The Burda of al-Busiri: The Poem of the Cloak

The Poem of the Cloak, known as the Burda in Arabic, is arguably the most memorized and recited poem in the Muslim world. Its subject is the meritorious character and exalted rank of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him blessings and peace. Written between 1260 and 1268 CE in Mamluk Egypt by the poet, scholar, and spiritual master, Imam Sharaf ad-Din al-Busiri, the poem is sublime in its Arabic. The rarefied and celestial Arabic language provided its author with a linguistic vehicle for its subtlety and loftiness.