirut:DarṢadr,unkown).,9-11;Najmal-DīnMuḥammadb.Muḥammadal-Ghazī,Al­Kawākibal­sāʾirabi­aʿyānal­māʾatal­ʿāshirah,ed.Khalīlal-Manṣūr,vol.2(Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-Ilmiyyah,1997).109Al-Hindi,201.110Muḥibbī,11.

- 52 - 52

Inaddition,ShaykhZadehwashonoredwiththepositionofMufti.Itwas

narratedthatwhenhebecameaprominentjudge,hewouldhavevisionsofthe

ProphetMuḥammadonceaweek.Outofhisdesiretohavemorefrequent

visionsoftheProphet,helefthisjudgeship.Butafterhavingdedicatedallofhis

timetospiritualretreat,hestoppedhavingvisionsoftheProphet.Sohereturned

tohisformerpositionandonceagainhisvisionsoftheProphetresumed.Sothe

nexttimehesawtheProphetinavision,hesaidtotheProphet,“OProphetof

God,Ileftmyjudgeshipinordertogetclosertoyou,butitdidn’thappenlikeI

hadhadhoped.”TheProphetsaidtohim,“Betweenyouandme,itismore

suitableforyoutobeajudgethantoleaveyourposition.Asajudge,youoccupy

yourtimewithimprovingyourselfaswellasmyUmmah,butifyouleaveyour

job,youwillonlybeabletooccupyyourselfwithimprovingyourself.Whenever

youworktowardsimprovingmorethanjustyourself,thenyouwillbeableto

drawnearertome.”111Consideringhispreoccupationwithsearchingfornew

waystoincreasehisvisionsoftheProphet,itisnotsurprisingthatShaykhZadeh

wroteacommentaryoftheBurdah,whichisbelievedbymanytohavetheability

toproducevisionsoftheProphetforthosewhoreciteit,

Thepencannotevenrecorditswonders,anditsbenefitsmakethetongueawareofitsaffairs…withthiscommentary,onecanonlyattempttouncoveritsissuesandtoclarifyitsenigmas…withaninterpretation,onecanuncoveritssecretesandraisetheveilsoffit…Isawthattherewerepuresoulswhowantedtounderstandits[theBurdah]benefits,soIfoundsomewonderfulopinionsthat

111Muḥibbī.

- 53 - 53

helpedexplainitsusage.AndIsawthemostamazingthingthatonecoulddesire,andIascendedtoit…soIcommencedtocomposeacommentarythatwouldsimplify[theBurdah],solveitsenigmas,andanalyzeitsmeanings.112

ShaykhZadehwroteanumberofimportantworks,includingaglosson

Bayḍawī’sTafsir,commentariesonal­Wiqāyahfīal­fiqh,al­Farāʾiḍal­serājiyyah,and

Sharḥmiftāḥal­ʿulūm(writtenbyal-Sakkākī).Whilemostofhismainworksdeal

withQur’anicexegesisandIslamicjurisprudence,healsowroteontopicson

mysticism,includinghiscommentaryontheBurdah.113

IbnḤajaral-Haytamī(d.974/3or1567)wasleftanorphanatayoungage

andwasraisedbytwonotableSufis,Shamsal-Dīnb.Abial-Ḥamāʾil(d.

932/1526),anotedmystic,andShamsal-DīnMuḥammadal-Shanāwī.AtṬanṭa

andAl-Azharmosques,al-HaytamīstudiedundertheaforementionedZakariyyā

al-Anṣārīandhisisnadgoesbacktootherprominentscholarsandcommentators

oftheBurdah,suchasIbnḤajaral-ʿAsqalānīandofal-Suyūṭī.114Al-Haytamīwas

ajuristandteacherandmostofhiswritingsreflecthismainoccupationalthough

hisSufiinfluencescometolightinhistwocommentariesoftheal-Būṣīrī’spoetry,

112Zadeh,Rāḥatal­arwāḥ,383.113Muḥibbī,11.114C.vanArendonk,"IbnḤadj a rAl-Haytamī,Abu'l-ʿAbbāsAḥmadb.Muḥammadb.Muḥammadb.ʿAlīb.Ḥadj ar,S hihābAl-Dīn,Al-Haytamī(NotAl-Haythamī)Al-Saʿdī,"inEncyclopediaofIslam(2008).

- 54 - 54

oneentitledal­ʿUmdahfīsharḥfl­Burdah,115andtheother,Sharḥal­Hamziyyah.Al­

ʿUmdahisasimplecommentarywhereinal-Haytamīprimarilyfocusesonthe

meaningofeachwordinaversewithouttyingthemintogethertoexplainthe

entireverseasawhole.Attimes,al-HaytamīdoesdelveintoSufiterminology

andconceptsthataidthereadercontextualizethemysticalconnotationsofthe

Burdah.Seeingashewasthestudentofal-Anṣārī,thereisastrikingresemblance

betweenthemethodologiesofbothscholars,althoughal-Haytamīseemsto

derivehisevidencefromdifferentsourcesthanthoseofal-Anṣārī,perhapsinan

efforttoavoidblindlyimitatinghispredecessor.

Probablythesinglemostfamousandaccessiblecommentaryonthe

BurdahisḤāshīyatal­BurdahbythelateOttoman/Khedivian-eraIbrāhīmb.

Muḥammadal-Bājūrī(d.1276/1860).116Al-Bājūrīwasbornthevillageof

Bājūr,whichisnorthwestofCairointheLowerDeltaofEgypt.Avery

respectableShāfiʿischolarofhistime,hisfatherhelpedhimtomemorize

theQur’anfromayoungageandsenthimtostudyatAl-Azharin

1212/1797.HestayedinCairountiltheinvasionoftheFrenchthenext

year,whenhetookrefugeinGizaandstayedthereforsometime.He

115Al-Haytamī.Al­ʿumdahfīsharḥal­Burdah,ed.BassamMuhammadBarud,Dubai,UAE:Daral-Faqih,2003.116Th.W.Juynboll,"Bādj urī(orBaydj urī),Ibrāhīmb.Muḥammad"inEncyclopediaofIslam(2008).

- 55 - 55

occupiedhimselfwithhisstudiesandoncehemasteredtheIslamic

sciences,hethendedicatedhimselftoteachingandwriting.Itwassaid

thattheQur’anwasalwaysonhistongue.Al-BājūrībecametheShaykhof

Al-Ahzarin1263/1846,andafterhisappointment,hecontinuedtoplayan

importantroleasareligiousleader.Hewasprimarilyatheologian

althoughhiswritingsalsoincludeanumberofcommentariesonSufi

poetry,suchastheBurdah.Aswasthenormofthescholarlyeliteofhis

time,al-BājūrīwasaSufi,“Tasawwufwasacceptedasanessentialpartof

theIslamicreligionbythe'ulamaofthisUmmah.Theproofofthisisall

thefamousscholarsofShari'ascienceswhohadthehighereducationof

Tasawwuf,amongthem…Ibrāhīmal-Bājūrī.”117

Al-Bājūrī’sworkisoneofthemostimportantextantcommentaries,

andinthepast,scholarsatAl-AzharwouldholdlessonsonThursdayand

Fridayduringwhichtheywouldexpoundedonhisbook.Studentsfrom

allbackgroundswouldattendthespecialclassesheldontheḤāshīyah

outsideoftheirregularclassschedule.Itwassopopular,infact,thatZaki

MubārakcomplainedthattheonlysourceforteachingIslamichistoryin

al-AzharduringhislifetimewastheBurdahanditscommentaries.118Itcan

117ShaykhNuhKeller,ThePlaceofTasawwufinTraditionalIslam,(accessedMar.17,2008,);availablefromhttp://www.suhba.org/tariqa/intro_more_v2.html#more.118Mubārak,101.

- 56 - 56

beclaimedthattheḤāshīyahisperhapsthemostpopularofall

commentarieswrittenontheBurdah,ithasfounditswaytoplacesasfara

fieldasIndonesiaandMorocco.Infact,onescholardescribesthe

popularityofthecommentaryinIndonesia.HementionsthattheḤāshīyah

iswidelyavailableinIndonesiainacheapbookletformandthatitisthe

mainsourceforunderstandingtheBurdahanditsmiraculousproperties

amongIndonesianscholarsandlaypeople.119

Whileal-Bājūrī’scommentarydoescontainmanysimilaritiestothatof

earliercommentariesintermsofhismethodologicalapproachand

analysisofeachindividualverse,headdsanewcomponentthatisfound

amonganumberof19thcenturySufischolars.Inadditiontointerpreting

themysticalandmetaphoricalmeaningsinthepoemandextractingits

grammaticalstructure,healsohighlightsthetalismanicmeritsofcertain

verses.Thistrendseemstobecommoninothercommentariesofthe

Burdahwrittenbyhiscontemporaries,suchasAhmadal-Kharpūtī.120

Althoughtherearerecordsofoldercommentariesthatcoverthese

properties,IhavebeenunabletoobtainanyinEgypt.121Ineffect,al-Bājūrī

119JulianMillie,"AddendumtoDrews:TheBurdaofAl-BusiriandtheMiraclesofAbdulqadirAl-JaelaniinWestJava,"BijdragentotdeTaal,Land­enVolkenkunde161,no.1(2005),110.120ʿAmrb.Aḥmadal-Kharpūtī,ʿAsīdatal­shuhda:sharḥQasīdatal­Burdah(Cairo:Daral-Jawami'al-Kalem,2006).121In“FromTexttoTalisman,”p.47,SuzanneStetkvychmentionsa12th/18th-century

- 57 - 57

renderstheBurdahintowhatIproposetocallaliterarytalisman.For

modern-dayreligiousscholars,manyofthetalismanicpropertiesthatare

suggestedbyal-Bājūrīwouldbeconsideredtobebasedonsuperstition.

ButtojudgebythepracticeoftheshaykhofAl-Azharandanextremely

prominentandreputablescholarofhistime,theuseofliteraryandother

typesoftalismansmusthavebeenwidespread.

Anotherwell-knownnineteenthcenturycommentaryisentitledShifāʾal­qalb

al­jarīhbi­sharḥBurdatal­madīḥ122andwascomposedbyMuḥammadal-Ṭāherb.

ʿĀshūral-Tūnsī(d.1284/1868).IbnʾAshūrwasfromawealthyfamilyinTunisia

andwasahighlyrespectedteacherofMalikifiqh,Hadith,grammar,rhetoric

(balāghah)andotherIslamicsciencesatZaytunahMosqueinTunis.InShifāʾal­

qalbal­jarīhbi­sharḥBurdatal­madiḥ,IbnʿAshūrwasheavilyinfluencedbythe

SufischolarShamsal-DīnAbūʿAbdAllāhMuḥammadb.Aḥmadb.Marzūqal-

Tilimsānī,knownasIbnMarzūq(781/1379),whowroteIḍhhārṣidqal­mawaddah

fīsharḥal­Burdah.Asmentionedbefore,mostcommentatorswouldengagein

manuscriptinBerlinthatrecordsthespecialpropertiesofBurdahverses,reportedlycomposedbyIbnʿAbdal-Salām(d.660/1262?):“IbnʿAbdal-Salām,Qālaal-ShaykhIbnʿAbdal-SalāmfiKhawāṣal-Kawākibal-DurriyyahfīMadḥKhayral-Bariyyahlil-Shaykhal-Buṣīrī.StaatsbibliothekzuBerlin.PetermannII105,folios243-254a.AhlwardtidentifiestheauthorasʿAbdal-ʿAzīzibnʿAbdal-Salāmd.660/1262anddatesthems.toca.1150/1737.”122ShaykhMuḥammadal-Ṭaherb.ʿAshūral-Tūnsī,Shifāʾal­qalbal­jarīhbi­sharḥBurdatal­madiḥ,ed.MuhammadʿAwādʿAwād(Damascus:Daral-Taqwa,2006).

- 58 - 58

naql,orliftingtextsfromoldertexts123andincludingitintheirownwork

accordingtopracticesofthetime.IbnʿĀshūr’stextcanalmostbeconsideredto

beasummaryofIbnMarzūq’scommentary124althoughattimeshedoesaddhis

owninterpretationofverses.TheShifāʾchieflyconsistsofadetailedexplanation

ofthevocabularyemployedintheBurdahandananalysisofthegrammatical

structure.IbnʿĀshūroftenreferstoearlyArabicpoetryandothersourcestoback

uphisexplanation,butonawhole,hiscommentaryisprimarilylinguisticin

nature.Healsoanalyzestherhetorical,syntactical,anddoctrinalaspectsofthe

versesandmethodicallyverifiesthedoctrinalsoundnessofversesbyquotingthe

Qur’an,Hadith,andotherscholars.IbnʿĀshūrgoesfurtherthanmostother

commentatorsinexaminingthetheologicalimplicationsputforthbyal-Būṣīrīin

theBurdah.TheprimarymethodologyusedbyIbnʾĀshūristostartby

explainingthemeaningofeachindividualword,thentheentiremeaningofthe

versedrawinguponvastevidencefromtraditionalIslamicsources.125

IbnʾĀshūrappearstobestronglyeffectedbythepoem,andinhis

introductionthatflowsinrhymingprosethatplaysonthevocabularyofthe

Burdah,hewritesthathehimselfwasstrickenwithaterribleillnessthatbears

resemblancetotheillnessdescribedbyal-Būṣīrīinhispoem.IbnʾĀshūrwrites

123Seenextparagraphforfurtherexplanationoftermnaql.124Whichisonlyavailableinmanuscriptform.125al-Tūnsī.

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abouthowhewashealedbyusingtheBurdahas“anantidote”forhisillnessand

afterseeingimpressiveresults,decidedtocontinueusingitandmadeavowto

writeacommentaryonit.Hecontinues,emphasizingthattheBurdahissanctified

duetothefactthatitisconnectedtothemamdūh,theProphetMuḥammad.126

Furthermore,hequotesanothercommentator,al-Anṭākī,whoexplains,

Isawamazingthingsfromitsblessings,butallofthisisminisculecomparedtotheobjectofitspraise(mamdūḥ­ha)[theProphet].Ofcoursethisissobecauseheisthegreatestintercessor,theprotector...hecanimploreforhim[theProphet]tointercedeforhimtoGodtohelphimacquirehisheart’sdesire.

ThemostrecentcommentaryIhavebeenabletolocatewaswrittenby

MuḥammadʿEidʿAbdullahYaʿqūbal-Ḥusaynīin2004,acontemporarySyrian

scholar127whosebookbearsevidenceofmanyofthecommentariesthatcame

beforehim.InAl­Sharḥal­farīdfīBurdatal­nabial­ḥabīb,128al-Ḥusaynī

acknowledgeshisuseofthesecommentariesinwritinghisowncommentary,

and

mentionsthefollowingcommentariesby:al-Qasṭalānī,Abūal-Suʿūd,Ibrāhimal-

Bājūrī,Khālidal-Azharī,Ḥasanal-ʿAdawīal-Ḥamzawi.129Al-Ḥusaynīis

probablyoneofthefirstcommentatorswhoactuallymentionsthathe“sought

inspiration”frompreviouscommentariesandmentionsthembyname,although

126 Ibid., 40. 127Whosewebsitecanbevisitedat:http://67.15.211.9/~sheikhmo/128MuhammadʿEidʿAbdullahYaʿqūbal-Ḥusaynī,Al­Sharḥal­farīdfīBurdatal­Nabial­Ḥabīb(Damascus:Maktabatal-Farabi,2004).129Ibid.,421.

- 60 - 60

failstorefertothespecifictextsorpagenumberswithinhiscommentary.His

commentaryreflectsthetraditionofnaqlorliftingmaterialfromothertexts,a

termthatcouldpossiblybetranslatedinmodern-daylanguageasplagiarism,but

whichcannotbeconsideredtobethesameasplagiarisminconsiderationofthe

culturalandintellectualcontext,perhapsintertextualitywouldbeabetterterm.

WhilestudyingthemanycommentariesthatIhaveusedinmyresearchto

contextualizemystudy,Ihavenoticedthatsomecommentators,suchasal-

Ḥusaynī,takelinesfromothercommentariesword-for-wordtothepointthatitis

nearlyimpossibletodiscernwhotheoriginalauthoris.Atthesametime,Ihave

beenabletodiscernseveraldistinctchainsoftransmissionwhereinthe

commentatorshailfromnearbyregionsandeitherusenaqlfromother

commentatorsoratleastthesameapproach.Asonescholaraptlydescribedthe

contextofthistradition,

Eachtextcanbeseen,then,asanintertextintersectingabroadswatheofmaterialcomingbeforeit.Theintertextualviewemphasizestheenergyandtensioninatextthatengagesitself,questionsitself,thepartbringingoutstrandsofthewholebecausethetextisapartofawholeenterpriseoflifeaswellasthepremierexpressionofareligiouscommitmenttoengageeventswithincodesofvalueandmeaning.Themicrocosmicviewofthecommentaries,ontheotherhand,emphasizestheirauthors’participationinacommunal,civilizationalpursuitofknowledge,illuminationandmoralclaritystemmingfromcommonsourcesandarticulated,generationaftergeneration,byfurtherscholarsandsages.130

130YunusWesleySchwein,"IlluminatedArrivalintheḤikamal-ʿAṭʿiyyahandThreeMajorCommentaries”(MAthesis,UniversityofGeorgia,2007),30.

- 61 - 61

ItwouldbefascinatingandusefultothefieldofIslamicStudiesand

ArabicLiteraturetopursuethetraditionofnaqlinIslamicscholarshipand

toexplorethevariouschainsoftransmissionamongthecommentariesof

theBurdah.Asthistopicistangentialtothestudyathand,Iwillnotbe

delvinganymoreintoit,althoughitoffersanintriguingtopicthatcallsfor

furtherresearch.

ManyotherrenownscholarsproducedtheirownreflectionsontheBurdah,

including:MuhammadAlib.ʿAllānal-Siddīqī(d.1057/1647),aMakkanscholar

whowroteAl­dhukhrūwa­l­ʿuddahfīsharḥal­Burdah,131Ḥasanal-ʿAdawīal-

Ḥamzāwī(d.1303/1886),anEgyptianSufiwhocomposedAl­Nafaḥātal­

shadhilīyyahfīsharḥal­Burdahal­būṣīrīyyah,132andʿAmrb.Aḥmadal-Kharpūtī(d.

1299/1882),whowasanAnatolianHanafischolarandauthor.Hecomposeda

numberofworksintheIslamicsciencesincludingacommentaryoftheBurdah,

ʿAṣīdatal­shuhdahfīsharhal­Burdah.133

131MuḥammadʿAlib.ʿAllānal-Sīddīqīal-Makkī,Al­Dhukhruwa­l­ʿuddahfīsharḥal­Burdah,ed.AhmetTuranArslan(Istanbul:FacultyofTheology,UniversityofMarmara,1999).132ShaykhḤasanal-ʿAdawīal-Hamzāwwī,Al­Nafaḥatal­Shadhilīyyahfīsharḥal­Burdahal­Būṣīrīyyah(Cairo?:publisherunknown,1880).133ʿAmrb.Aḥmadal-Kharpūtī,ʿasīdatAl­Shuhda:SharḥQasīdatAl­Burdah(Cairo:Daral-Jawama',2006).,ʿAsīdatal­shuhdah:sharḥqasīdatal­Burdah,(Cairo:Daral-Jawamʿal-Kalem,2006).

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IntercessionintheCommentaries

SomeoftheshaykhsusedtoadvisetheirstudentstorecitetheBurdah.ItwassaidthatitwasthegreatestwaytoconnectwithGod,thatithelpspeoplesucceedintheirlives,itsrecitationcalmssomeonewhoisfrightened,getsridofanxiety,andbringsjoytopeople’shearts.Theplaceinwhichthepoemisrecitedbecomesfullofmercyandblessings.134

Theconceptsofrequestingshafāʿah,orintercession,andtabarrak,orseekingthe

blessingsfromtheProphetMuḥammadareimportantconceptsinSufismandare

alsoplayanimportantroleintheBurdah.IntheQur’an,wecanseethatthe

Prophetwasgivenahighspiritualstation,maqāmmaḥmūd,orapraisedstation,

Andprayinthesmallwatchesofthemorning:(itwouldbe)anadditional

prayer(orspiritualprofit)forthee:soonwillthyLordraisetheetoa

StationofPraiseandGlory!135

ThisstationgavetheProphetthepowertointercessionforhisUmmah.The

powerofintercessionisonlyforthereservedfew,theProphetbeingoneofthem,

astheQur’anexplains,“WhoistherethatcanintercedewithHimexceptbyHis

leave?”136Anotherverseemphasizestheselectfewwhowillbechosenascapable

ofintercession,“OnthatDay,intercessionwillbeuselessexceptforthosetowhomthe

LordofMercyhasgrantedpermissionandwhosewordsHeapproves.”137Inaddition,

134 IbnĀshūr,Shifāʾal­qalbal­jarīḥ,68.135Qur’an17:79.136Qur’an2:255.137Qur’an28:108.

- 63 - 63

thereareanumberofhadithsthatsupportthisviewandspecificallymentionthe

Prophet’sabilitytointercedeforpeople,

NarratedAbuHuraira,Isaid:"OAllah'sApostle!Whowillbetheluckiestperson,whowillgainyourintercessionontheDayofResurrection?"Allah'sApostlesaid:OAbuHuraira!"IhavethoughtthatnonewillaskmeaboutitbeforeyouasIknowyourlongingforthe(learningof)Hadiths.TheluckiestpersonwhowillhavemyintercessionontheDayofResurrectionwillbetheonewhosaidsincerelyfromthebottomofhisheart"NonehastherighttobeworshippedbutAllah.138

TheProphetsaid:Ihavebeenconferreduponfive(things)whichwerenotgrantedtoanyonebeforeme…andIhavebeengrantedintercession.139

RecognitionoftheProphet’suniquestatusasanintercessor,capableofsaving

MuslimswhoseekhimhelpispartofIslamicdoctrineassupportedbyQur’anic

versesandhadithsandmostMuslimscholarssupportthisview.140Whilethe

ProphetisnotthesoleintercessorinIslam,heiscertainlythemostpowerfulone,

althoughregularMuslims,angels,prophets,andmartyrscouldalsointercedefor

others.141

TheoriginalArabicmeaningofshafāʿahreferstoapersonwhojoinshimor

herselftoanotherperson,whocanaidorpetitionforhimorher,and“inmost

instancestheformerpersonisoneofhigherstationthanthelatter…Itisalso

138SaḥīḥBukhārī,Volume1,Book3,Number98.139SahihMuslim,Hadith810.140A.J.WensinckandAnnemarieSchimmel,Shafāʿa,EncyclopaediaofIslam,BrillOnlineEdition(2008).141Ibid.

- 64 - 64

[signifies]thepassingoverwithoutpunishment,ortheforgiving,orratherthe

askingorrequestingthepassingoverofsins,crimes,ormisdeeds.”142Thus,by

askingforintercessionfromtheProphet,thereceiver“joins”oneselftothe

Prophet,ordedicateshimselftohim.AstheProphetisseenastheforemost

humanintercessorandprotectoroftheMuslimcommunity,itislogicalthathe

wouldbetheobjectofrefugeforsomanyMuslimsandensuresthebondofthe

ProphettohisUmmah.Inthepast,courtpoetswouldpresentpoemstorulersas

giftsinreturnfortheirpatronageandprotection.Incontrast,inthecaseofthe

Burdah,al-BūṣīrīseeksasymbolicpatronagefromtheProphetandinreturn,

offershimasplendidarrayofpraisesintheformofapoem.143Interestingly

enough,someoftheSuficommentatorsmimickedal-Būṣīrī’srequestofthe

Prophetandtookitevenfurther.KamalHusaynKhorezmi,aCentralAsian

mysticwhowrotehiscommentaryfortheUzbekrulers,usedtheendofhis

commentarytopetitiontherulertoallowhimtoleavethecountryandgoona

pilgrimagetoMakkah,

I,thepetitioner…doaskthatwithpermissionandfavorofthisrulerofIslam,Imightgotothoseperfumedprecinctandthoseennobledsites,andtherewherepetitionsareaccepted,undertaketoperformabundantprayersandinnumerablepraises...foryou.144

142EdwardWilliamLane,Arabic­EnglishLexicon(Cambridge:IslamicTextsSociety,1984).143SuzanneStetkvych,“FromSīrahtoQasīdah,”46.144DeWeese,Kashfal­Huda,411.

- 65 - 65

ThethemeofshafāʿahisprevalentamongSufipoetry,andthereareaplethoraof

examplesofsimilarrequestsforintercessionasseenintheBurdah,forexample,

Alial-Makkiwrote,

MyGodImakemypetitiontoThee,approachingTheethoughthy

ProphetourLordMuḥammad,theProphetofMercy.

OurLordMuḥammad,IhaveapproachedmyLordthroughtheeinthis

Myneedthatistobemet…

Then,OAhmad,betomeanIntercessorformydistress;sincebetweenmeandthe

Lordstandsthefearofonewhohassinned.145

Otherpoetshavealsorequestedforintercessioninpoeticform,suchasAfīfīal-

Tilimsanī,whowrote,

Ihavesins,abundant­butperhaps

YourintercessionmaysavemefromHellfire..

Ihavecalledyou,hopingforanactofgracefromyou­

Godforbid,Godforbid,thatyouwouldbecalledandwouldnotanswer!146

ByseekingintercessionfromtheProphet,ahumanwhoreachedthepinnacle

ofperfectionandthehigheststationpossible,Muslimshopetohavetheirsins

forgivenandredeemedthroughtheirloveandpraiseofhim.Whilenotall

commentatorsmentionedtheirintentionsincomposingtheirworksonthe

Burdah,theoneswhodidclearlyweredrivenbythegoalofseekingintercession

andblessingsfromtheProphet.Aswewillalsoseeinthenextchapter,the

commentatorsnotonlywishedtointerprettheBurdahtosimplifyitsmeaningto

145ContancePadwick,MuslimDevotions(London:SPCK,1961).146Schimmel,AndMuḥammad,88.

- 66 - 66

theirstudentsandfollowers,butalsointhehopethattheycouldreceivethe

sameblessingsthatal-Būṣīrīreceived.Theircommentatorsweretheirofferingsto

themamdūḥ,theProphet,theygiftedtheirworksinhopethattheProphetwould

answersthesupplicationsandgranthisintercession,inotherwords,aguarantee

thattheywouldbeabletoenterParadiseintheAfterlife.

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CHAPTERFOUR

THEBURDAHASASOURCEOFINSPIRATION

AfamousversefromthepoemoftheBurdahexpressesMuslims’loveand

adherencetotheProphetMuhammadinapowerfulmanner,

Heisthebelovedwhoseintercessionishopedfor

Asarmsagainstahostofrelentlesscalamities(36).

WhilemanypanegyricpoemspraisingtheProphetMuḥammadcanbefound

inbooks,fewhaveretainedthepopularityoftheBurdah.IassertthattheBurdah

hastranscendeditsstatusasmerelyawrittentexttobecomealivingtextthat

goesbeyonditsprintedform.Tosome,thepoemmaybemerelyanother

beautifulpoemwritteninhighlyrefinedArabic,buttoothers,especiallySufis,it

isalsoameanswithwhichtopraisetheProphet,tohealoneselfspirituallyand

physically,andtoproducevisionsoftheProphet.Thesevisionshelpthedreamer

todirectlycommunicatewiththeProphetMuḥammadwhereintheycanaskhim

questions,seekadvice,andrequestintercession.Inthischapter,Iaimtodiscuss

threeinterrelatedissues,namely:theimportanceofdreamingandvisionsofthe

ProphetinIslamwithspecificreferencetoSufism;thesignificanceofthestoryof

thecompositionoftheBurdahandal-Būṣīrī’smiraculouscurethroughhisvision

oftheProphetandimportanceofthemantleoftheProphet;andfinally,howand

whySuficommentatorshavefocusedoninterpretingtheBurdahandhowthey

havehighlighteditsabilitytoproducevisionsoftheProphet.

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DreaminginIslam

ItwouldbebesttostartbygivingabriefbackgroundondreaminginIslam

andhowitrelatestotheBurdah.Dreaminganddreaminterpretationarean

importantpartoftheIslamictradition,bothpopularandscholarly.Awell-

knownauthentichadithstatesthattheProphetMuḥammadsaidthatalthough

prophethoodwouldcometoanendwithhisdeath,Muslimswouldstillbeable

toreceivegoodtidingsintheformofdream-visions(ruʾyā),147asahadith

narrates,“Thevisionofabelieverisoneoftheforty-sixpartsofProphethood.“148

ThusdreamsbecameawayforMuslimstoreceivedivineguidanceand

inspiration.VisionsoftheProphetareespeciallysignificantinthattheycannotbe

falsified,whereasvisionsofotherpeople,evenotherprophetsandsaints,could

possiblybemanifestationsofSatanindisguise.Ahadithbacksupthisclaim,

stating,“Whoeverseeme,seesmetruly,forSatancannottakemyform.”149This

hadithvalidatesstoriesofvisionsoftheProphet’sauthoritythatothervisions

cannotclaim.DespitetheProphet’sphysicaldeath,hisappearanceindreams

soonbecameasourceofguidanceandinspirationamongMuslims.Thereare

countlessnarrationsofbothscholarsandregularbelieversseeingtheProphetin

147Volume:9Book:87(InterpretationofDreams),Number:119.148SahihMuslim,Kitabal-Ruʾyā,Book29,Number5624-9andal-Bukhari,Vol.9,book87:112,114,116-8.149SahihMuslim,Kitabal-Ruʾyā,29:5635-9andal-Bukhari,Vol.9,book87:122.

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theirdreamsandsometimesevenwhentheywereawake.150YunusEmre(d.

720/1320-1),amysticpoetfromAnatoliadescribeshisvisionoftheProphetand

hisconsequentrelieffromsufferingasfollows:

InaninspireddreamtonightIsawMuḥammadInthecleanmirroroftheheartIsawMuḥammad…Muḥammadgaveabowltome,IntoxicatedwasIthen­TheLordbestowedsuchgraceonme:IsawMuḥammad.I,likeadropsunkintheseas,Foundhealingformysuffering;TodayIwassogreatlyblessed­TodayIsawMuḥammad.151

VisionsoftheProphetareparticularlyimportantamongSufisandcouldreveal

newformsofsupplications,giveadvicetothedreamerandhiscommunity,

performanactofhealing,andmuchmore.Theinterpretationsofdreamsalso

playedanimportantcomponentinthelifeofMuslimsandcomprisedamajor

genreofearlyIslamicwritings.152Dreamswereessentiallyviewedas“text,”that

couldonlybeunderstoodandinterpretedbyanexpert.Inaddition,sharing

storiesofone’svisionoftheProphetwasextremelyimportantandhelped 150SeeJonathanKatz,Dreams,SufismandSainthood:TheVisionaryCareerofMuhammadAl­Zawawi,ed.H.G.Kippenberg,StudiesintheHistoryofReigions(Leiden:E.J.Brill,1996).;LeahKinberg,"LiteralDreamsandPropheticHadithsinClassicalIslam:AComparisonofTwoWaysofLegitimation,"DerIslamLXX(1993).151Schimmel,213-4.152Foranextensivestudyontherichgenreofdreaminterpretation,seeJohnC.Lamoreaux,TheEarlyMuslimTraditionofDreamInterpretation,ed.SayyedHosseinNasr,SunySeriesinIslam(Albany:SUNYPress,2002).

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strengthenthesenseofcommunityandfaith.Toillustratefurther,Shaykh

Zawawi,a15thcenturyAlgerianSufivisionarywhoproducedanentire

manuscriptwhereinherecordedhisvisionsoftheProphet,saidthatit“isoneof

thegreatestthingsthatGodmaybestowuponus.Itsconcealmentisnot

permittedtous,anditisnothingbutasinnottoshowitand[not]towriteabout

it.”153

AStoryofHealing:ComposingtheBurdah

ComingbacktotheBurdah,onecouldbrieflydescribeitasatouchingpoem

thatnarratesthespiritualjourneyofamanwhofindssecurityandbeliefthrough

hisloveandpraiseofthespiritualfigureoftheProphet.Whilehespendsmuch

ofthepoempraisingtheProphet,healsorecognizeshisowndownfallsin

poeticalterms,exclaiming:

Ihaveservedhiminthispoeticpraisehopingtoredeem Theerrorsofalifemisspentincourtlyverseandpatronage(140).

AsImentionedearlierwhendiscussingthestoryofthecompositionof

theBurdah,al-Būṣīrībegantocomposewhatwouldlaterbecalledthe

Burdahafterafriendsuggestedhecomposesomepraisepoemsofthe

Prophet.Butduringtheprocessofcomposingthepoem,hewasstricken

153Katz,32.

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byaformofparalysis,whichwasperhapscausedbyastroke.Tobe

relievedofhisillness,hespenthistimeinprayers,askingtheProphetfor

intercession.Thenonenight,inadream,theProphetcametohim,wiped

hishandsoveral-Būṣīrī’sfaceandcoveredhiminhiscloak,orBurdah.He

alsorecitedtheentirepoemintheProphet’spresencewhoreactedtoit

withgreatpleasure.Whenheawokeinthemorning,hewascompletely

healed.Helefthishouseandonhisway,hemetamysteriousSufifigure,

whomsomenameasAbual-Rajaʾal-Ṣiddīq,whoaskedhimtogivehim

thepoemthathehadcomposedduringhissickness.Al-Būṣīrīwastaken

aback,ashehadn’ttoldasinglesoulabouthisexperiencethenightbefore,

butthemaninsistedthathehadseenhiminadreamthenightbeforeand

describedexactlywhatal-Būṣīrīhadexperiencedinhisownvision.Soal-

BūṣīrītransmittedthepoemtotheSufi,whothennarratedhisvisionto

others.154

Here,Iwouldliketoputforthapossibleconjecturethatmightinpart

explainthepopularityofthepoem.Iproposethatthestoryofits

compositionisintricatelyconnectedtothepoem.Thiscanbeillustratedby

thefactthateverysinglecommentaryandtranslationofthepoemstarts

withvaryingversionsofthenarrativethatIjustmentioned.Whatthis

154Al-Kharpūtī,10.

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meansisthataccordingtoSuzanneStetkvych,155legendsofthemantleof

theprophethavegeneratedactualphysicalrelicsofthecloakthathave

beeninthepossessionofvariousMuslimrulers.Somehavepositedthat

theBurdah,orcloak,giventoal-Būṣīrīwastheverysameonethatwas

giftedtoKaʿbb.Zuhayrforhavingcomposedthepanegyricpoemofthe

ProphetMuḥammad,BānatSuʿād.156YetinthecaseoftheBurdah,boththe

writtentextandrecitationofthepoemhaveessentiallyassumed,or

perhapsembodiedthespiritualqualitiesoftheProphet’scloak.Inessence,

whileonlytheveryelitecouldclaimtohavepossessionofactualrelics,

anyMuslimwhocouldeitherownormerelymemorizetheBurdah

possessedthekeytoaspiritualpowerthatwastransmittedtoal-Būṣīrī

andhencepassedontolatergenerations.AsStefanSperltheorizes,

ThroughdepictingandeulogizingthegreatexampleoftheProphet,heregainsasenseofconfidence,and,attheendofthepoem,seesgroundforhopethathissinswillbeforgiven.Thistherapeuticelement,inherentintheverystructureofthework,maygosomewaytowardsexplainingitsimmensepopularity.”157

ThuswecanseethatthemiraculouspropertiesoftheBurdahwere

propagatedbythestoryofal-Būṣīrī’svisionoftheProphetand

155Stetkyvch,"FromTexttoTalisman:Al-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)andtheSupplicatoryOde."161-2.156Sperl,QasidaPoetry,470.157Sperl,471.

- 73 - 73

subsequentmiraculouscure,andthusthosewhoreciteitcanhopetohave

asimilarexperience.

PoetryasaMeantoVisions

TheBurdahbecamesanctifiedandvariouscommentatorsevenadded

theirownconditionsforthosewhobothrecitedthepoemaswellasthose

whohealedotherswithit.Stringentruleswereset,suchasthoselaid

downbythenineteenth-centuryTurkishmufti,judgeandSufi,Shaykh

ʿAmral-Kharpūtī,whowroteʿAṣidatal­shuhdahfīsharḥal­Burdah,which

canbeawkwardlytranslatedas“TheSweetPasteoftheHoneycomb:A

CommentaryoftheBurdah.”Al-Kharpūtīlistedstrictconditionsthat

surprisinglynearlymatchthosefortherecitationoftheQur’an.These

conditionsmustbeadheredtobythosehopingtogainfullbenefitsfrom

theBurdah,theyinclude:requiringpeopletobeinastateofritualpurity,

facingtheQiblahthroughoutrecitation,correctpronunciation,an

awarenessofthemeaningofthewords,havingthepoemmemorized,

havinganijāza,orpermission,158fromateacher,andmostimportantly,

repeatingtheprayerrefrain,“MyLord,prayersandpeaceforaneternity

onyourbeloved,thebestofcreation.”Thisrefrainmustberepeatedafter

158Thatis,permissionfromone’steacherorshaykhtoemploythehealingandprotectivepowersofthepoem.

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everyverse,oratleastaftereveryoneofthetensections.159The

importanceofrepeatingtherefraincanbeseeninthefollowingnarrative

asrecordedbyal-Kharpūtī:

AcertainImamal-GhaznawīusedtoreadtheBurdaheverynightinordertoseetheProphetinhissleepbutdidnotreceiveanyvisions.Sohecomplainedaboutthistohismentor,ShaykhKāmelandaskedhimwhatthesecretwas.Theshaykhsaid,“Perhapsyouhavenotbeenadheringtotheconditionsofreadingit.Al-Ghaznawīreplied,“ButIfollowalloftheconditions.”SoShaykhKāmelwatchedhimthenexttimeherecitedtheBurdah.Heinformedal-Ghaznawīthattheproblemwasbecausehehadfailedtorecitetheabove-mentionedrefrain,whichal-BūṣīrīoriginallyusedtoconstantlysendprayersupontheProphet.

Failingtoreadtherefrainwouldnotensurethattheblessingswouldbe

receivedandtherecitationoftheBurdahcouldberenderedinvalidor

ineffective,muchliketherequirementbeforeonereadstheQur’an.160

Commentatorssuchasal-Kharpūtī,highlightedcertainversesthatwere

knowntoproducevisionsoftheProphetandalsoexplainedtheimportanceof

havingthesevisionsandtheirveracity.Forexample,oneverseintheBurdah

warns,

BewareofrejectingtheProphet’snocturnalrevelations­Thoughhiseyesmaysleephisheartneverslumbers!(82)

Al-Kharpūtīgoesontoexplainthebenefitsandoriginsofvisionsandmentions

thehadithstating,“Surelydream-visionsofthebelieverareGod’swayof

159Al-Kharpūtī,10.160Ibid.,11.

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speakingtohim.”Thus,avisionoftheProphetcouldbeconsideredtobethe

bestformofvision,andindeedonethatsignifiesahighspiritualstationforthe

dreamer.ThroughavisionoftheProphet,thedreamercanreceiveinspiration

andrevelationsandisapowerfultoolforheighteningone’sspiritualawareness

andpracticebyreceivingteachingsdirectlyfromtheProphet.

Inhiscommentary,al-Kharpūtīalsohighlightsanumberofversesthatare

specificallypotentininducingvisionsoftheProphet,suchas,

Howcanyoudentsuchalove,whentruetears

Andrealheartbreaktestifysostronglyagainstyou?(6)Hisformandcharactersurpassedeventhepreviousprophets,

Andnonehaveapproachedhiminknowledgeornobility(38).

TheyallseekfromtheMessengerofGodCupfulsfromhisoceanorsipsfromhisunceasingrain(39).161

Whatexcellenceliesinthebirthofaprophetadornedwithsuchcharacter!

Beautyitselfshinesforthfromhissmilingface!(54)Yetanothercommentator,ShaykhIbrahimal-Bājūrī,a19thcenturyEgyptian

scholarandShaykhofal-Azhar,describeshowonecanproduceavisionofthe

Prophet.Commentingonverse8,whichreads,

Howtrue!Inthenight,avisionoftheoneIlongforcameanddeprivedmeofsleep.

Butloveisfamousforimpedingpleasureswithpain!

161Ibid.,135.

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Al-BājūrīmentionedthatwhoeverrepeatsthisverseafterʿIshaprayersuntilheis

overcomebysleepwillseetheProphetinhissleep.162Ontheonehand,inthe

caseofal-Bājūrī,wecanseethattheabilityoftheversetoproducevisionsis

directlytiedtoitsmeaning,whichtalksaboutal-Būṣīrī’sownexperienceof

havingvisionsoftheProphet.Ontheotherhand,theverseshighlightedbyal-

KharpūtīdonotspecificallydiscussvisionsoftheProphet,theyfocusinsteadon

describingthebeautyandhighspiritualstationoftheProphet.Theseversesare

someofthemostbeautifulversesinthepoemthatdescribeandpraisethe

Prophet,thus,inthiscase,perhapsitisthemosteloquentandpowerfulverses

thatcanindeedhaveaneffectonthepersonrecitingit.Moresignificantly,

perhapstheseversesweresingledoutbecausetheyareversesthattheProphet

wassaidtohavebeenespeciallyfondofduringal-Būṣīrī’srecitationinhisvision.

SincethemysteriousSufiwhofirsttooktheBurdahfromal-Būṣīrīclaimedto

havewitnessedal-Būṣīrī’ssessionwiththeProphetinadream,perhapshelater

recordedandtransmittedtheversesthathebelievedtohavewitnessedthe

Prophetreacttostronglyinhisdream,orperhapsal-Būṣīrīhimselfpasseddown

thestory.Thiswasthenpasseddownfromteachertostudentuntilitwas

recordedinwrittencommentaries.Anotherexplanationcouldbethatlater

mysticsreceivedinspirationsindreamsabouttheefficacyofparticularverses

andthenspreadtheknowledge.

162ShaykhIbrāhīmal-Bājūrī,ḤashiyatBurdatal­madiḥ,ed.MuhammadEffendiMustafa(Cairo:Al-Matbaʿal-Miṣriyyah,1887),8.

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Throughoutthischapter,Ihaveattemptedtoillustratehowthepoemofthe

Burdahhasexceededitsliteraryandpoeticcontentandbecameamediumof

prayer,healing,anoutletforpetitioningtheProphet,andmostimportantly,a

meansofencouragingvisionsoftheProphet,somethingallMuslimslongfor.In

addition,boththetextandrecitationofthepoemhaveessentiallyembodiedthe

idealMuslimexperienceofencounteringtheProphet.Bytransmittingthestory

oftheBurdah’scompositionandproducingcommentariesonthepoem,Sufis

wereabletoensurethelegacyofthepoemandcontinuingknowledgeofits

manyblessings.

TheBurdahasaToolforHealingandProtection

LikeanumberofotherArabicreligioustextswritteninbothproseandpoetry

inthemedievalperiod,suchasDalā’ilal­khayrātbyImamal-Jazūlīandal-Qāḍī

ʿIyāḍ’sfamousShifāorthe“Cure,”theBurdahhasbeenthesourceof

fascinationandatoolofprotectionandhealingamongSufisforhundredsof

years.AsfortheShifa,itwashighlyregardedthroughouttheMuslimworldand

someevenvieweditassanctifiedandusedthebookitselfasatalisman.One

writerevencommentedthat“ifit[thebook]isfoundinahouse,thishousewill

notsufferanyharm,andaboatinwhichitis,willnotdrown;whenasickperson

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readsoritisrecitedforhim,Godwillrestorehishealth.”163JustastheShifa

concentratesontheProphetMuhammadandhisphysicalandspiritual

attributes,sotoodoestheBurdah,whichiswhyitisbelievedthattheyboth

sharesimilarhealingandprotectivepowers.Anothertextthathasalsobeen

recognizedasbeingsanctifiedduetoitscopiouspraiseoftheProphetisDalā’il

al­Khayrat.TheDalā’ilisespeciallyimportantamongSufisinNorthAfricaand

thereisevenaspecialSufiorderinMarrakeshinMoroccothatisdedicatedto

recitingtheprayercollectionduringvariousoccasions.Impressivecopiesofthe

Dalā’ilhavebeenproducedforprivatelibrariesandthebookisalsousedby

somepeopleasatalismanwithsimilarpropertiestothatoftheShifāandthe

Burdah.

ThesanctityoftheBurdahwasestablishedwithitscompositionand

subsequenttransmissiontoAbual-Rajāʿal-Ṣiddīqandothercontemporariesof

al-Būṣīrī.Itwassohighlyregardedthatonecommentatorevenwrote,“Whoever

readstheBurdaheveryFridaybetweenthesunsetandeveningprayersand

adherestotheconditionsofitsrecitation,willdieasaMuslimandabeliever.”164

Asmentionedpreviously,therearehundredsofcommentariesandtranslations

oftheBurdah,someofwhichbringtolightspecificversesinthepoemthatare

knowntobeefficacious.Itwasnotonlywritteninelegantcalligraphyfor 163Schimmel,33.164Al-Kharpūtī,12.

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distribution,butalsoonthewallsofprivatehomesandreligiousinstitutions.

AlthoughitwastranslatedinmanyIslamicatelanguages,theArabic-language

originalretaineditsthaumaturgicalandtheurgicalpowersaswellasblessings,

whilethetranslationmerelytransmittedthepoem’smeanings.165

TheBurdahhasplayedanimportantrolethroughoutthelivesofMuslims,for

example,thenineteenth-centuryBritishOrientalistandexplorer,EdwardLane,

recordedthatwhilewashingthecorpseofadeceasedMuslim,thewashers

wouldsingversesfromtheQur’anaswellaspartsoftheBurdah.166Inaddition,

inthefuneralprocessionsthemselves,familiesofthedeceasedwouldhirea

specialgroupofsingerstorecitetheBurdah.167OtherWesternscholarshavealso

attestedtotheefficaciousnatureoftheBurdah,suchasGoldziher,whowrotethat

theBurdah“hasbeenusedeversincebyMuslimsonedifyingoccasionsto

expresstheirdevoutfeelings:itisrecitedincongregationsandatfunerals;toits

verses,whenwornonamulets,ahealingpowerisattributed.”168

OnecontemporaryMuslimscholarwhoeditedacommentaryoftheBurdah

describedthesanctityoftheBurdahinanemotionalpassage,

165Schimmel,183.166EdwardWilliamLane,AnAccountoftheMannersandCustomsoftheModernEgyptians(Cairo:AmericanUniversityinCairoPress,2003),513.167Ibid.,517.168IgnazGoldziher,ClassicalArabicLiterature,57.

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Thisgloriouspoem…anditsmanyblessings,isstillsoughtoutbypeoplewhoseekblessingsfromitinallcontinentsoftheEarth.Ithasbeensaidthatishascuredthesickwhobelievedinitshighrank…anditwasthereasonfortheircureandforreceivingwell-beingandblessingsbyreadingit.Itsrecitationhaspermeatedsittingswherepeoplechantitandthescentofparadiseisspreadwiththispoem.Thisiswhatinfluencedal-BūṣīrīandhisloveandlongingfortheChosenOne[Muḥammad].169

StoriesandlegendsoftheBurdah’sspiritualinfluenceaboundinIslamic,

primarilySufi,literature.Oneexceptionalnarrationtellsofamystic’sexperience

uponcontemplatingaversefromtheBurdah.Abiographicalentryof

Muḥammadb.ʿAlial-Kinānīal-Shāfiʿī(d.933/1526),aYemeniSufi,tellsthe

storyofhismysticalencounterwiththepoem.Oneday,al-Kinānīwassitting

andhebegantocontemplatethefollowingversefromtheBurdah,

Loftymountains,toenticehim,drapedthemselvesingold,Butheshowedthematoweringsoul,perfectlycontent,withoutdesire(31).

Al-Kinānīconsideredthateventhesemountainsofgoldwereoflittleworth

comparedtothestationoftheProphet.Attheverymomenthehadthisthought,

helookedatthetreehewassittingunderandsawthatithadtransformedinto

gold.HewasfrightenedbythisvisionandsupplicatedtoGoduntilthetree

returnedtoitsformerstate.Hewassoinspiredbythisexperiencethathe

169SeeintroductionofAl-Haytamī,IbnḤajar.Al­ʿumdahfīsharḥal­Burdah,ed.BassamMuhammadBarud.Dubai,UAE:Daral-Faqih,2003,41.

- 81 - 81

composedaverypopularandsimpletextonIslamicdoctrinethatsoongained

renown.170

Asforthecommentariesthemselves,whiletheolderonesthatIhave

examineddonotusuallymentionthehealingandprotectivepowersofthe

Burdah,severalofthecommentariescomposedinthenineteenthcenturydo

discussthisissueindepth.Toillustrate,whatfollowsisasmallselectionof

versessingledoutbycommentators,specificallyal-Bājūrīandal-Kharpūtīand

thefawāʾid(sing.fāʾidah),orspecialproperties,thatareassociatedwitheachone.

SomeversescanaidaMuslimwhoexperiencesself-doubtandquestionshis

faith,

Oyouwhofaultmeforthisvestallove,acceptmyexcuse­

Yetifyoujudgedfairly,youwouldfindmeblameless(9).

Mayyouneverhavetolivelikethis!Ican’tevenkeepitasecretFrommycritics,I’msofeverishandlovesick!(10)

Thespecialpropertyofthesetwoversesisifyouseeadenierofthetruthorareplaguedbydoubts,thenwritetheseversesonapieceofpaperwithinkmadeofsaffron,musk,androsewater.Youmustcutthepaperintoacircleandthenhangitbetweenyoureyesfromunderyourturban.Thiswillhelpyougetridofunbelief,withthepermissionofGod.171

170ShaykhAbdal-QādiribnʿAydarūs,Tarīkhal­nūral­sāfir,(Baghdad:Al-Maktabahal-ʿArabīyah),1934,192-3.171Al-Bājūrī,Ḥashiyatal­Burdah,9.

- 82 - 82

OtherversescanaidMuslimsstrengthentheirfaiththroughrepetitionofa

singleverse,

HecalledonGod.Whoeverclingstohim

Clingstoaropethatwillneverunravelnorbreak(37).ThisverseprotectsthefaithandsecurityofaMuslim,itmustbereadaftereveryprayer10times,startingwithaspecialprayerontheProphet.172

Asnotedearlierinthischapter,al-Kharpūtīestablishedtheseversesas

efficaciousininducingvisionsoftheProphet,al-Bājūrīemphasizestheirability

tohealphysicalsicknesses,

BewareofrejectingtheProphet’snocturnalrevelations­

Thoughhiseyesmaysleephisheartneverslumbers!(82)Theycametohimattheoutsetofhispropheticmission­

Sothesedream­visionsofhiscannotbedenied(83).

Thesetwoversescanhelpgetridofasicknessofsomeonewhowritesthemonapieceofpotteryandthenwipesthemawaywithlicoricejuiceanddrinkstherun-offjuiceonanemptystomach.Ifhedoesthis,thenthepersonwillgetbetter,withthepermissionofGod.173

Someverseshaveprotectivepowers,

Theyweremountains:justaskthosewhoconfrontedthemWhatitistheywitnessedoneveryfieldofbattle(127).

Whoeverwritesthisverseonthegateofatown,house,orgarden,andkeepitthere,nothief,parasites,oranythingelsewilleverbe

172Ibid.,25.173Ibid.,48.

- 83 - 83

abletoenterit.Someonesaidthatthisspecialprotectivepowerwasalsousedtopreservewheat,barleyandothergrains.Healsosaidthathewrotetheversesonthedoorofhishouse,andonedayathiefcameandheheardavoiceinthehouseandleft.Hesaid,therewasnoonethereandsomeonetoldhimthattheownerwasaway.Sothethiefreturnedonthesecondnightandheardavoicesayingtohim,“Donotenter,”andGodforbadehimfromenteringbytheblessingsofthisverse.174

Al-Kharpūtī’scommentarysharesmanysimilaritieswiththatofal-Bājūrī’s,

althoughhisilluminationofthehealingandprotectivepowerscontainssome

additionalproperties.Forexample,oneversecanaidpeopleattheirdeathbed,

Incomparable,hisbeautyhasnopeer­

Theessenceofbeautyitselfisinhisnature(42).

Thespecialpropertyofthisverseisthatifitisreadoveradyingperson,hewillbeconsciousandwillnotexperienceanypain.175

Otherversesaidthetravelergoingonalonganddangerousvoyage,

Byseekingthewealthofthisworldandthenextfromhishand,IreceivedmylotstraightfromtheGenerousDonor(80).

Knowthatthespecialpropertyofthisverseisifsomeonewantstogoonajourney,heshouldwritetheverseonapieceofpaper,leavingthefirsthemistichinhishomewithhisfamilyandtakethesecondhemistichwithhimonhistravels.WiththepermissionofGod,hewillreturnhomesafelytohisfamily.176

174Ibid.,71.175Al-Kharpūtī,ʿAsīdatal­shuhdah,151.176Ibid.,230.

- 84 - 84

CHAPTER5CONCLUSION

Aswehaveseenthroughoutthisthesis,theBurdahhasbeenreceivedwith

openarmsbySufisandhasgoneontoinspirecountlesstranslations,

commentaries,andothergenresofliteratureinIslamicatelanguages.Ineffect,

theBurdahexpoundsupontheimportanttenetsofIslamicandSufidoctrinein

poeticform,easilyaccessibletolaypeopleaswellasscholars.Italsoisbelieved

tocontainmiraculouspowersthatwererevealedinconnectionwiththelegend

ofal-Būṣīrī’scompositionofthepoemandhisensuingvisionoftheProphet.

Overcomebyguiltofhavingledasinfullifeandservingtherulersonearth

withhispoetryinsteadofobeyingthedivinecommandsofGod,al-Būṣīrī

petitionedtheProphetMuḥammad,inhopethathewouldintercedeforhimand

savehimfromhiserroneouspast.Intheprocess,usinghisskillsasapoetaswell

ashispassionandlongingfortheProphet,al-Būṣīrīwasabletocomposethe

Burdah.Theprocessofspendinghistimeinprayerandsupplicationcoupled

withhisintenseliteraryexpressionoflovefortheProphetaidedhimin

overcominghisphysicalandwellasspiritualillness.Italsoculminatedina

powerfulmeetingwiththeProphetinadream-vision,anexperiencethatlefthim

hopeful,curedhimofhisphysicalillness,andpurifiedhisheart.Thisnarrative

gavepeopleacreativeandstimulatingwaytoseekoutblessings,protection,and

- 85 - 85

intercessionfromtheProphetaswellaswaystoridthemselvesofphysicaland

mentalills.Italsogavethemhopethat,likeal-Būṣīrī,theycouldalsobeforgiven

oftheirsinsbypetitioningtheProphet.Al-Būṣīrī’svisionultimatelygave

authoritytotheefficacyoftheBurdahandestablishedachainoftraditionof

teaching,reciting,andinterpretingthatcontinuesuntilthisday.

Thisstudyismulti-layeredandIhaveattemptedtopeelbackthemanylayers

tounderstandtheplaceoftheBurdahinArabicliteratureandSufiliteratureand

beliefs.Inchaptersoneandtwo,IattemptedtoplacethepoemoftheBurdahand

al-Būṣīrīintheirhistoricalandreligiouscontext.Inchapterthree,Iintroduceda

numberofimportantArabic-languagecommentatorsandendeavoredtodistill

someoftheirreasonsforcomposingtheseworks.Anumberofthecommentators

expressedtheirreasonforcomposingtheirworks.Whileallofthemwishedto

clarifysomeofthemorecomplexversesandvocabularysotheirreaderscould

benefitfrominsightsofal-Būṣīrī;moresignificantly,anumberwantedto

reproduceal-Būṣīrī’smysticalencounterwiththeProphetMuḥammad.By

interpretingtheBurdah,theywereabletodrawascloseastheycouldtothe

sacredactofcomposingthepoemandthussoughtoutasimilarexperienceto

thatofal-Būṣīrī.WecangatherfromtheBurdahandnarrativesarounditthatal-

BūṣīrīwasforgivenforhispastsinscuredofhisillnessbyGodthroughthe

intercessionandmercyoftheProphet.Severalofthecommentatorsparalleled

- 86 - 86

theirownlifeexperiencewiththatofal-Būṣīrīandexpressedtheirhopefora

comparableoutcome.TheBurdahessentiallybecameapenultimatedevotional

prayer,literarytalismanandcollectionofIslamicdoctrinethathadnoequal

amongSufis.Insteadofimitatingit,thosewhobelievedinitspowerscouldonly

aspiretocommentuponitandtrustthatsomeofitsblessingsandauspiciousness

wouldruboffonthem.

Inchapterfour,IseektopositiontheBurdahinthetraditionofdreamingin

IslamandshowhowitisoneofthemanywaysMuslimshaveattemptedto

inducevisionsoftheProphet.Intheirvisions,MuslimscanpetitiontheProphet

tointercedeforthem,receiveadviceandwordsofwisdom,andhavespiritual

authoritybestoweduponthembyvirtueoftheirvision.Ialsotoucheduponthe

genreofliterarytalismansandsomebelievedbenefitsofrecitingcertainversesof

theBurdah.ThissectioncouldverywellbeexpandedandIwouldhavelikedto

spendtimefurtheranalyzingsomeofthetalismanicusesoftheBurdahandtheir

possibleinspirationaloriginsandtheiruseamongSufis.Ihopetocontinuework

onmythesisandwillfurtherexplorethethemeoftheBurdahasasourceof

healingandprotectivepowers,contextualizethethemeofshafāʿahintheMamluk

period,andconductanin-depthstudyofcommentariesthathighlightthe

talismanicaspectsofthepoem.Inparticular,Iwillexaminethecommentariesof

al-Bājūrīandal-Kharpūtīandwillalsoattempttolocateearliercommentariesin

- 87 - 87

manuscriptformthatalsotouchuponthemiraculousaspectsoftheBurdah.It

wouldalsobeinterestingtoconductfurtherresearchontheuseofliterary

talismansinMuslimsocietyandtocontextualizetheBurdahinthiscontext.

WhileIhavetoucheduponsomeimportanttopicsrelatedtotheBurdah,they

areonlythetipoftheicebergofwhatcouldturnintonotonlyanumberoftheses

anddissertations,butalsofull-lengthstudies.Duetotimerestraints,Ihavebeen

unabletoincludeallofthecomponentsIwouldhavelikedtointhisthesis.

Despitethisminorshortcoming,Ihaveintroducedseveralnewperspectiveson

studiesontheBurdah,includinganattempttorevealtheSufinatureofthepoem.

Ihavealsoattemptedtopiecetogetheral-Būṣīrī’slifeandexplorethemeaningof

hisspiritualexperienceasseeninthecompositionalnarrative.Thesignificanceof

themiraculouspowersoftheburdahoftheProphettothepoemoftheBurdahas

wellastheuseoftheBurdahasameanstoinducingvisionsoftheProphet

presentsanewangleonthisoftendiscussednarrativeandusesofthepoem.

Furthertopicsthatwouldbeofinterestinclude:in-depthstudiesofindividual

commentaries;comparativestudiesofthecommentaries;ainvestigationofthe

chainsofnarrationinthecommentariesandanattempttoidentifytheoriginal

commentariesthatfoundtheirwaytolatercommentariesthroughintertextuality

andnaql;afocusedsurveyoftheusesoftheBurdahforitshealingandprotective

powersinSufiliteratureaswellasanethnographicalstudyofitsusesamong

- 88 - 88

modern-daySufis;andanethnographicalstudyofrecitationsoftheBurdah

throughouttheMuslimworld.

- 89 - 89

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