Concerning the love of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam
In this chapter Allamah Busairi R.A. speaks of his love for Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. He tries to conceal this love and who his beloved is . For this reason he has not mentioned the name of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, directly in the whole chapter. By mentioning places and things close to Madinah, he alludes to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. Due to this excessive love and devotion for Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, he has become completely restless, thus exposing this love to everyone.
1.Is it because of your remembrance of the neighbours of Dhi-salam.
2.That tears mixed with blood are flowing (from your eyes).
3.Or is it because of the breeze blowing from Kaazimah.
4.Or it is the lightning struck in the darkness of the night Idam
5.What has happened to your eyes, (the more) you tell them to stop, the more they continue flowing.
6.What is the matter with your heart, (the more) you tell it to come to its senses, (the more it is distracted).
7.Does the lover think that his love can be concealed.
8.While his eyes are shedding tears and his heart is glowing.
9.Had it not been for the love, you would not have shed tears at the ruins (of your beloved).
10.Nor would you become restless at the remembrance of the cypress (tree) the high mountain.
11.How do you deny love after the testimony.
12.Borne against you by (such) reliable witnesses as your yours and your illness. 13.Love has ingrained two lines of fear, and withered your face.
14.On your cheeks like yellow rose and the reddish tree.
15.Yes! Thoughts of the beloved came to me at night and kept me awake.
16.And love transforms pleasure into pain.
The poem of the scarf – Background
The reason for writing this poem The writer HAZRAT IMAAM SAALIH SHARA-FUD-DEEN ABU ABDULIAH MUHAMMAD BIN HASAN AL-BUSAIRI R.A had become paralysed. His doctors and physicians gave up all hope of his recovery. Eventually in this state of complete helplessness and despair he composed this poem expressing the grandeur and excellence of Sayyidina Rasuluallah Sallallhu Alayhi Wasallam. Using this as his sole means of asking Allah Ta’alaa to cure him from his illness. He isolated himself in a quiet place one Thursday night and with complete devotion, concentration and sincerity/ began reciting this poem. While reciting it sleep overcame him. He had a vision of Sayyidina. Rasuluallah Sallallhu Alayhi Wasallam. He told Sayyidina Rasuluallah Sallallhu Alayhi Wasallam of his illness whereupon Sayyidina RasuluallahSallallhu Alayhi Wasallam passed his blessed hand over Imam Busairi’s body. Through the barakat and blessing of Sayyidina, Rasuluallah Sallallhu Alayhi Wasallam Allah Ta’alaa granted him complete cure from his paralysis. When he awoke he found a scarf or shawl on his body which he had seen Sayyidina Rasuluallah Sallallhu Alayhi Wasallam place on his paralyzed limbs. This resulted in the poem being named “Qasidah Burdah” (The Poem of the Scarf). In the morning when due to some necessity. he went to the bazaar, a pious dervish greeted him with salaam and requested him to recite the qasidah which he had composed in praise of Sayyidina Rasuluallah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam The poet said that I have composed many poems in praise of Rasuluallah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, which one do you wish to hear? The dervish replied: ‘The one which begins with, A-min Tazak-kurin (i.e. Qasidah Burdah)”. Upon this request the poet became wonder struck and said, “I take an oath that no one knows about this poem. Tell me the truth, from whom did you hear about it?” The dervish replied, “I take an oath by Allah that I heard it from you last night when in a dream you had recited it to Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, whereupon Sayyidina Rasuluallah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam became attentive towards you and because of its blessings AllahTa’alaa granted you complete cure from your ailment”. When the poet gave this poem to the dervish his secret became known to all the people and its barakat and blessings too became general for all. When this poem reached Baha-ud-deen the governor of the country named Tahir, he so highly regarded and respected it that he would stand while listening to it. It is also narrated that Sa’aadud-deen Farouqi, who was a viceroy of Baha-ud-deen, had became blind. In a dream he saw a pious person who told him to take the Qasidah Burdah from Baha-ud-deen and place it on his eyes. In the morning he told Baha-ud-deen about this dream. The Qasidah Burdah was brought and with full sincerity and conviction Sa’aadud-deen placed it on his eyes. Through its barakat Allah Ta’alaa granted him complete cure and restored his eyesight.
Translation by: KANAQAH-E-SHEIKH ZAKARIYYA Jamaadul-Oola 1415\October 1995 Lenasia, South Africa
(2021, January 23). Qasida Burda – English Translation – www.khurram.ca. Retrieved from https://qashidaburdah.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/qasida-burda-by-shaykh-zakariyya-english-edition1.pdf
