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UNDERSTANDING THE POEM OF THE BURDAH IN SUFI ...
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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.
- 59 - 59
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).
- 62 - 62
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
- 80 - 80
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.
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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.
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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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