ABOUT
Qaṣīdat al-Burda al-Sharīf · Imam Sharaf al-Dīn al-Buṣīrī
THE QASIDA
The Qaṣīdat al-Burda al-Sharīf (قصيدة البردة الشريف) — Poem of the Blessed Mantle — is among the most celebrated works of Islamic literature. Composed in classical Arabic in 13th-century Egypt, it is a poem of ardent devotion to the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. The title refers to the Prophet's mantle (burda), which features in the poem's origin story. For over eight centuries, Muslims across the world have memorised, recited, and transmitted this poem, finding in it both spiritual sustenance and intercessory blessing.
THE AUTHOR
Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd al-Buṣīrī (1212–1294 CE / 608–694 AH) was born in Behsna, Egypt, and lived much of his life in Cairo. A scholar, poet, and devoted Sufi, he was a murīd (disciple) of the great Egyptian saint Imam Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Mursī, himself a student of Imam al-Shādhilī. Al-Buṣīrī composed numerous poems in praise of the Prophet ﷺ, but the Burda — also known as al-Kawākib al-Durriyya fī Madḥ Khayr al-Bariyya (The Planets of Radiance in Praise of the Best of Creation) — became the most widely read and memorised of all.
ORIGIN
Imam al-Buṣīrī suffered a severe stroke that left him partially paralysed. In a state of desperate longing and spiritual need, he composed the Qaṣīda as a form of tawassul — seeking the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ. That very night, he saw the Prophet ﷺ in a dream, who placed his blessed mantle (burda) over the poet's body. Upon waking, Imam al-Buṣīrī found himself completely cured. The poem he had composed through grief had become, by the grace of Allah, a vessel of miraculous healing — and has carried that blessing for every generation since.
STRUCTURE
The Burda is composed of 160 verses (abiyāt) arranged in 10 chapters (abwāb), each focused on a distinct spiritual theme — from the personal lament of the poet, through praise and biography of the Prophet ﷺ, to intimate supplication and conclusion.
SIGNIFICANCE
The Burda has been the subject of hundreds of scholarly commentaries (shurūḥ) across the Islamic world. Its opening lines are inscribed on the dome of Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah. It is recited in mosques, khanqahs, and private homes from Morocco to Indonesia. In the Sufi tradition it holds a central place of honour, recited in dhikr circles and at mawlid gatherings. Major Islamic scholars across every generation have praised it as a poem of singular beauty and blessing.
GUIDANCE
The Burda may be read silently for study or recited aloud with the intention of devotion (with love for the Prophet ﷺ). It is traditional to begin with the Basmala and Durood. The reader may read the full text in one sitting or work through it one chapter at a time. The reading controls allow you to display Arabic only (for recitation practice), English only (for meaning), Urdu only, or all languages together. Font size can be adjusted for comfortable reading.