Burdah (Arabic: البردة) is a Qasidah (songs) which contains poetry about praise/sholawat to the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.. The poem was created by Imam al Busiri from Egypt. In Indonesia, Burdah is often chanted, especially by the Nahdliyin.



Qashidah Burdah is indeed always echoed by its lovers every time. In various Islamic countries, both in Arab and non-Arab countries, there are special assemblies for the recitation of the Burdah and the explanation of its verses. Muslims in all corners of the world make it an overflow of longing for the Prophet.



Burdah is not just a work. It is read for the beauty of its words. Dr. De Sacy, an Arabic linguist at the University of the Sorbonne, France, hailed it as the greatest work of poetry of all time.



In Hadhramaut and many other areas of Yemen, the recitation of the qashidah of Burdah is held every morning on Friday or Asr on Tuesday. Meanwhile, many of the Al-Azhar scholars in the city of Egypt have devoted Thursday to reading the Burdah and conducting studies. Until now, Burdah readings are still being held in major mosques in the city of Egypt, such as the Imam Al-Husain Mosque, As-Sayyidah Zainab Mosque. In the land of Sham (Syria) Burdah qashidah assemblies were also held in homes and in mosques, and were attended by major scholars. In Morocco, it is customary to hold large assemblies for the recitation of the qashidah of Burdah with melodious and beautiful songs, each chapter sung with a special song.



Burdah is not only beautiful in his words, but his prayers also benefit the soul. Therefore, it is not surprising that many scholars give special notes about Burdah, both in the form of syarah (comments) and hasyiyah (footnotes or marginal notes). There are many works of syarah on Burdah whose author is no longer known.

Qashidah Burdah is one of the most popular works in Islamic literature. It contains rhymes of praise to the Prophet Muhammad SAW, moral messages, spiritual values, and the spirit of struggle. Until now, Burdah is still often read in various Salaf Islamic boarding schools and on the anniversary of the Prophet's Birthday. Many also memorize it. The work has been translated into various languages, such as Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Punjabi, Swahili, Pastum, Indonesian/Malay, English, French, German, Italian.



The author of the qashidah of Burdah is Al-Bushiri (610-695H/1213-1296 AD). His full name is Syarafuddin Abu Abdillah Muhammad bin Zaid Al-Bushiri. In addition to writing Burdah, Al-Bushiri also wrote several other qashidah. Among them are Al-Qashidah Al-Mudhariyah and Al-Qashidah Al-Hamziyah.



Al-Bushiri is of Berber descent who was born in Dallas, Morocco, and raised in Bushir, Egypt. He was a disciple of the great Sufi Imam Ash-Syadzili and his successor named Abul Abbas Al-Mursi, a figure of the Syadziliyah Order. In the field of fiqh, Al-Bushiri adheres to the Shafi'i School, the majority of the Islamic schools of jurisprudence in Egypt.



In his childhood, he was educated by his own father in studying the Koran, in addition to various other sciences. Then he studied with the scholars of his time. To deepen his knowledge of religion and Arabic literature, he moved to Cairo. There he became an accomplished writer and poet. His prowess in the field of poetry exceeds the poets of his time. His calligraphy works are also famous for being beautiful.



In the qashidah Burdah, several aspects of the life of the Prophet Muhammad are described, praise of him, love, prayers, praise of the Koran, Isra Mi'raj, jihad, tawasul, and so on. By describing the life of the Prophet in a poetic way, Al-Bushiri not only instilled the love of Muslims for his prophet, but also taught Muslims literature, Islamic history, and moral values. Therefore, it is not surprising that Burdah's qashidah is always read in salaf Islamic boarding schools.

Semoga bermanfaat. Amien!