understanding the poem of the burda in sufi commentaries - rose aslan

7/30/2019 Understanding The Poem of the Burda in Sufi Commentaries - Rose Aslan

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TheAmericanUniversityinCairo

UNDERSTANDINGTHEPOEMOFTHE

BURDAHINSUFICOMMENTARIES

AThesisSubmittedto

TheDepartment ofArabandIslamicCivilizations

inpartialfulfillment oftherequirementsfor

thedegreeofMastersofArts

by

RoseAslan

(underthesupervisionofDr.AbdelRahmanSalem)

June2008


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- ii -ii

TheAmericanUniversityinCairo

UNDERSTANDINGTHEPOEMOFTHEBURDAHINSUFICOMMENTARIES

AThesisSubmittedbyRoseAslanTotheDepartmentofArabandIslamicCivilizations

June2008inpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsfor

ThedegreeofMastersofArtsHasbeenapprovedby

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;Icouldnothavegottenthroughthis

intenseperiodofmylifewithouthisconstanthelpandsupport.Imustalsothankmythesisadvisor,Dr.AbdelRahmanSalemforhispatienceandfaithinmeaswediscussedmythesisandforhisusefulfeedback.Iamalsogratefultothereadersonmythesiscommittee,Dr.BradleyCloughandDr.HudaLutfi,fortheircarefulreadingofmythesisandconstructivecriticism,theircommentshavehelpedmeimmenselyandwillbeimplementedinfutureprojectsbasedonmythesis.OtherprofessorsintheDepartmentofArabandIslamicCivilizationshave

beeninstrumentalinmycareeratAUC,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)

ThisthesisexploresinterpretationsofthepoemoftheBurdahcomposedby

Imamal-Br,amysticalpanegyricpoemthatisassociatedwithmiraclesandisbelievedbysometohavehealingandtalismanicproperties.ByexaminingvariouswritingsbySufischolarsontheBurdah,Ihaveshedlightontheirinterpretationsofthepoemanditsmysticalqualitiesinordertocometoadeeperunderstandingofthepoemitself,itscontext,andtheimpactithashadonIslamicateliteratureandSufipractices.Mostimportantly,IexplorethethemeofseekingintercessionfromtheProphetMuammadandtherolethattheBurdahplaysinthisprocess.

AnumberofcommentatorsIdiscussinthisstudyidentifytheirpetitiontothe

Prophetasaprimarymotiveforproducingtheircommentaries.Iwillarguethattherearethreelevelsthatplayoutinthisprocess,namely1.themesinthepoemoftheBurdahitselfthatdealwiththetopic,2.thestoryofal-BrscompositionoftheBurdahasameansofseekingintercessionfromtheProphetandforgivenessfromGod,and3.thecompositionofcommentariesbySufiswhobyclarifyingandinterpretingtheBurdah,hopedfortheirsinstobeforgivenandfortheProphettointercedeforthemashedidforal-Br.Whiletherearethosewhotreatthepoemmerelyasanotherliterarytext,thosewhobelieveinitsspiritualefficacyuseal-Brsbiographyasamodelthattheyaspiretoinordertopurifythemselvesinthespiritualpath.


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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-Br..23TheLegendoftheBurdah34

HistoricalandLiteraryBackground...37

LiteraryAspectsoftheBurdah....39

3 SUFICOMMENTARIESOFTHEBURDAH45

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,uponenteringthetermsBurdahandpoem,intothe

GoogleInternetsearchengine,onewillfindmorethan76,400entriesthatleadto

websitesthatdiscussthepoem,Wahhbpolemicsagainstit,aswellas

recordingsandvideosofrenditionsofitsrecitition.Searchthecatalogofany

libraryintheMuslimworld,andonewillfindatleastahandful,andmostofthe

timesmanymore,ofstudies,poeticexpansionsandimitations,and

commentariesonthepoem.ThisthesisexploresinterpretationsofQasdatal-

Burdah,amysticalpanegyricpoemthatisassociatedwithmiraclesandis

believedbysometohavehealingandtalismanicproperties.Thepoemwas

composedbyImamSharafal-Dnal-Br,athirteenth-centuryEgyptianSufiof

NorthAfricanoriginwholivedduringthevibrantandoftenviolentMamlk

period.Hewrotethepoemasaformofcatharsis,usingitasawaytopurify

himselffromhispastsinsandwrongdoingsandtoovercomeaphysicalsickness.


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ThroughouttheMuslimworld,fromal-Brstimetothepresent

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

OttomanperiodthateventhetomboftheProphetinMadnahwas

decoratedwithitsverses,onlytobetorndownwiththeadventofthe

PuritanWahhbimovementinSaudiArabia.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

onlyincludedversesfromtheQuran,butalsoanumberofversesfrom

theBurdahthatdealwiththeProphetsmiracles,ormu jizt.4

Acompleterenditionofthepoemalsoadornsthewallsofthemosque

andtombcomplexofal-BrinAlexandria.5Atthesamemosque,the

BurdahisstilldutifullyrecitedeveryFridaybymembersofthe

Qdiryyah-QsimiyyahSufiorderandonSundaysbymembersofthe

Shdhiliyyah-HamdiyyahSufiorderinthemosquesofSayyidahZaynab

andSayyidahNafsahinCairo.MembersoftheSufiordersandMuslim

pilgrimsvisital-Brstombfromaroundtheworldtoseekthebarakah,

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-BrinAlexandria.6ZakMubrak,Al-Madial-nabawyyahfal-adabal-Arab(Cairo:Daral-Katibal-Arabi,1935),199-200


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commentaries,7andpoeticalexpansions(tashr)canbefoundatmost

bookstoresintheArabworld.

IdecidedtoworkonthistopicasIwasstruckbythebeautyanddepthofthe

Burdahandwantedtodelvedeeperintoitandthusbegantoreadthe

commentaries.Afterundertakingpreliminaryresearchonthetopic,Iwas

surprisedtolearnthat,asfarasIknow,veryfewstudieshavebeencarriedout

ontheBurdahanditscommentariesintheEnglishlanguage.Numerousscholars

haveinvestigatedtheliteraryaspectsoftheBurdahinbothArabicandEnglish

andhaverepeatedlydealtwiththenarrativeofthecompositionoftheBurdah

andal-Brslife.8Onlyonetranslationofasingleminorcommentaryis

availableinEnglish,9andsinceitisonlyavailableinanunpublishedPhD

dissertationfrom1985,itisrelativelyunknownandinaccessible.ThusIfeltit

wouldbeappropriatetonarrowthegapofknowledgeaboutthisimportant

poembysheddinglightnotonlyupontheliteraryaspectsofthepoem,butmore

7Particularlythatofanabridgedversionofal-Bjrsshyatal-Burdah,aswellassimpleglossesininexpensivebookletsprovidedbymodernandreligiousscholarsandwhoprovideaglossaryofdifficultwordsandprovideshortandsimpleinterpretationsofthepoem.8SeeMamdSlimMuammad,Al-Madial-nabawyyahattnihyatal-asral-Mamlk(Beirut:Daral-Fikral-Mu'asir,1996);Abdal-AlmQabbn,Al-Br:aytuhuwashiruh(Alexandria:Daral-Ma'arif,1968);ZaynabAzab,Abdal-amadAshshb,Al-BrshirAl-madal-nabaw:dirsahtahllyyahmuazzazahbi-qasdatayal-Burdahwa-al-Hamzyyah(Rabat,Morocco:Al-Jam'iyyahal-Maghribiyyahlil-Tadamunal-Islami,1999);AlNajbAaw,Al-Br:shiral-madihal-nabawyyahwa-alamuhu(Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-'Ilmiyah,1995).9DevinA.DeWeese,TheKashfAl-HudaofKamalAd-DinHusaynKhorezmi:AFifteenth-CenturySufiCommentaryoftheQasidatal-BurdahinKhorezmianTurkic(UniversityofIndiana,PhDdissertation,1985).


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importantly,uponthereligiousandspiritualaspectsofthepoemasunderstood

byitscommentators.

ExploringtheBurdah

ByexaminingvariouswritingsbySufischolarsontheBurdah,Ihopetoshed

lightontheirinterpretationsofthepoemanditsmysticalqualitiesinorderto

cometoadeeperunderstandingofthepoemitself,itscontext,andtheimpactit

hashadonIslamicliteratureandpractices.Mostimportantly,Iwantexploreat

thethemeofseekingintercessionfromtheProphetMuammadandtherolethat

theBurdahplaysinthisprocess.AnumberofcommentatorsIwilldiscussinthis

studyidentify

their

petition

tothe

Prophet

isaprimary

motive

for

writing

their

commentaries.Iwillarguethattherearethreelevelsthatplayoutinthisprocess,

namely1.themesinthepoemoftheBurdahitselfthatdealwiththetopic,2.the

storyofal-BrscompositionoftheBurdahasameansofseekingintercession

fromtheProphetandforgivenessfromGod,and3.thecompositionof

commentariesbySufiswhobyclarifyingandinterpretingtheBurdah,hopedfor

theirsinstobeforgivenandfortheProphettointercedeforthemashedidforal-

Br.Whiletherearethosewhotreatthepoemmerelyasanotherliterarytext,


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thosewhobelieveinitsspiritualefficacyuseal-Brsbiographyasamodel

thattheyaspiretoinordertopurifythemselvesinthespiritualpath.

AlthoughcertainOrientalistswhohavestudiedtheBurdah,suchReneBasset,

aFrenchscholarwhodiedin1924inAlgeria,claimedthatthereisnotraceof

Sufisminit[theBurdah],10othersrecognizeditsmysticinfluencesthatled

scholarstowriteSufiinterpretationsofthepoem.Amodernscholarwhoworked

onaCentralAsiancommentaryoftheBurdah,DevinDeWeesepositsthatin

viewofal-BrsSuficonnections,itisdoubtfulthatthemysticalinterpretation

oftheworkisentirelytheinventionoflatercommentators.11Althoughthe

BurdahisitselfnotaSufipoemasonewouldrefertothedeeplymysticaland

ecstaticpoetryofIbnal-Frid,Ibnal-Arab,al-Hallj,andothers,thepoemis

indeedsaturatedwithSufimetaphorsandrhetoric.MuammadKhafj,an

Egyptianscholarconfirmsthepoetryofal-BrasbeingSufi-inspired,stating,

Thepoetryofal-BrwasfullofintenseSufispiritandinitcanbefoundthelightofSufisandtheirmodesofexpression.AfterIbnal-Fri,al-BrwastrulythegreatestpoetfromEgyptandnootherpoetthatcamebeforeorafterhimcouldreachhislevelofpoetical

beautyandexpression.12

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


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TherearemanyverseswhosesymbolismandimagerycorrespondtoSufi

teachingsandconcepts,forexampleadvicetorestrainthenafs,orself,using

popularmetaphorsinSufidiscourse,

Whocanrestrainmyboltingsoulfromitsselfishdesires,Likebridlesthatbringrestivesteedsundercontrol?(16)

Donotattempttobreakitsappetitethroughwantonindulgence-Noticehowfoodonlystrengthensagluttonscraving(17).

Theselfislikeaninfant-ifyouleaveit,itwillgrowuplovingtosuckle,

Butifyouweanit,soonitwillloseitsdesireforthebreast(18).

Diverttheselfsdesiresandavoidempoweringit-

Wheneverdesiretakescharge,iteitherdestroysordefiles(19).

Shepherdoveritasitgrazesfreelyinthefieldofactions,Butshoulditfindthepasturagesweet,restrainitscasualroaming(20).

Howoftenithasfoundsomedeadlypleasuredelightful,

Notknowingthatpoisonlieshiddenincream!(21).

Beonguardagainstthetrapsofhungerandsatiety-

Anemptystomachcanbeworsethanafullone(22).

Emptyouteverylasttearfromaneyethathasgorged

Onforbiddendeserts,andclingtoadietofremorse(24).

ContradicttheinfantileselfandSatan,anddisobeythem-

Ifeitherofthemoffersyousincereadvice,besuspicious!(25)

Inaddition,intheBurdah,al-BrreferstonrMuammad,which,accordingto

AnnemarieSchimmel,isoneofthecentralthemes(ifnotthecentraltheme)of


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mysticalprophetology.13Theconceptwasfirstdevelopedbymystics,suchas

Sahlal-Tustar(d.283/896),whoderiveditfromtheLightverseoftheQuran,

GodistheLightoftheheavensandearth.HisLightislikethis:thereisa

niche,andinitalamp,thelampinsideaglass,aglasslikeaglitteringstar,fuelledfromablessedolivetreefromneithereastnorwest,whoseoil

almostgiveslightevenwhennofiretouchesit.14

EssentiallynrMuammadreferstotheideathatbeforecreation,Godcreatedthe

lightofMuammadthatworshippedGodfromthebeginning.Fromthislight

emanatedtheprophetsandspiritualuniverse.WhiletheProphetMuammad

wascreatedfromtheclayofAdam,hisspiritualessencehadalreadyexistedfor

aneternityandpermeatedtheuniverse,15

Allofthesignsbroughtbythenobleprophetsbeforehim

Cametothemthroughhislightalone(52).

Heisthebounteoussunandtheyherorbitingplanets-

Sherevealstheirlightsforhumanityinthedarknessofnight(53).

DespitethefactthatitcontainsnumerousesotericmysticalandSufireferences,

theBurdahhasreachedamuchwideraudiencethantheworkofthe

aforementionedpoetsduetoitsaccessiblelanguageanddevotionalstyle.Al-

BrwasaSufianddiscipleofAbal-Abbsal-Murs,awell-knownsheikh

andfounderofthewidespreadShdhilSufiorderinspiredbyhisteacher,Ab

al-Hasanal-Shdhil.Al-BrwrotetheBurdahduringatimewhenSufism

13Schimmel,AndMuammadisHisProphet,123.14

Quran24:35.15Ibid.,125.


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flourishedunderthegenerouspatronageoftheMamlkrulersandelite

membersofsociety.ButitisintheworksofSufiswherewecanfindarich

collectionofinterpretationsoftheBurdah.

Inmyresearch,Ihaveidentifiedseveralsignificantcomponentsthatmay

explainwhytheBurdahgainedsuchimportanceinMuslimcommunitiesand

howcertainhealingandprotectivepropertiescametobeattributedtoit.Iposit

thattheBurdah,acompactpoemwritteninhighlyrefinedandeloquentArabic

givesexpressiontothosewhoarethemselvesunabletoconstructsuch

exceptionalandbeautifullanguage.Thepoemcontainsmanyimportantaspects,

stemmingfromthestoryofamanwhorepentstoGodforhissinofnot

dedicatinghislifeandworktoahighergoal,athemewhichanyMuslimcan

easilyidentifywithasthisrepresentsthewell-knownjihdal-nafs,orgreater

strugglewithoneself.Inaddition,thepoemalsocontainsthecarefullychosen

snippetsofthesacredbiographyoftheProphetMuhammad,withreferencesto

eventsandmiraclesfromhislifeaswellasabundantpraiseofhim.Thepoem

endswiththepoetsmiraculousrecoveryfromhisillness,returntoGod,

reconciliationwithhisfaith,andanepiphanyabouttherealityoftheworld.Fora

considerablyshortpoem,itcontainsmanyseparatecomponents,allofwhichare

veryattractivetothereader,whocaneasilyemphasizeandevenexperiencewhat

al-Brwentthroughonhisspiritualjourney.


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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-Brdidwhenhe

composedtheBurdah.Thus,thestoryofal-Brslifeandhiscompositionofthe

BurdahareessentialtounderstandingtheimportanceoftheBurdahinMuslim

society.Ineffect,thepoemcannotbeseparatedfromitscompositionalnarrative,

whichfurtherstrengthensitspopularityandblessingsaccordingtothebeliefsof

thosewhoreciteit.UnderstandingtheloveoftheProphetMuhammadandhis

16Saal-BukhrandSaMuslim


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roleasanintercessorasexperiencedineveryMuslimslifecouldshedlighton

thepopularityoftheBurdah.

ScholarswhohavewrittencommentariesontheBurdahhavedonesoinorder

toexpoundthiscaptivatingpoemandtoexplainitsmeaningsinfurtherdetail

andtorevealitssecretsandelegantlanguage.Whiletheearliercommentators

fromtheMamlkandearlierOttomanerafocusedoninterpretingthelinguistic,

andmetaphorandliteralmeaningsofthepoem,wecanseeadevelopingtrend

amonglatercommentatorstoaddfurtherglossesbasedontheiractual

experiencesofrecitingandutilizingthepoemforthepurposeofhealing.These

latercommentatorshighlightedcertainversesandenumeratedupontheir

talismanicusesbasedontheirownexperiences;thisknowledgewastaughtto

thembytheirteachers.ThesecommentatorswereallSufisandoftenprominent

scholarsofIslamfromAl-Azharandotherimportantcentersoflearninginthe

Muslimworld.Includedintheirranksaretheologians,jurists,judges,leadersof

al-AzharandZaytnahmosquesanduniversities,andotherhigh-standing

membersandreligiousleadersofMuslimsociety.

Inanutshell,thisstudywillattempttounderstandtherolethattheBurdah

hasplayedinthelivesofMuslimsaroundtheworldexploringhowithas

inspiredSufis.Itishopedthatitwillcontributetotheunderstandingofanumber


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ofissuesincluding:theimportanceoftheProphetMuhammadinthelivesof

Muslims,theuseofliterarytalismansamongSufis,andhowtheBurdahhas

inspiredanentiregenreofcommentaries,aswellasspecialbeliefsandpractices.

LiteratureReview

NumerousstudieshavebeenconductedontheliteraryaspectsoftheBurdah,

inparticularSuzanneStetkvychstworecentarticlesareofgreatmeritand

importance.AscholarofArabicliterature,Stetkvychsfirstconcerninher

researchistoanalyzetheliteraryaspectsofthepoemandtoisolatetherhetorical

toolsanddevicesutilizedbyal-Brandtocomparethepoemwiththosebyhis

predecessorsandcontemporaries.17Inherfirstarticle,FromTexttoTalisman,18

Stetkvychattemptstoexplainthestoryofal-Brsmiraculouscureandthe

influenceoftheBurdah,whichledtolargeamountsofimitations,expansions,

translations,andcommentariesbeingproduced,byexploringitsliteraryaspects.

StetkvychtracespossibleoriginsofthestructurepresentintheBurdahandhow

thepoettranscendedtraditionalclassicalmadpoetryinthatitaddressedthe

objectofpraiseonaspirituallevel.Sheprovidessnippetsoftranslationsof

17BasedonpersonalcommunicationwithDr.SuzanneStetkvychthroughemail,Ihavelearnedthatsheisalsopreparingafull-lengthmonographthatwillcovertopicsincludedinthetwoarticlesmentionedhereaswellasthegenreofmadpoetryinArabicandtheburdahsofKabb.Zuhayr,al-Br,andAhmadShawq.18Stetkyvch,"FromTexttoTalisman:Al-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)andtheSupplicatoryOde."


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severalcommentariesthatmentionthehealingpowersofcertainverses.But

Stetkvychdoesthisonlytogiveevidenceofthegreatpopularityandattention

theBurdahhasreceived,butsherefrainsfromanalyzingtheseliterarytalismans

ortheirpresenceinthecommentaries.StetkvychcategorizestheBurdahasan

Arabicpanegyricode(qadatal-mad)ofthesupplicatoryvariety,addressedto

theProphetMuammadasthemamd,andpleadingforhisintercessionon

JudgementDay.19Throughoutthebulkofherarticle,Stetkvychscrutinizesthe

poemfromwithinitscontextofthegenreofclassicalArabicpanegyricpoems,

payingattentiontothestructureofthepoeminrelationstoothersfromwithin

thegenreandthethemeofintercessionandpetitionwithinthepoem.

Stetkvychsapproachisliteraryandsheisconcernedprimarilywith

methodicallyanalyzingtherefinedritual-liturgicalstructureofthepoem,which

shebelieveshasledtotheliteraryandreligioussuccessoftheBurdah.20

EssentiallyStetkvychsumsuptheBurdahasbeingaliturgicaltextwhose

recitationconstitutedareenactmentofal-Brsexperienceofofferingagiftof

praisetotheProphetandreceivinginreturnthegiftofspiritualtransformation/

healing.21

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


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Inhersecondarticle,FromSrahtoQadah,22Stetkvychcontinuesthe

thesisofherpreviousarticleandexaminesfurthertopics,suchasal-Brs

portrayaloftheProphetMuammadintheBurdahandassertsthatthissectionof

thepoempromoteswhatshetermsanideologyofIslamicManifestDestiny.23

Basically,sheholdsthatthissectionofthepoemissupposedtoconfirmthe

prophethoodandmessageofIslamanditspresenceintheworldandtoestablish

thattheProphetMuammadisindeedabletointercedeforMuslimsontheDay

ofJudgment.Mostimportantly,Stetkvycharguesthatal-Brsportrayalofthe

ProphetMuammadslifewasnotintendedtobehistoricallyaccurate,ratherthe

poeticizationoftheseoriginallyprosematerialsachievedanincreased

polemicization.24

AhmedTaherHasaneinsstudy25oftheBurdahisatechnicalandcriticalwork

inwhichheattemptstoprovethatanumberofversesincludedtowardstheend

ofthecommonlyacceptedversionoftheBurdahwerenotactuallywrittenbyal-

Br.Inthesecondhalfofhisarticle,HasaneinexplorestheinfluencethatIbn

al-Frispoetryhaduponal-Brsandthesubsequentwaveofimitationsand

expansionsthatal-BrleftinthewakeoftheBurdah.Healsopointsoutthat

22Stetkyvch,"FromSirahtoQasidah:PoeticsandPolemicsinAl-Busiri'sQasidatAl-Burdah(MantleOde)."23Ibid.,1.24Ibid.,3.25Amadherasanein,"IllahlBurdatal-Brtatarsiltiha"Alif:JournalofComparativePoetics23,no.LiteratureandtheSacred(2003).


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whileal-BrmayhavebeeninfluencedbyIbnal-Frispoetry,whose

audiencewasmainlyelitegroupofSufischolars,theBurdahbecamemore

widespreadthroughouttheMuslimworldduetoitssimpleeloquence.26

Hasaneinsarticleisvaluableinthatitexaminestheconnectionbetweenaseries

ofpoetswhoinfluencedoneaftertheother,buthisarticleismainlydescriptive

withlittleanalysis.

ZakiMubaraksearlytwentieth-centurystudy27onpanegyric(mad)poems

thatpraisetheProphetMuammadisusefulinthatitcoverstheentiregenreof

madpoetryfromitsoriginsuptotheMamlukperiod.Hisbookincludesabrief

chapterontheBurdah,itscomposition,adiscussionofitsvariouscommentaries

anditsinfluenceonArabicliterature.AnactivescholarofSufismandArabic

literatureandaliterarycriticduringthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury,

Mubraksmodernistandrationalisttendenciesinhibithimfromengagingwith

hissubjectfromascholarlyperspectiveduetohisrejectionofpractices

associatedwiththeBurdah.AsonemodernscholarnotedofMubaraksviewson

Sufiwritings,twentieth-centuryEnlightenmentrationalismwasthestandardby

whicheverystatementwastobeevaluated.Indoingso,hedemonstrateda

completeinabilitytoregisterthetonalityofthedifferentnarrativestrategies

26Ibid.,103.27ZakMubrak,Al-Madial-nabawyyahfal-adabal-Arab(Cairo:Daral-Katibal-Arabi,1935).


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employedinMuslimliteratureovertheages.28Hisfailuretorefertosources

andattimes,superficialexaminationoftopics,takesawayfromthemeritofthe

book.Whilehisbookisagoodsourcetobeginwith,itcannotbereliedonfor

accuracy.

BriefremarksontheBurdahstalismanicpropertiesandinterpretations29have

alsobeenmentionedinlargerstudiesonpanegyricpoemsoftheProphet

MuhammadandhisroleinMuslimsociety.AnnemarieSchimmelsAnd

MuammadisHisMessengerprovidesacomprehensiveandsensitivestudyofthe

venerationoftheProphetinIslamicpiety,withspecialreferencestohispraisein

Sufipoetryandwritings.WhileSchimmelsbookoffersanexcellentbirdseye

viewoftheimportanceoftheProphetinIslamandtocontextualizehisrolein

Muslimslives,herapproachisprimarilydescriptive.Schimmelpresents

countlessideasandconceptsthatshebrieflypassesover,becauseofthis,her

workisonlyoflimitedbenefitandmoredetailedandanalyticalstudiesneedto

becarriedoutonthistopic.

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

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


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TheBurdahinTranslation

ApartfromalargenumberoftranslationsinIslamicatelanguages,there

havealsobeenanumberofEnglishtranslationsproducedoverthelastcentury.

Subsequently,Ihaveperusedtheavailabletranslationsandcomparedand

contrastedtheiraccuracyintranslationaswellasliteraryqualityandeasein

comprehension.Apartfromalargenumberofunpublishedtranslationsby

amateurtranslatorsthatcanbefoundinabundanceonline,therearefourmain

translationsbyscholarsthatIhaveconsultedformyresearch,theseinclude:R.A.

NicholsonsclearbuthighlyclassicaltranslationfoundinAReaderonIslam,30

ThorayaMahdiAllamshighlypoeticyetobscureandawkwardEgyptian

edition,31SusanStetkvychsliteralandaccuratetranslationwhichcanbefound

withinhertwoarticlesthatcompriseastudyoftheliteraryaspectsofthe

Burdah,32andfinallyHamzaYusufsfluidandrefinedtranslation.33

IultimatelydecidedtouseYusufstranslationnotonlyduetoitshighly

accurateandinsightfultranslationbasedonsolidscholarshipandchainsof

30MuhammadSharafal-Dnal-Busiri,AReaderonIslam,trans.ArthurJeffery(Gravenhage:Mouton,1962).31Sharafad-DinMuhammadibnSa'idal-Busiri,Al-Busiri'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:ThePoemoftheCloakofAl-Busiri,trans.HamzaYusuf(Thaxted,Essex:SandalaLtd.,2002).


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traditionsrelatingbacktoal-Brhimself,butalsobecauseofitsbeautyand

spiritthatitgivestotheBurdahinEnglish,astheAmericancalligrapherofthe

Burdah,MohamedZakariyasays,whenthereisloveandimaginationto

amplifyskill,wondersofliteraturebecomeapparent.34HamzaYusufisahighly

respectedAmericanconverttoIslamwhoisoneoftheleadingspiritualleaders

ofAmericanMuslims.Hespentover10yearsstudyinginvariousArabcountries

andinparticular,studiedtheBurdahunderthewell-knownSyrianscholar,

ShaykhMuammadal-Yaqb.Inaddition,Yusufstranslationwasgivenfinal

touchesbyawell-knownAmericanMuslimpoet,DanielAbdulHayyMooreand

editedbyanotherprominentAmericanMuslimscholar,MichaelWolfe.What

madeYusufsrenditionofthehighlyelaboratepoemstandoutwasthefactthat

theEnglishseemstoemitthesamelevelofdevotionandmysticallongingforthe

ProphetMuammadastheoriginalArabicdoes.ItisasifYusufhasnotmerely

translatedtheBurdahintoEnglish,butalsomanagedtotransferitsessencealong

withittrulyararefeatamongtranslatorsofpoetryinanylanguage.

Whiletheothertranslationsmaybeincrediblyaccurate,attimestheir

Shakespeareanwordingandclassicalpoeticstructuredistancesthe

averagereaderfromthepoem,renderingitdryandultimately

inaccessible.YusufsEnglishrenditionoftheBurdahisascloseasonecan

34Ibid.


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gettotheArabicwithoutactuallyresortingtotheoriginalandthereforeI

willbeusingthisversionthroughoutmythesis.Allothertranslations

fromArabic-languagecommentariesaswellasprimaryandsecondary

Arabicsources(exceptfortheQuranandHadith)aremineunlessnoted

otherwise.Asforthenumberingoftheverses,Ihaveusedthesame

systemasthatofSuzanneStetkvych,35whodeterminedhernumbering,

basedonacomparisonofvariousversionsandthenchosethemost

accurateone.IsubsequentlymatcheduplinesfromYusufstranslationto

thatofStetkvychsandconfirmedthenumberingwiththevarious

commentariesinmypossession.

TheoreticalFramework:

Myprimarysourcesformyresearchareliteraryinnature,comprising

thetextoftheBurdahitselfaswellasanumberofcommentariesonthe

poemcomposedinEgyptandTurkeyduringdifferentdynasties.These

aredrawnfrombothpublishedtextsandunpublishedmanuscriptsin

ordertorepresentdifferentstylesofcommentariesfromdifferenttime

periods.Inaddition,forpracticalreasons,Ihavehadtoprimarilylimit

myselftocommentariesthatareavailableineditedandpublishedforms

35InhertwoarticlesontheBurdah,FromTexttoTalisman,andFromSrahtoQadah.


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versusmanythatareonlyavailableinmanuscriptform.Unfortunately,I

havebeenunabletolocateanyMamluk-eracommentariesthathavebeen

publishedalthoughIwasabletolocatetwomanuscriptsofnotefromthis

eraatAl-AzharLibrary.ThebulkofpublishedcommentariesIhavefound

arefromtheOttoman-era.

ByseekingtounderstandhowSufishaveinterpretedanimportantpraise

poemoftheProphetMuhammad,Ihopemyfindingswillshedlighton

importantissuesthatcancontributeinausefulwaytotheever-growingwealth

ofknowledgeinArabicLiteratureandIslamicStudies.Ihavemadeuseof

historicaltexts,particularlyhagiographiesandbiographies,tomapoutal-

Brslifeandhistoricalcontextaswellasthatofthecommentatorsonthe

Burdah.Inaddition,IhavedrawnonstudiesfromArabicliteratureassourcesfor

informationonal-BrandtheBurdahanddifferentscholarsinterpretations

andglossesofthepoem.Moreover,IhavemadeuseofresearchfromEnglish-

languageworksinIslamicStudies,whichhavehelpedinparttoshapemythesis.

ByapproachingtheBurdahasatextthatisreveredbymanyMuslimsandnot

merelyastatictextpresentonlyinprintform;itismygoaltoanalyzethe

differentwaysMuslims,particularlySufis,valueandunderstandthetextand

howthisreflectsontheirworldviewanddevotionfortheProphetMuammad.


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- 22 -22

Inthisway,WilliamGrahamsastutequotewillguidemyanalysisand

methodologyforthispaper,

Themostcrucialkindofauthenticityofascriptureoranythingelseofreligioussignificanceis,inthefinalanalysis,itsabsoluteauthenticityintheunderstandingandfaithofaparticularindividualoraparticulargroupinaparticularage.Whatapersonorcommunityrecognizesastrue,hasfaithinastrue,isaslegitimateanobjectofscholarlyconcernastheequallyelusivegenesisororiginalsourceofanidea,animage,amyth,orevenatext;andcertainlyitismoreimportantthanthelatterinseekingtounderstandthepersonorgroupinvolved.36

Thus,inaccordancewiththestandardofscholarlyapproachsetforthbyGraham

above,Iapproachthebeliefsanddoctrineaspresentedinthisthesisinthe

contextofthosewhobelieveinthem.Incontrasttothemethodologyof

Orientalistscholars,Idonotattempttoinvestigatethevalidityofthebeliefsor

recordedexperiences,rather,Iattempttounderstandhowtheywereformedand

toplacethemintheirappropriatecultural,historical,religiousandintellectual

Weltanschauung.

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


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CHAPTERTWOCONTEXTUALIZINGTHEBURDAH

Biographyofal-Br

Beforeproceedinganyfurther,itisimportanttoexamineal-Brs

backgroundandlifeinordertounderstandhowhecametowritetheBurdahand

underwhatcircumstances.Asthestoryofthepoemscompositionisas

importantasthepoemitself,hisjourneyfromamisanthropiccourtpoettoan

enlightenedSufiisalongoneandmustbeunderstoodwithinthiscontext.In

ordertoattempttopiecetogetherthepiecesofhistoricalrecordsofal-Brs

lifeandtoworkoutabroadtimeline,Ihavelocatedthemostimportanthistorical

biographicalworksthatoffervarioussnippetsofhislife.Inaddition,Ialso

somewhatfollowedMuammadKlns37timelineofal-Brslife.Kln

offersaloosesketchbasedonacombinationofhistoricalrecordsandanalysisof

al-Brspoetryinformedbyreferencestogeographicallocations,events,and

otherpiecesofinformation.Despitecluesthatpointtoaspectsofal-Brslife,

thistimelineremainsspeculativeandcallsforaseparatestudytoestablishan

authoritativebiographyofal-Br.

37InDwnal-Br.


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Al-Brsfullname38isMuammadb.Sadb.ammdb.Musinb.Ab

Surrb.ibbnb.Abdullahb.Mallakal-Sanhaj.39Differentbiographers

presentslightlydifferentversionsofhislifealthoughcertainfactsareagreed

uponbyall.OfNorthAfricandescent,hewasbornonaTuesdayonthefirstof

theIslamicmonthShawwl;andalthoughdifferenthistorianshaveproposed

thathewasbornin607,608,and610,themajorityagreeon608/1211.40Bornin

thevillageofDal,hismothershometown,hewasraisedinhisfathersvillage

ofBsirQrds,whichislocatedontheWestbankoftheNileinthepresent-day

governateofBeniSuifnearFayoum.BsirQrdswasknowntobethehomeofa

numberofNorthAfricanBerberimmigrantsandal-Brsfamilywasno

exception,ittraceditsorigintotheSanhajtribeofMorocco.Thefamous

38Biographicalinformationbasedonthefollowingsources:AbFalAbdal-ayyb.al-Imdal-anbal,Shadhartal-dhahabfakhbrmandhahab,8vols.,vol.5(Cairo:Maktabatal-Qudsiyyah,1931).,Muhammadb.Shkirb.Amadb.Abdal-Ramnal-Kutub,Fawtal-wafayt,ed.SheikhAliMuhammadMu'wad,2vols.,vol.2(Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-Ilmiyyah,2000).,Khayral-DnZirikl,Al-Alm:qmstarjimli-ashharal-rijlwa-al-nisninal-Arabwa-al-mustaribnwa-al-mustashriqn(Beirut:Daral-Ilmlil-Malayin,1990).andImmSharafad-Dnal-Br,DwnAl-Br,ed.MuhammadSayyidKln(Cairo:MaktabatMustafaal-Bbal-Halab,1973).39Thisisoneversionofhisfullname,otherversionsincludeMuhammadb.Sadb.amdb.Musinb.Abdullahb.Hyyanal-Habnnal-SanhajAbAbdulahSharifal-Dnal-Dal,al-KutubicallshimMuhammadb.Sadb.amdb.Musinb.Abdullahb.Sanhajb.Mallal-

SanhajandIbnal-ImdcallshimMuhammadb.Sadb.amdal-Dall.AnothernamealsousedisDalr,acombinationofhismothersandfathersfamilynames.AccordingtoMuammadSayyidKlninhisintroductiontoal-BsrsDiwan,someofhisbiographiesmentionedonlyshortenedversionsofhisnameswhileothersaddedadditionstitlesandattributes.Theonethingthatallhistoriansagreeonisthatal-BsrsfirstnamewasMuhammadandthathewasfromtheBanuHabnnclan,whichwasabranchofthemajorNorthAfricanBerberSanhajtribe.40Taqal-Dnal-Maqrz,Kitbal-muqaffal-kabr,ed.Muhammadal-Yalw,vol.5(Beirut:Daral-Gharbal-Islami,1991),663


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historianal-Maqrz,claimedthatal-BrsfamilywasfromtheHammd

CitadelinMoroccoandwasapartoftheBanabnntribe.41

Littleisknownabouthischildhoodalthoughscholarssurmisethathe

receivedtheusualeducationforchildrenofhistime;hewouldhaveattendeda

QuranschoolandmemorizedtheentireQuran.Klnassertsthatal-Brs

familymusthavebeenpoorashewasforcedtosearchforworkfromayoung

age.Sometimeduringhisyouth,hemadehiswaytoCairo,wherehepursuedhis

studies.TherehewasexposedtotheimportantIslamicsciences,Arabiclanguage

andlinguistics,literature,history,andthebiographyoftheProphetMuammad.

Evenasayoungman,al-Brbegantocomposepoetry,althoughnotofa

religiousnature.Forexample,intheyear637/1240,attheageof30,hecomposed

apoemtopetitiontheKingNajmal-Dnal-Ayybwhenhefailedtoallota

generousendowmenttoal-Brsmosque.42Anaccomplishedpoet,hewould

oftenrecitehispoetryandgivelessonsatmosquesinCairo.Anumberofyoung

poetsstudiedunderhim,suchasAthiral-DinMuammadIbnYusufAb

Hayynal-Andalus(d.725/1325),Abal-Fatb.Sayyidal-Nsal-Yamar(d.

734/1334),andIzzal-Dnb.Jamah(d.735/1335).

43

41Ibid.42MuammadSayyidKln,Dwnal-Br(Cairo:MaktabatMustafaal-Babial-Halabi,1973),6-743Ibid.,7.


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Al-Br:TheMisanthropicPoet

WhileheisbestknownforthedeeplyreligiousBurdahandtheHamziyyah

poems,al-Brscompletediwanisstillextantandincludespoetrythatreveals

thetransitionfromaroughandterseyouthtoamaturemanwithadeeply

spiritualdisposition.Basedonhispoetry,onecanmapouthisspiritual

developmentasherecordshisexperiencesinlife,interactionswithpeople,

complaints,andinsights.Al-Brsshortandslenderstatureledtohisbeing

ridiculedbypeopleandthesourceoftheirjokes.Earlyoninhiscareer,hewrote

anumbersatirepoemsthatrevealedhisfeelingsaboutbeingridiculed.Healso

hadahardtimeacceptingcriticismfromotherpoetsandevenwrotearebuttalof

apoet,oneZaynal-Dnb.al-Radwhohadinsultedhiswork.44Hewasknown

tohaveaharshtongueandtookpleasureincomposinghija ,orsatire,poetryto

insulthisenemies.Thehistorianal-ShehbMahmd,acontemporaryofal-

Br,wrotethathewasamisanthropewhowouldattackotherswithhiswords

andhadabadreputationinthecourtsofprincesandviziers.45

Al-BrlivedinvariouslocationsinCairoandintheDeltaregion,working

primarilyasascribeandpoetforthelocalrulers.Atonetime,arulerofferedhim

thepositionofamutasib,ormarketinspector,inCairo,butherejectedit.From

44Ibid.,8.45Ibid.,8;al-Maqrz.,664.


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- 27 -27

thisjoboffer,wecanascertainthatal-Brmusthavehadadecentknowledge

ofIslamiclawasthejobofmarketinspectorrequiresathoroughknowledgeof

Islamicjurisprudenceandlaw.HelivedforalongtimeintheLowerEgypttown

ofBilbs(fromaround659-663/1261-1265)andworkedthereasascribeand

manuscriptcopyist.Heseemstohavealsobeenskilledinaccounting,although

al-Maqrzclaimedthathemadealotofmistakesandwasnotcompetentinthis

skill.46Al-BrwasinterestedinreligiouspolemicsandreadtheHebrewBible,

NewTestament,andreligioushistoryofJudaismandChristianityprimarilyin

ordertodefendIslamandthepositionoftheProphetMuammad.Someofhis

colleaguesatworkwereJewishandChristianandhewasknowntoengagein

fierydebateswiththem.HewasinterestedinprovingtothemthattheGospels

didnotindicatethatJesuswasagodandthatitcontainedsignsofthecomingof

theProphetMuammad.Hewasalsoconcernedwithcorrectingwhatheheldto

bemistakesintheHebrewBiblethattoldstoriesoftheprophetsandoftheir

sins.47

Inadditiontobeingapoet,al-Brwasalsoafinecalligrapherand

composerofprose,althoughnothingofhiswritingorcalligraphyisextant.

Comingfromahumblebackground,itwassaidatonepoint,hemadealiving

46Al-Maqrz,663,669.47Dwnal-Br,8.


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designingtheengravingsfortombstones.48Inanattempttomakemoney,healso

openedaQuranschoolforchildreninCairo,butthisventurefailedandhewas

forcedtocloseit.49Asforhisdomesticlife,hispoemspaintahellishimpression

oflivingwithhisconstantlypregnantwifeandgaggleofchildren.Hetalksofhis

wifeconspiringwithhissister-in-lawtogethimtodivorceherbyhittinghim

andpullingoutthehairsfromhisbeard.Healsocomplainsindetailaboutold

age,hisinabilitytoprovidehischildrenwithenoughfoodandtheproblemhe

facedwhenhecouldnotprovidehisdaughterwithfurnishingsforherhomefor

hermarriage.50

HespentsometimeinthecentralDeltatownofal-Maallah,wherehewas

thepoetandscribeforthemayorandreceivedamonthlywageforcomposing

panegyricpoemsoftheruler.51

Inal-Maallah,al-Brclashedwiththelocal

Christianscribes,copyists,andpoetsandwroteversescomplainingofhis

treatmentattheirhands.52Sometimeduringhisstayinal-Maallah,itseemshe

brokehislegonavisittothepublicbathsandcomplainedbitterlyabouthisleg

inanumberofpoems.53

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


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Hisrelationwithotherswassobadthatitreachedthepointwherethey

wishedhewoulddie.Once,whenhebecameverysick,arumorquicklyspread

thathehaddied.Uponrecoveringfromhissickness,hewroteasatiricalpoemto

mockhisenemieswhohadspreadrumorsofhisdeath:

Iamnottheonewhowoulddiebeforethem

Iwillsurvivethemandweepovertheirgraves,

ItstruethatIhadalmostlostmylife

butthegenerosityofthisviziergavemeanewlife.54

Al-BrdidntonlyhaveenemiesamongJewsandChristians,butalso

amonghiscoreligionists,andeventhoseclosesttohim,includinghiswife.He

wrotesatiricalpoemsattackinganyonewhocriticizedorinsultedhim,recording

eacheventandrebuttalinapoem.Accordingtoal-Maqrz,al-Brwould

befriendimportantmembersofthecourt,suchasthevizierZaynal-DnYaqb

b.al-Zubayr,andwouldsupportthemnomatteriftheywerejustoroppressive

rulers.55HesupportedtheMamlkrulersandwrotezealouspanegyricpoems

praisingtheTurkishMamlksthatalsoaffrontedthelocalArabpopulation.56

Theonly

positive

characteristic

ofal-B

r

recordedby

al-Maqr

z

wasthat

he

wasgenerous.57

54Ibid.,9.55Al-Maqrz,66256Kln,10.57Al-Maqrz,663.


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Al-Br:TheEnlightenedSufi

Althoughal-Brsmodernbiographer,MuammadSayyidKln,doesnt

seemtopresentacleartimelineofhisspiritualdevelopmentandmixesin

discussionsofal-Brssatiricalpoetryandpoorrelationswithpeople

alongsidehispracticeofSufism,itseemsthatadistinctionneedstobemade.

Klnpositsthatal-Br

asamancouldnotbenefitfromtheteachingofal-Shdhil,becauseinhismoralsanddomesticlife,wefindthingsthatdontcorrespondtoSufiethics.Inaddition,hehadalargefamilyandwasdriventocomposepoemsinpraiseoftheprincesandviziers.Inthesepoems[al-Br]sometimespraisedoppressiverulerswhodeservedtoberebukedandthishasnothingtodowithSufismAsforal-Brasapoet,hewasgreatlyinfluencedbySufism.58

Itisnotknownwhenexactlyal-BrbecameadiscipleofAbal-Abbsal-

Murs,butitcanbepositedthatthishappenedlateroninhislife,atleastsome

yearsbeforethedeathofal-Mursin686/1287.Atleastinthebeginningofhis

practiceofSufism,al-BrseemedtohavestruggledtofollowSufiprinciples

anddesiredtoliveinisolationfrompeoplealthoughhewaspreventedashehad

alargefamilyandwasoftenunabletofeedthemduetohispoverty:

IfIwereonmyown,Iwouldhavebeenadisciple

inaSufihosteloraworshipperinacave59

HislaterpoetryconsistsmainlyofpanegyricpoemspraisingtheProphet

Muammadandbearslittlesimilaritytothatofhisearliersatiricalpoems.

58Ibid.,21.59Ibid.,14.


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PerhapsafterbecomingaSufidisciple,heunderwentaspiritualawakening,

whichmaybeseenintheformtheBurdahandtheaccompanyingstoryofits

composition,andrefrainedfromhispreviousharshandmisanthropicnature.

Thereseemstobeconflictinginformationaboutal-Brslifeasseeninthe

biographiesofnon-SufihistoriansandthatofhagiographieswrittenbySufi

scholars.EspeciallysinceSufihagiographiesalwaysdescribehimasanolder

manwithaheadofwhitehair,itcanbepresumedthatwhilehemighthavebeen

amisanthropeandgenerallyunpleasantpersonduringhisyouth,hemusthave

changedhiswaysperhapslateroninhislifeasanolderman.

Thetimelineofal-Brslifeisnotclear,althoughitisknownthatasa

grownman,hewasdrawntowardsSufismandjoinedtheShdhilorderunder

theguidanceofhisShaykhAbal-Abbsal-MursinAlexandria,whichatthe

timewasacenterforNorthAfricanSufis.Atthistime,theShdhilSufiorder

wasstillinitsinfancy,havingbeenfoundedbyal-Murs,whowasthediscipleof

Abal-asanal-Shdhil.Al-Brwasfondofal-MursandstudiedSufi

thoughtandpracticeunderhim;thisbackgroundwouldhaveastronginfluence

onhislaterpoetry.60

Hewasfaithfultohisorderandwrotepoemsfullofpraise

ofal-Shdhilandal-Mursandtheirspiritualattributesandranking.61Al-Br

wasthecontemporaryofIbnal-Fri,thegreatSufipoetandmystic.Itwasalso

60Kln,20.61Ibid.,19.


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- 33 -33

pilgrimageuntilatleastafter653/1255.BeforegoingonHajj,hecomposeda

numberofpraisepoems,especiallyonesthatreferredtohislongingtovisitthe

tomboftheProphet.64UponhisarrivaltoMadnahandMakkah,hecomposed

poemsrevealinghisjoyofbeingatthetombofhisbelovedandotherplacesthe

Prophethadvisited.65

AlthoughburiedinAlexandria,itisnotknownifal-Brspenthislastyears

inCairoorAlexandria.WhilehisofficialtombislocatedinAlexandria,there

previouslyhasbeensomedisputeaboutwhereal-Brwasburied.Al-Maqrz

recordedthathediedintheal-ManurHospitalinCairo.66Furthermore,al-

Ayyash,aNorthAfricantravelerwhovisitedCairoin1073/1663,mentioned

thathevisitedal-BrstombintheareaofthejuristImamal-Shfistomb

locatedinthesoutherncemeteryofCairo.Onescholarhasascertainedthatthe

initialconfusionaboutal-Brsburiallocationisduetothefactthattherewas

anotherscholar,Abal-QssimHibatAllahb.Alb.Masdal-Ansral-

Khazrjal-Munastr,alsoknownasal-Br,whodiedacenturybeforeoural-

Brsdeathin598/1202.Theolderal-Brwasindeedburiedatthefootofal-

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


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Muqattamhills,wherehistorianspresumablythoughttheyoungerpoetAl-Br

wasburied.67

TheLegendoftheBurdah

Allofal-BrsbiographersdiscussthelegendofhowtheBurdahwas

composed,thefirstbeingrecordedbythehistorianMuammadb.Shkirb.

Ahmadb.Abdal-Ramnal-Kutub(d.764/1363)inFawtal-wafayt.Al-Kutub

narratesthestoryfromal-Brasfollows:

IhadcomposedanumberofpraisepoemsfortheProphet,includingonethatwassuggestedtomebymyfriendZaynal-DnYaqbb.al-Zubayr.Sometimeafterthat,Iwasstrickenbyflij,68anillnessthatparalyzedhalfofmybody.IthoughtthatIwouldcomposethispoem,andsoImadesupplicationstotheProphetMuammadtointercedeformeandcureme.Irepeatedlysangthe

poem,wept,prayed,andaskedforintercession.ThenIsleptandinmydream,IsawtheProphet.Hewipedmyfacewithhisblessedhandsandcoveredmeinhiscloak(burdah).ThenIwokeupandfoundIwasabletowalk;soIgotupandleftmyhouse.Ihadtoldnooneaboutwhathadhappened.

IencounteredaSufi(faqr)onmywayandhesaidtome:IwantyoutogivemethepoeminwhichyoupraisetheProphet.

Isaid:Whichone?

Sohesaid:Theonethatyoucomposedduringyoursickness.

Thenherecitedthefirstverseandsaid:IswearbyGodthatIhearditinadreamlastnightbeingsunginthepresenceofthe

67KhurshidRizvi,"TheTombofAl-Busiri,"HamdardIslamicus4,no.1(1981).,7368Aformofparalysis,translatedbyS.Stetkvychashemiplegia,seeFromTexttoTalisman,151.


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- 35 -35

ProphetMuammad.IsawtheProphetwaspleasedwithitandcoveredthepersonwhosangitwithhiscloak.

SoIrecitedthepoemtohimandhememorizeditandrelatedhisvisiontoothers.69

Whilehisearlierbiographersallprofessedtheirbeliefinthestoryofthe

compositionoftheBurdah,hislaterbiographers,suchasKlnalongwith

othermorepuritanMuslimscholars,stronglyrefutethestory.Itisnotmy

placehereasascholartojudgetheauthenticityofal-Brsstory,

althoughIwouldpositthatonemustbesensitiveinapproaching

hagiographiesandnottotakethemattheirfacevalue.Whileanyoneis

freetolabelthelegendafabricationoftheimaginationasdoesKln,I

wouldhesitatetohastenjudgmentonthenarrative.70Withoutventuring

intothevalidityofthestory,onecanlearnalotfromthenarrativeinterms

oftheimportancethatmanyMuslimsplaceonit,theirloveforthe

ProphetMuhammadandthestrongbeliefinitshealingandtalismanic

powers.

Soonafteritscomposition,newsofhealingqualitiesofthepoem

quicklyspread.Thefollownarrativetellshowmiraculouspowersofthe

Burdahquicklyspread,

ThestoryreachedBahal-Dnb.ann,whosentformeandtookthepoemandsworethatoutofreverenceforthepoem,hewould

69Muhammadb.Shakirb.Ahmadb.Abdal-Rahmanal-Kutubi,Fawtal-wafayt,Vol.2.,ed.SheikhAliMuhammadMu'wa,Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-Ilmiyyah,2000,346-7.70Diwanal-Busiri,ed.MuammadSayyidKln,28.


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onlylistentoitwhilestandingbareheaded.Heandhisfamilylovedtolistentoit.

Thenafterthat,heheardthatSadal-Dnal-Friqwasafflictedwithaneyediseasethatlefthimnearlyfullyblind.

Hesawsomeoneinadreamtellhim:GotoyourfriendandtaketheBurdahandputitonyoureyesandwiththepermissionofGod,youwillbecured.Sohewenttohisfriendandrelatedhisdreamtohim.

Hisfriendsaid:IdontknowanythingaboutrelicsoftheProphetsBurdah.

Thenhesatincontemplationforonehourandthensaid:PerhapstheBurdahreferstoal-Brspoemal-Burdah.Yqt,71goopenthetrunkthatcontainstherelicsandtakeoutal-Brspoem.

SohebroughtitandSadal-Dntookit,putitonhiseyesandwascured.AfterthatitwascalledtheBurdahandGodknows.72

WhileoriginallynamedAl-kawkibal-durryyahfmadkhayral-baryyah,

orTheCelestialStarsinPraiseoftheBestofCreation,newsofits

healingqualitiesquicklyspreadanditacquiredseveralnames,themost

popularincludingtheBurdah,orthecloakoftheProphet,andtheBarah,

thehealer.

71PresumablythenameoftheservantofSadal-Dnal-Friq.72IbnShkiral-Kutubi,Fawatal-wafayt,Vol.2,ed.SheikhAliMuhammadMu'wad,Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-Ilmiyyah,2000,346-7.


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HistoricalandLiteraryBackground

Al-BrlivedduringtheheightoftheMamlukdynastyinEgyptinthe

thirteenthcentury(seventhcenturyAH),atimeofheightenedreligiousfervor

thatwitnessedtheever-growingpopularityandinfluenceofSufism.73The

Mamluk-erainEgyptandSyrialastedfromthemiddleoftheseventhcentury

A.H./thirteenthcenturyuntil922/1551.TheMamlukmilitaryelitewereall

foreign-bornslaveswhoseprimarylanguagewasTurkish.Althoughthey

remainedsomewhatalooffromsociety,theMamluks,marriedlocalwomenand

participatedinreligiousandculturalactivitiesandmanywerealsoeducatedin

theIslamicsciencesaswellasSufism.74Duringthistime,theMamlkrulerswere

strongsupportersoftheSufisandwouldflocktothemtoreceiveblessings.75

Duringthisperiod,underthegenerouspatronageoftheMamluks,many

institutionscenteredaroundSufiorderswereestablishedandoftenserved

parallelpurposestoservicesofferedinmadrasahs.76

TheMamlkswereinvolvedinfightingtheCrusadersledbyLouisIXwho

wereinvadingMuslimterritoriesandal-Brwitnessedthevictoryofthe

73FawzMuammadAmn,Al-Mujtamaal-Misrfiadabal-asral-Mamlkal-awal(Cairo:Daral-Marif,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.


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Muslimarmyinthefamousbattleofal-Manrah.Inadditiontobeingfaced

withinvadingMongolandFrencharmies,famineandinfestationwerecontinual

problems,77perhapsitwastheinstabilitythatledtosuchferventpiety.Asense

ofurgencywasoftenpresentanddifferingfactionsfoughttogaincontroland

claimlegitimacy.SufismwasgenerallyacceptedintomainstreamIslamalthough

certaingroupsweresometimessingledoutbyscholarsandpolemicalworks

writtenontheircontroversialbeliefsandpractices.78Ontheotherendofthe

spectrum,manyreligiousandsecularleadersinpowerlenttheirsupporttoSufis

seekingmysticalexperiences,whichwouldbringthemclosertoGod.79

Whilesomeskepticalscholars,suchasKln,criticizethiseraforbeingatime

ofsuperstitionandignorance,otherswouldcharacterizeitasatimeofspiritual

awarenessandwidespreadpiety.KlnmentionsthatmanySufisatthistime

wouldreporthavingseentheProphetintheirdreamsandwouldhave

conversationswithhim.80WellknownSufileadersspreadtheirteachingsin

EgyptduringtheMamlkperiodincludeAbal-Hasanal-Shdhil,Abal-

Abbsal-Murs,SayyidIbrahmal-Disq(d.676/1277),andSayyidAhmadal-

Badaw(d.675/1276).IntheLevant,mysticssuchasIbnal-Arab(d.637/1240),

77Ibid.,231.78Ibid.,227.79Ibid.80DiwanAl-Busiri,27.


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Affal-Dnal-Tilimsn(d.690-1291),andadral-Dnal-Qnawcreatedanew

Sufiparadigmbasedontheconceptofwadatal-wujd,ortheunityofbeing,and

dedicatedtheirlivesandteachingstopurificationoftheirheartsandachieving

unionwithGod.81

Moreover,al-Brserawasatimeofaflourishingculture,poetscompeted

witheachothertocomposemorecomplexandlinguisticallystunningpoemsand

thegenreofmad,orpanegyricpoems,becausetheywereverypopular.Someof

themorewell-knownpoetsincludeal-KhaymandIbnWaf.82Al-Brwasthe

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

attimesasamodelforhisown.Ibnal-Frispoetryreceivedrenownduringhis

lifetimeandhismysticalpoetryhadgreatinfluenceonlaterArabicpoetryand

alsopropagateddoctrinessetforthbyIbnal-Arab.83

LiteraryAspectsoftheBurdah

TheBurdahhashadconsiderableinfluenceintherealmofArabicliterature,as

onescholarputit,its[TheBurdahs]famespreadovertheEastandWestand

poetswroteexpansionsbasedonitandscholarswrotemanycommentarieson

81Homerin,228.82Amn,165.83Homerin,228.


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it.84Essentially,theBurdahdoesmorethanjustexpressthepoetsloveforthe

ProphetMuammad;infactSufis,suchastherenownedYemeniHadramawt

scholarHabbAlal-Jifr,claimsthatitcantouchpeoplesheartsand

spiritsandeverytimeIhearit,Ifindmyheartismovedandmanyotherpeople

alsoexperiencethis.85Thepoemisuniquebecauseaccordingtoal-Jifri,it

representstheheightofArabicpoetry,whereinonecanalsofindinsightful

meaningsandrefinedlanguagethatcanberepeatedwithoutevergrowing

tiresome.86

ThestructureoftheBurdahistraditionalinnature,followingthe

patternestablishedbyclassicalArabpoets.Itcanfitinanumberofpoetic

genres,primarilymadh,orpanegyricpoetry,aswellasSufipoetry.The

firstverses(1-7)beginwiththemesofnasb,inwhichal-Brcriticizes

himselfforhisintensepassiontowardstheobjectofhisloveandthen(8-

16)hepointsouthismistakesthathavepushedhimtoblatantlyignore

advicegiventohim,

Whatswrongwithyoureyes?

Yousay,Stop!Butthatonlyincreasestheirpainfuldownpour

Oryourheart?Yousay,Wakeup!

84MuammadAbdal-MunimKhafj,Al-Adabfal-turthal-uf(Cairo:MaktabatGharb,1980),255.85Ibnajaral-Haytam,Al-Umdahfsharal-Burdah,ed.BassamMuhammadBarud(Dubai,UAE:Daral-Faqih,2003),13.86Ibid.


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Butitwandersevenfurtherastrayindistraction!(3)

Hethen(17-25)goesontolayoutwaysinwhichonecanengageina

strugglewithoneslowerselfbutreverts(26-28)toself-blameinhumble

recognitionthathecannotheedhisownadvice,

Diverttheselfsdesiresandavoidempoweringit-

Wheneverdesiretakescharge,iteitherdestroysordefiles(19)

Icounselyoutogood,butallthewhileignoreitmyself.

Ihaventbeenupright,sohowdareItellyou,Beupright(27).

Hethen(29-33)compareshissinfulselfwiththatoftheidealfigureofthe

ProphetMuammaduntilhedelvesintoanalloutmadoftheProphet

(36-58)andhisattributesandqualities,andthengoesontonarratethe

biographyoftheProphetslife,startingwithhismiraculousbirth(60-74),87

Ihaveneglectedthepathoftheonewhobroughtblacknights

Tolifebypraying,untilevenhisfeetswelledwithdistress(29).

Hisformandcharactersurpassedeventhepreviousprophets,

Andnonehaveapproachedhiminknowledgeornobility(38).

Exquisiteasalily,illustriousasafullmoon,

Magnanimousastheocean,persistentastime(55).

Hisbirthrevealedthepurityofhiselementalnature-

Opureformfirsttolast!(59)

Jinncriedoutfromafar,andtheflareofhisbirthlitupthedarkenedland.

TheTruthbecameplainasdayinwordandmeaning(65).

87Sperl,QasidaPoetry,471.


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Whatfollowsisthenapoeticdescription(73-87)oftheProphets

muajizt,ormiracles,thatestablishhisprophethoodandauthority.Then

al-BrnarratesincidentsoftheProphetprotectingothersintimeof

needandhowhehopestobewatchedoverbyhim(75-81),

Godsprotectionwasallheneeded:noexcessarmor,Strategiclookouttowers,orpowerfulfortresses!(79)

Ifeverthepeopleofmytimeintendedtomistreatme,

Isimplytookrefugeinhisharbor,andnoharmcame(80).Upuntilnow,weseeal-Brengagedinthethemesofhardshipand

redemptionthroughtheProphetwithproofsoftheProphetsmiraculous

powersandabilitytoprotectandhealhisfollowers.Thereafteral-Br

expresseshisfaithintheQuran(88-104),firstbyiteratingthebenefitsof

readingitandthehealingpowersofthescripture,

Theyarefullofclearwisdomwithoutdoublemeanings

Foranyonetornbydissension,andthisproofneedsnojudge(94).

Thereciterseyesweresoothedbyit,soIsaidtohim,

YouhavegraspedtheropeofGod-nowholdontight(99)

IfyoureciteitwhentheFiresflamesoverwhelmyou,

Itscoolspringsofflowingwaterwillputthemout(100).

Verses105-117describetheblessingsspreadtoMuslimsbymeansoftheir

loveoftheProphetandthengoontorecountthestoryofhismirj,or

ascensiontotheHeavens,andstoriesofthebattles(117-139)foughtbythe


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Prophetandhisvictoriesandtherewardsbestoweduponthosewho

participateindefendingIslam,88

Oyouwhoarethegreatestsignforthediscerning,

Themostblessedgiftofthosedesiringgain!(106)

Youspentthenightascendinguntilyoureachedthestationoftwobowslength

ornearer,Apointofintimacyneverbeforerealizednorevendreamedof(108).

Hecontinuedtoencounterthemineveryfieldofbattle,Until,duetopiercingspears,theyresembledfleshonskewers(119).

EachansweringGodscallexpectingdivinerequital,

BravelyengagedinbattlewithweaponsuprootingrejectionofReality(124).

Youwillneverseeatrueallyofhisunlesshebevictorious,Noratrueenemyofhisotherthandejectedanddefeated(136).

HeplacedhiscommunityintherefugeofhisWay,Justasagreatlionretreatswithitscubstothesafetyofitslair(137).

Attheendofthepoem(140-44),al-Bronceagainconfesseshissinsofwriting

poetryintheserviceofrulersandwastedinlifeinthisoccupation,

Ihaveservedhiminthispoeticpraisehopingtoredeem

Theerrorsofalifemisspentincourtlyverseandpatronage(140).

Sincebothhavefetteredmewithayokethatportendsabadend,

AsifIwereasacrificiallamb,singledoutforslaughter(141).Thepoemendsinaculminationofthepoetrequestingintercessionand

protectionfromtheProphet(144-158)andcloseswithprayersupontheProphet,

88Ibid.,472.


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SinceIhavefocusedallmythoughtsonpraisinghimalone,

Hehasprovedthebestofthosecommittedtomyultimatesalvation(149).

AndletacloudofYourincessantprayers

RaindowngentlyontheProphetandpourforthforever(159).

Composedintheornamentalbadschoolofpoetrythatdependsona

remarkableamalgamoflexicalandconceptualleitmotifs,89theBurdahfollows

theclassicqasidapattern.Inthisform,thepoetbeginsbyemphasizinghis

personalfailingsandlackofmeaninginhislife,thengoesontopraisethe

Prophetandhisperfectattributesanddefeatofhisenemies,finallyendingwith

theredemptionofthepoet.SeveralscholarshavepointedoutthattheBurdah

bearsaresemblancetobothSufiandclassicalpoetry,forexamplethatofal-

Mutannab,oneofwhosepoemsalsosharesthesamepoeticalmeterofbasand

therhymingletterofmm.90Inaddition,SuzanneStetkvychandZakMubrak

havebothnotedthesimilaritybetweenthebeginningoftheBurdahandaSufi

ghazalbytheUmarIbnal-Fri(d.632/1235).Theysuggestthatthebeginning

oftheBurdahisamuraah91ofIbnal-Frispoemalthoughthereislittleother

parallelandtheyfallundertwodifferentpoeticgenres.92

89Sperl,QasidaPoetry,473.90Ibid.,474.91Acontrafaction, imitatingtherhymeandmeter92SuzanneStetkvych, FromTexttoTalisman,9-10;ZakMubrak,al-Madal-nabawyah,183-184.


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CHAPTERTHREESUFICOMMENTARIESOFTHEBURDAH

Whileliterallyhundredsoftranslationsandcommentarieshave

appearedthroughouttheMuslimworld,Ihaveonlybeenabletoexamine

anumberofArabic-languageversionscomposedbybothArabsandnon-

Arabs,ofwhichverylittlehasbeenwrittenaboutinEnglish.WhileIhave

beenabletolocate12printedcopiesofArabiccommentariesinEgyptas

wellasseveralinmanuscriptform,manymoreexistinbothprintedand

manuscriptforminlibrariesaroundtheworld.Apartfromquestionable

commentariesavailableontheInternetinEnglishandArabic,referenceto

severalcommentariesinthepreviously-mentionedarticlesofSuzanne

Stetkvych,93andquotationsfromcommentariesinthelatenineteenth-

centuryFrenchtranslationoftheBurdahbyReneBasset,94

tomy

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).


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commentariesaremerelyglorifiedglossariesandtheseworkshadlittleto

addtomyresearch,althoughtheywouldbeofinteresttosomeone

conductingresearchinArabiclanguageandlinguistics.

AnoverviewofthegenreofSuficommentariesontheBurdahisnecessary;

andIshallbrieflydiscusssomeofthemostprominentcommentariesandtheir

mainmethodsusedinapproachingtheBurdah.IncommentariesoftheBurdah,

Sufischolarsexpounduponthepoemsliteraryqualities,analyzeitsgrammatical

structure,highlightitstalismanicproperties,identifyitsoriginsintheQuran

andHadithandinterpretitsmysticalconnotations.Itcanbepositedthatthe

BurdahisapoeticalexpressionofIslamicdoctrine,oraqdah.Ensconcedwithin

theelegantversesareadensepresentationofthetenantsandbeliefsofIslamand

didacticSufimetaphors.Thus,whennotengagedwithgrammaticalanalysis,the

commentatorsspendtheirtimeunravelingthemetaphoricalpassagesto

expounduponthereligiousandspiritualthemessetforthinthepoemina

scholarlyproseform.AslittleisknownaboutthesecommentariesinWestern

scholarship,Ihavechosentopresentbackgroundinformationandabrief

overviewoftheapproachofeachcommentary.Ihavechosenhighlightedeight

commentaries,eitherthosewrittenbymorewell-knownscholarsor

commentariesbylesser-knownauthorsthatoffersubstantialanalysis.


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TheearliestcommentaryIcouldlocatewasamanuscriptwritteninMaghrebi

scriptandcomposedbyMuammadb.Abdullahal-Zarkash(d.794/1392).Al-

ZarkashwasaMamluk-eraShafischolaroffiqh,tafsr,andotherIslamic

sciencesfromCairoandstudiedwiththelikesofImdal-DnIbnKathrinSyria

andotherleadingscholarsofhistime.95Helivedonlytwogenerationsafteral-

Brandtraceshissilsilah,orchainoftradition,fortheBurdahbacktohis

teacher,Izzal-ShaykhNral-Dnal-Hshim,whotooktheBurdahfromShaykh

Alal-DnMughultay.Al-ZarkashsSharal-Burdahprimarilycomprisesa

linguisticanalysisofeachwordandetymologyandsometimesusesexamples

frompoetryforevidence.Hewasobviouslyquiteenamoredbythepoem,as

illustratedintheintroduction,

Reciting[theBurdah]canpreventdisasters,ifpeopleonlyknewaboutvalueofthepoem,thentheywouldwriteitontheirpupilsof

theireyeswithgoldink.96Inhiscommentary,Al-Zarkashexplainsonlythedifficult,orgharb,words

andleavesoutwordsthatheviewedasobvious.Thenhediscussesthegeneral

meaningandattheend,healwaysasksanumberofphilosophicalquestions

relatedtotheversesandproposesanumberofanswers.97Bywritinghis

commentary,al-Zarkashseemstohaveintendedonreplicatingal-Brs

95AndrewRippin,"Al-Zarkash,"inEncyclopediaofIslam(2008).96Muhammadb.Behaderb.Abdullahal-Zarkash,Sharal-Burdah,vol.Maghribah,MS.2079(Cairo:Al-AzharLibrary),3.97Ibid.


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spiritualexperiencebyproducingaworkthatsimplifiedtheBurdahandmadeit

moreaccessibletoreaders,

WhenIsawtheeloquenceoftheBurdah,Iwantedtoexplainitwithacommentarythatwouldopenpeopleseyes.Thiscommentaryincludes[references]tomany[Islamic]sciences;andthroughthiscommentary,asasinfulservantofGod,IseekintercessionfromtheProphet,al-mamd[thepraisedone],themostnobleofcreationtowipeawaymysins.98

Kamlal-DnHusaynKhorezmi99(d.839/1435-36)wasanotedCentralAsian

mysticoftheKubrawiyyahSufiorder,100Muslimscholar,andpoetwhowas

killedbytheUzbekauthoritiesduetosomeofhiscontroversialbeliefssetforth

inhispoetry.101HusaynKhorezmiwrotetwocommentariesontheBurdah,the

firstanArabicversionentitledRaatal-Arwthatisnolongerextantanda

secondoneentitledKashfal-HudwrittenfortheUzbekTurkicconquerorsof

Khorezminthelocaldialect.Thisistheonlycompletecommentarythathasthus

farbeentranslatedintoEnglish.UnliketheothercommentariesIhaveexamined,

HusaynKhorezmiavoidslinguisticandgrammaticalanalysisandaimstodistill

theSufisymbolismintheBurdah.ThecommentaryisdedicatedtotheUzbek

rulersandstartsoutwiththeArabicoriginalofeachversewithaTurkic

98Ibid.99InArabictransliteration,hisnameisspelledKhuwrizm.100

FoundedbyNajmal-DnKubrintheearlyseventh/thirteenth centuryprimarilyinCentralAsia.101InhisPhDdissertation, DevinA.DeWeeseincludedacompletetranslationofthecommentaryintoEnglish,TheKashfAl-HudaofKamalAd-DinHusaynKhorezmi:AFifteenth-Century SufiCommentaryoftheQasidatAl-BurdahinKhorezmianTurkic(UniversityofIndiana,PhDdissertation,1985)


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translationandsubsequentlyanarrativethatexpoundsuponthemeaningofthe

verseorruminationsuponthemysticalconnotationshiddenwithinthelines.In

Kashfal-Hud,healsomentionshisothercommentary,Raatal-Arwand

explainsthatitincludeswondrousverificationsandmarvelousanalyses,

embellishedallusionsandpreciousproofs.102Interestinglyenough,Husayn

KhorezmiconsiderstheBurdahtohavetheabilitytoaidbothonesspiritualand

physicalbeing.Intheintroductiontohiscommentary,heappealstotherulerfor

whomheproducedthecommentary,Myhopeisthatthistriflingmerchandise

ofthedealsoulofEgyptwillbemarkedbythesignofacceptanceintheaugust

presenceoftheruler.103Inadditiontohopingforhisownredemption,heuses

hiscommentarytoinstructtheruleronhowhecanalsoredeemhimselfthrough

recitationofthepoem,

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

Zakariyyaal-Anr(d.926/1520)wasascholarfromtheprovinceof

SharqiyyahinLowerEgyptwhospentmostofhislifeinCairo.Hestudiedthe

Islamicsciences,particularlyIslamicjurisprudence,underIbnajaral-Asqaln,

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


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aleadingjuristofhistimewhoalsowroteacommentaryontheBurdah.Al-

AnrwasinvolvedwithseveralSufiorders,wroteseveralworksonSufi

thought,andwasbelievedtohavereachedahighspiritualstation.Notonlywas

al-Anranoutstandingteacherandauthor,buthewasalsothechiefShafi

judge(QdQutal-Shfiiyyah)undertheMamlukprinceQaytbayandwasalso

honoredwiththetitlesofshaykhal-Islamandthemujaddid,orreformer,ofthe

ninth/fifteenthcentury.105HiscommentaryentitledAl-Zubdahal-riqahfshar

al-Burdahal-fiqahisquitesimpleinitspresentation.Throughhiscommentary,

heoffersinterpretationsforallofthedifficultwordsandanalyzesal-Brs

rhetoricalstyle.Apartfrombrieflynarratingthestoryofhowal-Brcameto

composetheBurdah,hedoesntmentionanyofthepoemsspiritualbenefitsor

delveintothegeneralsignificanceofeachverse.106

Anotherprominentcommentary,Ratal-arw,107wascomposedbythe

OttomanTurkishHanafijudgeandjuristMuammadb.MutafMuyal-Dn

b.Mulial-Dnal-Qawjawal-anafal-Rmi,whoisbetterknownasShaykh

105E.Geoffroy,"ZakariyyAl-Anr,AbYayB.MuammadB.Zakariyy,ZaynAl-DnAl-Sunayk,"inEncyclopaediaofIslam(2008).106Zakariyyaal-Anar,Al-Zubdahal-ryqahfsharal-Burdahal-fyqah,Ms.Mejama237(Cairo:Al-AzharLibrary).107ShaykhZadehscommentaryhasthesametitleasthatofHusaynKhorezmislostArabiccommentary.WithouthavingaccesstoHusaynKhorezmiscommentary,itisimpossibletoknowthecontent,butitcanbeconjecturedthatastheywerebothethnicTurks,thatperhapsShaykhZadehwasinspiredbythatofHusaynKhorezmi.


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Zadeh(d.951/1544).108ShaykhZadehwasaprominentHanafischolarofhis

timewhotaughtinthemadrasahofKhawajaKhayral-DninIstanbul.Hethen

chosetogointospiritualretreat(uzlah)andlefthisteachingpost.Legendgoes

thatheonlyreceivedameagerpensionof15Dirhamsandheconsideredittobe

toomuchforhimself.Hewouldsay,Ionlyneed10Dirhamsformyselfandmy

householdandIwilldedicatemyselftogainingknowledgeandengagingin

worship.109Hewasveryhumbleandlovedtobeinthecompanyofrighteous

people.Hewouldevenbuyhisownhouseholdsuppliesinthemarketdespite

thefactthathehadservants.Hewouldgivelessonsontafsirinhismosqueand

manylocalswouldgathertohearhimspeakandseekblessingsandbenefits

fromhim.InsymboliclanguagesimilartothatofIbnArabi(683/1240),Shaykh

Zadehusedtosay,

IfIeverhadtroubleunderstandingthemeaningofaQuranicverse,IwouldturntoGodandmychestwouldexpandandlightwillfillitfromanunknownsource.Thelightwouldappearinfrontofmeanditwouldguidemetothetabletofdestiny(al-lawal-maf).IwouldthenbeabletoextractthemeaningofthecertainQuranicversefromthetablet.110

108Completebibliographicalinformationatakenfromfollowingsources:al-anbal,Abal-assantMuammadAbdal-ayyal-Kannal-Hindi,Kitbal-fawidal-bahyyahftarjimal-anifiyyah(Cairo:Mabaatal-Sadah,1906).,201;MuammadibnAlal-Shawkni,Al-Badral-alibi-masinmanbadaal-qarnal-sbi ,vol.2(Cairo:Mabaatal-Sadah,1929).;MuammadAmnibnFalAllahMuibb,Khulaatal-athar,vol.4(Beirut:Daradr,unkown).,9-11;Najmal-DnMuammadb.Muammadal-Ghaz,Al-Kawkibal-sirabi-a ynal-matal-shirah,ed.Khallal-Manr,vol.2(Beirut:Daral-Kutubal-Ilmiyyah,1997).109Al-Hindi,201.110Muibb,11.


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Inaddition,ShaykhZadehwashonoredwiththepositionofMufti.Itwas

narratedthatwhenhebecameaprominentjudge,hewouldhavevisionsofthe

ProphetMuammadonceaweek.Outofhisdesiretohavemorefrequent

visionsoftheProphet,helefthisjudgeship.Butafterhavingdedicatedallofhis

timetospiritualretreat,hestoppedhavingvisionsoftheProphet.Sohereturned

tohisformerpositionandonceagainhisvisionsoftheProphetresumed.Sothe

nexttimehesawtheProphetinavision,hesaidtotheProphet,OProphetof

God,Ileftmyjudgeshipinordertogetclosertoyou,butitdidnthappenlikeI

hadhadhoped.TheProphetsaidtohim,Betweenyouandme,itismore

suitableforyoutobeajudgethantoleaveyourposition.Asajudge,youoccupy

yourtimewithimprovingyourselfaswellasmyUmmah,butifyouleaveyour

job,youwillonlybeabletooccupyyourselfwithimprovingyourself.Whenever

youworktowardsimprovingmorethanjustyourself,thenyouwillbeableto

drawnearertome.111Consideringhispreoccupationwithsearchingfornew

waystoincreasehisvisionsoftheProphet,itisnotsurprisingthatShaykhZadeh

wroteacommentaryoftheBurdah,whichisbelievedbymanytohavetheability

toproducevisionsoftheProphetforthosewhoreciteit,

Thepencannotevenrecorditswonders,anditsbenefitsmakethetongueawareofitsaffairswiththiscommentary,onecanonlyattempttouncoveritsissuesandtoclarifyitsenigmaswithaninterpretation,onecanuncoveritssecretesandraisetheveilsoffitIsawthattherewerepuresoulswhowantedtounderstandits[theBurdah]benefits,soIfoundsomewonderfulopinionsthat

111Muibb.


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helpedexplainitsusage.AndIsawthemostamazingthingthatonecoulddesire,andIascendedtoitsoIcommencedtocomposeacommentarythatwouldsimplify[theBurdah],solveitsenigmas,andanalyzeitsmeanings.112

ShaykhZadehwroteanumberofimportantworks,includingaglosson

BayawsTafsir,commentariesonal-Wiqyahfal-fiqh,al-Farial-serjiyyah,and

Sharmiftal-ulm(writtenbyal-Sakkk).Whilemostofhismainworksdeal

withQuranicexegesisandIslamicjurisprudence,healsowroteontopicson

mysticism,includinghiscommentaryontheBurdah.113

Ibnajaral-Haytam(d.974/3or1567)wasleftanorphanatayoungage

andwasraisedbytwonotableSufis,Shamsal-Dnb.Abial-amil(d.

932/1526),anotedmystic,andShamsal-DnMuammadal-Shanw.Atana

andAl-Azharmosques,al-HaytamstudiedundertheaforementionedZakariyy

al-Anrandhisisnadgoesbacktootherprominentscholarsandcommentators

oftheBurdah,suchasIbnajaral-Asqalnandofal-Suy.114Al-Haytamwas

ajuristandteacherandmostofhiswritingsreflecthismainoccupationalthough

hisSufiinfluencescometolightinhistwocommentariesoftheal-Brspoetry,

112Zadeh,Ratal-arw,383.113Muibb,11.114C.vanArendonk,"Ibnadj a r Al-Haytam,Abu'l-AbbsAmadb.Muammadb.Muammadb.Alb.adj ar,S hihbAl-Dn,Al-Haytam(NotAl-Haytham)Al-Sad,"inEncyclopediaofIslam(2008).


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oneentitledal-Umdahfsharfl-Burdah,115andtheother,Sharal-Hamziyyah.Al-

Umdahisasimplecommentarywhereinal-Haytamprimarilyfocusesonthe

meaningofeachwordinaversewithouttyingthemintogethertoexplainthe

entireverseasawhole.Attimes,al-HaytamdoesdelveintoSufiterminology

andconceptsthataidthereadercontextualizethemysticalconnotationsofthe

Burdah.Seeingashewasthestudentofal-Anr,thereisastrikingresemblance

betweenthemethodologiesofbothscholars,althoughal-Haytamseemsto

derivehisevidencefromdifferentsourcesthanthoseofal-Anr,perhapsinan

efforttoavoidblindlyimitatinghispredecessor.

Probablythesinglemostfamousandaccessiblecommentaryonthe

Burdahisshyatal-BurdahbythelateOttoman/Khedivian-eraIbrhmb.

Muammadal-Bjr(d.1276/1860).116Al-Bjrwasbornthevillageof

Bjr,whichisnorthwestofCairointheLowerDeltaofEgypt.Avery

respectableShfiischolarofhistime,hisfatherhelpedhimtomemorize

theQuranfromayoungageandsenthimtostudyatAl-Azharin

1212/1797.HestayedinCairountiltheinvasionoftheFrenchthenext

year,whenhetookrefugeinGizaandstayedthereforsometime.He

115Al-Haytam.Al-umdahfsharal-Burdah,ed.BassamMuhammadBarud,Dubai,UAE:Daral-Faqih,2003.116Th.W.Juynboll,"Bdj ur(orBaydj ur),Ibrhmb.Muammad"inEncyclopediaofIslam(2008).


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occupiedhimselfwithhisstudiesandoncehemasteredtheIslamic

sciences,hethendedicatedhimselftoteachingandwriting.Itwassaid

thattheQuranwasalwaysonhistongue.Al-BjrbecametheShaykhof

Al-Ahzarin1263/1846,andafterhisappointment,hecontinuedtoplayan

importantroleasareligiousleader.Hewasprimarilyatheologian

althoughhiswritingsalsoincludeanumberofcommentariesonSufi

poetry,suchastheBurdah.Aswasthenormofthescholarlyeliteofhis

time,al-BjrwasaSufi,Tasawwufwasacceptedasanessentialpartof

theIslamicreligionbythe'ulamaofthisUmmah.Theproofofthisisall

thefamousscholarsofShari'ascienceswhohadthehighereducationof

Tasawwuf,amongthemIbrhmal-Bjr.117

Al-Bjrsworkisoneofthemostimportantextantcommentaries,

andinthepast,scholarsatAl-AzharwouldholdlessonsonThursdayand

Fridayduringwhichtheywouldexpoundedonhisbook.Studentsfrom

allbackgroundswouldattendthespecialclassesheldontheshyah

outsideoftheirregularclassschedule.Itwassopopular,infact,thatZaki

MubrakcomplainedthattheonlysourceforteachingIslamichistoryin

al-AzharduringhislifetimewastheBurdahanditscommentaries.118Itcan

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


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beclaimedthattheshyahisperhapsthemostpopularofall

commentarieswrittenontheBurdah,ithasfounditswaytoplacesasfara

fieldasIndonesiaandMorocco.Infact,onescholardescribesthe

popularityofthecommentaryinIndonesia.Hementionsthattheshyah

iswidelyavailableinIndonesiainacheapbookletformandthatitisthe

mainsourceforunderstandingtheBurdahanditsmiraculousproperties

amongIndonesianscholarsandlaypeople.119

Whileal-Bjrscommentarydoescontainmanysimilaritiestothatof

earliercommentariesintermsofhismethodologicalapproachand

analysisofeachindividualverse,headdsanewcomponentthatisfound

amonganumberof19thcenturySufischolars.Inadditiontointerpreting

themysticalandmetaphoricalmeaningsinthepoemandextractingits

grammaticalstructure,healsohighlightsthetalismanicmeritsofcertain

verses.Thistrendseemstobecommoninothercommentariesofthe

Burdahwrittenbyhiscontemporaries,suchasAhmadal-Kharpt.120

Althoughtherearerecordsofoldercommentariesthatcoverthese

properties,IhavebeenunabletoobtainanyinEgypt.121

Ineffect,al-Bjr

119JulianMillie,"AddendumtoDrews:TheBurdaofAl-BusiriandtheMiraclesofAbdulqadir Al-JaelaniinWestJava,"BijdragentotdeTaal,Land-enVolkenkunde161,no.1(2005),110.120Amrb.Amadal-Kharpt,Asdatal-shuhda:sharQasdatal-Burdah(Cairo:Daral-Jawami'al-Kalem,2006).121InFromTexttoTalisman,p.47,SuzanneStetkvychmentionsa12th/18th-century


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renderstheBurdahintowhatIproposetocallaliterarytalisman.For

modern-dayreligiousscholars,manyofthetalismanicpropertiesthatare

suggestedbyal-Bjrwouldbeconsideredtobebasedonsuperstition.

ButtojudgebythepracticeoftheshaykhofAl-Azharandanextremely

prominentandreputablescholarofhistime,theuseofliteraryandother

typesoftalismansmusthavebeenwidespread.

Anotherwell-knownnineteenthcenturycommentaryisentitledShifal-qalb

al-jarhbi-sharBurdatal-mad122andwascomposedbyMuammadal-herb.

shral-Tns(d.1284/1868).IbnAshrwasfromawealthyfamilyinTunisia

andwasahighlyrespectedteacherofMalikifiqh,Hadith,grammar,rhetoric

(balghah)andotherIslamicsciencesatZaytunahMosqueinTunis.InShifal-

qalbal-jarhbi-sharBurdatal-madi,IbnAshrwasheavilyinfluencedbythe

SufischolarShamsal-DnAbAbdAllhMuammadb.Amadb.Marzqal-

Tilimsn,knownasIbnMarzq(781/1379),whowroteIhhridqal-mawaddah

fsharal-Burdah.Asmentionedbefore,mostcommentatorswouldengagein

manuscriptinBerlinthatrecordsthespecialpropertiesofBurdahverses,reportedlycomposedbyIbnAbdal-Salm(d.660/1262?):IbnAbdal-Salm,Qlaal-ShaykhIbnAbdal-SalmfiKhawal-Kawkibal-DurriyyahfMadKhayral-Bariyyahlil-Shaykhal-Bur.StaatsbibliothekzuBerlin.PetermannII105,folios243-254a.AhlwardtidentifiestheauthorasAbdal-AzzibnAbdal-Salmd.660/1262anddatesthems.toca.1150/1737.122ShaykhMuammadal-aherb.Ashral-Tns,Shifal-qalbal-jarhbi-sharBurdatal-madi,ed.MuhammadAwdAwd(Damascus:Daral-Taqwa,2006).


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naql,orliftingtextsfromoldertexts123andincludingitintheirownwork

accordingtopracticesofthetime.Ibnshrstextcanalmostbeconsideredto

beasummaryofIbnMarzqscommentary124althoughattimeshedoesaddhis

owninterpretationofverses.TheShifchieflyconsistsofadetailedexplanation

ofthevocabularyemployedintheBurdahandananalysisofthegrammatical

structure.IbnshroftenreferstoearlyArabicpoetryandothersourcestoback

uphisexplanation,butonawhole,hiscommentaryisprimarilylinguisticin

nature.Healsoanalyzestherhetorical,syntactical,anddoctrinalaspectsofthe

versesandmethodicallyverifiesthedoctrinalsoundnessofversesbyquotingthe

Quran,Hadith,andotherscholars.Ibnshrgoesfurtherthanmostother

commentatorsinexaminingthetheologicalimplicationsputforthbyal-Brin

theBurdah.TheprimarymethodologyusedbyIbnshristostartby

explainingthemeaningofeachindividualword,thentheentiremeaningofthe

versedrawinguponvastevidencefromtraditionalIslamicsources.125

Ibnshrappearstobestronglyeffectedbythepoem,andinhis

introductionthatflowsinrhymingprosethatplaysonthevocabularyofthe

Burdah,hewritesthathehimselfwasstrickenwithaterribleillnessthatbears

resemblancetotheillnessdescribedbyal-Brinhispoem.Ibnshrwrites

123Seenextparagraph forfurtherexplanationoftermnaql.124Whichisonlyavailableinmanuscriptform.125al-Tns.


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abouthowhewashealedbyusingtheBurdahasanantidoteforhisillnessand

afterseeingimpressiveresults,decidedtocontinueusingitandmadeavowto

writeacommentaryonit.Hecontinues,emphasizingthattheBurdahissanctified

duetothefactthatitisconnectedtothemamdh,theProphetMuammad.126

Furthermore,hequotesanothercommentator,al-Ank,whoexplains,

Isawamazingthingsfromitsblessings,butallofthisisminisculecomparedtotheobjectofitspraise(mamd-ha)[theProphet].Ofcoursethisissobecauseheisthegreatestintercessor,theprotector...hecanimploreforhim[theProphet]tointercedeforhim

toGodtohelphimacquirehisheartsdesire.

ThemostrecentcommentaryIhavebeenabletolocatewaswrittenby

MuammadEidAbdullahYaqbal-usaynin2004,acontemporarySyrian

scholar127whosebookbearsevidenceofmanyofthecommentariesthatcame

beforehim.InAl-Sharal-fardfBurdatal-nabial-abb,128al-usayn

acknowledgeshisuseofthesecommentariesinwritinghisowncommentary,

and

mentionsthefollowingcommentariesby:al-Qasaln,Abal-Sud,Ibrhimal-

Bjr,Khlidal-Azhar,asanal-Adawal-amzawi.129Al-usaynis

probablyoneofthefirstcommentatorswhoactuallymentionsthathesought

inspirationfrompreviouscommentariesandmentionsthembyname,although

126

Ibid., 40.127Whosewebsitecanbevisitedat:http://67.15.211.9/~sheikhmo/128MuhammadEidAbdullahYaqbal-usayn,Al-Sharal-fardfBurdatal-Nabial-abb(Damascus:Maktabatal-Farabi,2004

understanding the poem of the burda in sufi commentaries - rose aslan

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