الكواكب الدرية في مدح خير البرية
Qasida Al-Burda
The Poem of the Celestial Mantle
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
Mawlāya ṣalli wa sallim dā'iman abadā 'Alā ḥabībika khayril khalqi kullihimi
“O my Master! Send blessings and peace continually and eternally Upon Your Beloved, the best of all creation.”
Chanted with reverent love between each chapter and stanza in mawlid celebrations, blessed gatherings, and shrines worldwide.
Chapters Overview
Each chapter delves into a sacred dimension of prophetic virtue, spiritual psychology, historical miracles, and intimate supplication.
الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي الْغَزَلِ وَشَكْوَى الْغَرَامِ
Chapter One: Nostalgic Rhapsody and Love Complaint
Love, Longing & Spiritual Nostalgia
الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي فِي التَّحْذِيرِ مِنْ هَوَى النَّفْسِ
Chapter Two: Warnings about the Caprices of the Ego
Disciplining the Ego (Nafs)
الْفَصْلُ الثَّالِثُ فِي مَدْحِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﷺ
Chapter Three: Praise of the Prophet ﷺ
Praise of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
الْفَصْلُ الرَّابِعُ فِي مَوْلِدِهِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ
Chapter Four: On The Prophet's Birth
The Miraculous Birth (Milad un Nabi)
الْفَصْلُ الْخَامِسُ فِي مُعْجِزَاتِهِ ﷺ
Chapter Five: The Prophet's Miracles
The Miracles of the Prophet ﷺ
الْفَصْلُ السَّادِسُ فِي شَرَفِ الْقُرْآنِ وَمَدْحِهِ
Chapter Six: The Nobility of the Qur’an and its Merit
The Nobility of the Holy Quran
الْفَصْلُ السَّابِعُ فِي إِسْرَائِهِ وَمِعْرَاجِهِ ﷺ
Chapter Seven: The Prophet’s Miraculous Night Journey and Celestial Ascension
The Night Journey (Isra) & Heavenly Ascension (Mi'raj)
الْفَصْلُ الثَّامِنُ فِي جِهَادِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ
Chapter Eight: The Prophet’s Jihad
Courage, Struggles & Divine Support
الْفَصْلُ التَّاسِعُ فِي التَّوَسُّلِ بِالنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَالِاسْتِغْفَارِ
Chapter Nine: Seeking Intercession through the Prophet ﷺ
Seeking Intercession & Forgiveness (Tawassul)
الْفَصْلُ الْعَاشِرُ فِي الْمُنَاجَاةِ وَعَرْضِ الْحَاجَاتِ
Chapter Ten: Intimate Discourse and the Petition of Needs
Intimate Munajat, Petitions & Salawat
Recite & Listen to Qasida Burda
Toggle between Arabic text, Roman English transliteration, direct meaning, and poetic singable rhyme with synchronized audio recitation.
Chapter One: Nostalgic Rhapsody and Love Complaint
الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي الْغَزَلِ وَشَكْوَى الْغَرَامِ
Theme & Spiritual Context • Love, Longing & Spiritual Nostalgia
Imam al-Busiri opens the Burda expressing intense spiritual longing for the Holy Sanctuary in Medina. Overwhelmed by love for the Prophet ﷺ, he weeps tears mixed with blood as memories of Dhu Salam and the blessed breezes of Kazhimah stir his soul, declaring that genuine spiritual love can never be concealed.
مَوْلَايَ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ
“Mawlāya ṣalli wa sallim dā'iman abadā 'Alā ḥabībika khayril khalqi kullihimi”
O my Master! Send blessings and peace continually and eternally Upon Your Beloved, the best of all creation.
The sacred refrain traditionally chanted between verses across the Muslim world.
أَمِنْ تَذَكُّرِ جِيرَانٍ بِذِي سَلَمِ مَزَجْتَ دَمْعًا جَرَى مِنْ مُقْلَةٍ بِدَمِ
Transliteration
Amin tadhakkuri jīrānin bi dhī salami Mazajta damʿan jarā min muqlatin bidami
English Meaning
Is it from remembering neighbours at Dhū Salam That you shed tears admixed with blood from your eyes?
أَمْ هَبَّتِ الرِّيحُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ كَاظِمَةٍ وَأَوْمَضَ البَرْقُ فِي الظَّلْمَاءِ مِنْ إِضَمِ
Transliteration
Am habbatir rīhu min tilqāʾi kādhimatin Wa awmaḍal barqu fīẓ ẓulmāʾi min iḍami
English Meaning
Or because wind has blown from the direction of Kāẓima And lightning has flashed in the dark of Iḍam?
فَمَا لِعَيْنَيْكَ إِنْ قُلْتَ اكْفُفَا هَمَتَا وَمَا لِقَلْبِكَ إِنْ قُلْتَ اسْتَفِقْ يَهِمِ
Transliteration
Famā li ʿaynayka in qultakfufā hamatā Wa mā li qalbika in qultastafiq yahimi
English Meaning
So what ails your eyes that when you tell them ‘stop’, they continue to weep still more? And what ails your heart that when you bid it awake, it wanders further in distraction?
أَيَحْسَبُ الصَّبُّ أَنَّ الحُبَّ مُنْكَتِمٌ مَا بَيْنَ مُنْسَجِمٍ مِنْهُ وَمُضْطَرِمِ
Transliteration
Ayaḥsabuṣ ṣabbu annal ḥubba munkatimun Mā bayna munsajimin minhu wa muḍṭarimi
English Meaning
Does the lovelorn man think that love can be hidden Behind a torrent from his [eyes], or a heart’s raging fire?
لَوْلاَ الهَوَى لَمْ تَرِقْ دَمْعًا عَلَى طَلَلٍ وَلاَ أَرِقْتَ لِذِكْرِ البَانِ وَالْعَلَمِ
Transliteration
Lawlal hawā lam turiq damʿan ʿalā ṭalalin Wa lā ariqta li dhikril bāni wal ʿalami
English Meaning
But for passion, you would not shed tears at an abandoned camp, Or lie awake at night recalling the fragrant willow or the mountain;
فَكَيْفَ تُنْكِرُ حُبًّا بَعْدَمَا شَهِدَتْ بِهِ عَلَيْكَ عُدُولُ الدَّمْعِ وَالسَّقَمِ
Transliteration
Fakayfa tunkiru ḥubban baʿda mā shahidat Bihi ʿalayka ʿudūlud damʿi was saqami
English Meaning
So how can you deny this love when tears and sickness, truthful witnesses, have testified to it against you?
وَأَثْبَتَ الوَجْدُ خَطَّيْ عَبْرَةٍ وَضَنىً مِثْلَ البَهَارِ عَلَى خَدَّيْكَ وَالعَنَمِ
Transliteration
Wa athbatal wajdu khaṭṭay ʿabratin wa ḍanā Mithlal bahāri ʿalā khaddayka wal ʿanami
English Meaning
Lovesickness has etched two lines, of tears and gauntness, Upon your cheeks, like yellow spice and red ʿanam
نَعَمْ سَرَى طَيْفُ مَنْ أَهْوَى فَأَرَّقَنِي وَالحُبُّ يَعْتَرِضُ اللَّذَّاتِ بِالأَلَمِ
Transliteration
Naʿam sarā ṭayfu man ahwā fa arraqanī Wal ḥubbu yaʿtariḍul ladhdhati bil alami
English Meaning
Yes, my beloved’s apparition came to me and denied me sleep, For love always opposes pleasures with pain!
يَا لاَئِمِي فِي الهَوَى العُذْرِيِّ مَعْذِرَةً مِنِّي إِلَيْكَ وَلَوْ أَنْصَفْتَ لَمْ تَلُمِ
Transliteration
Yā lāʾimī fīl hawal ʿudhriyyi maʿdhiratan Minnī ilayka wa law anṣafta lam talumi
English Meaning
O you who blame me for this chaste love, pardon me! But had you judged fairly, you would not have blamed me.
عَدَتْكَ حَالِي لاَ سِرِّي بِمُسْتَتِرٍ عَنِ الْوُشَاةِ وَلاَ دَائِي بِمُنْحَسِمِ
Transliteration
ʿAdatka ḥāliya lā sirrī bi mustatirin ʿAnil wushāti wa lā dāʾī bimunḥasimi
English Meaning
May you be spared my condition! My secret cannot be concealed From detractors, nor is there any cure for my ailment!
مَحَّضْتَنِي النُصْحَ لَكِنْ لَسْتُ أَسْمَعُهُ إِنَّ المُحِبَّ عَنْ العُذَّالِ فِي صَمَمِ
Transliteration
Maḥḥaḍtanī nuṣḥa lākin lastu asmaʿuhu Innal muḥibba ʿanil ʿudhdhāli fī ṣamami
English Meaning
You have given me sincere advice, but I cannot hear it; A lover’s ears are deaf to the reproaches of critics.
إِنِّي اتَّهَمْتُ نَصِيحَ الشَّيْبِ فِي عَذَليِ وَالشَّيْبُ أَبْعَدُ فِي نُصْحِ عَنِ التُّهَمِ
Transliteration
Innit tahamtu naṣīḥash shaybi fī ʿadhalī Wash shaybu abʿadu fī nuṣḥin ʿanit tuhami
English Meaning
I hold suspect even the advice of my own grey hairs, Even though their advice is far from deception.
The Story of the Mantle (Al-Burda)
“I was struck with hemiplegia—a disease that left half of my body paralyzed. I resolved to compose a qasida in praise of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, seeking through him healing from my affliction...”— Imam Sharaf al-Din al-Busiri
Imam Sharaf al-Din al-Busiri (608–696 AH) was among the foremost poets and scholars of Alexandria, Egypt. When a severe stroke paralyzed half of his body, medical physicians lost hope in his recovery. In his seclusion, he resolved to compose an unprecedented poem entirely dedicated to the sincere praise of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, imploring Allah Almighty for physical healing and spiritual solace.
Upon completing the verses with tearful devotion, he recited them repeatedly until he fell asleep. In his slumber, he witnessed the most blessed vision: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appeared to him in radiant light, listened to his verses, rubbed his blessed hands over al-Busiri's paralyzed limbs, and draped his own holy striped mantle (Burda) over him.
When the Imam opened his eyes, he rose from his bed completely cured, with no remaining trace of paralysis. When he ventured into the city the following morning, the righteous saint Shaykh Abu ar-Raja approached him and said: “O al-Busiri, grant me the poem you recited in praise of the Prophet ﷺ.” Al-Busiri asked: “Which poem? I have composed many.” The saint replied: “The one that begins: 'Amin tadhakkuri jīrānin bi Dhī Salami...' By Allah, I saw the Prophet ﷺ in my dream last night listening to it, and he draped his cloak upon you!”
Commentaries of the Great Imams
“No poem in praise of the Prophet ﷺ has ever achieved the widespread acceptance, blessing, and universal reverence accorded to Al-Burda by scholars, saints, and the Ummah across east and west.”
“Its words are imbued with celestial fragrance. Whoever recites it with sincere love and adab will experience tranquility in the heart and the manifest mercy of Allah Almighty.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Al-Kawākib ad-Durriyyah' mean?
The formal Arabic title of Qasida al-Burda is Al-Kawākib ad-Durriyyah fī Madḥ Khayr al-Bariyyah, which translates as “The Celestial Brilliant Stars in Praise of the Best of Creation”. It was later popularized as Al-Burda(“The Mantle”) in honor of the Prophet's cloak received by Imam al-Busiri in his dream.
How should one recite Qasida al-Burda?
Traditionally, the reader begins with ritual purity (Wudu), sits facing the Qiblah with reverent adab, and intones the chorus (Mawlāya ṣalli wa sallim dā'iman abadā...) after every bayt or section. Listening attentively to the melody and contemplating the prophetic virtues brings great spiritual benefit.
Can I listen to audio while following along?
Yes! Every one of the 10 chapters on Faaris features high-definition audio recitation with playback speed control, interactive seekbar, and synchronized verse text with Roman transliteration and poetic translations.