Professional Documents
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GARMENT
Imam Muhammad Bin Saeed Bin Hamaad
Al-Sinhaji AL-BOUSERI
(608 - 696 A.H., 1212 - 1296 A.D.)
Imtiaz A. Kazi
Dedicated to
my parents
Mr. & Mrs. Haji Lal Muhammad Kazi
who taught me and
made me what I am today
TRANSLATORS NOTE
AL-BOUSERI A BIOGRAPHY
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
MUHAMMAD
Chapter Nine
Translators Note
All praise and glory is for the Lord- Almighty Allah and
blessings and peace of Allah be upon His most honoured
and most beloved Prophet Muhammad . I
feel greatly honoured to have been bestowed this
opportunity of translating Imam Bouseri s
Qaseedah Burdah which, before me, has been translated a
number of times in numerous global languages including
regional languages of Pakistan. In fact, I have not added
anything to its beauty through English translation in rhyme.
The plain fact is that whenever I love some piece of poetry, I
try to understand it more in depth and give it a serious
perusal and the best way for me has been to render it into a
wording that eases my own comrehension of the same. The
same happened when I translated Khayyams 250 quatrains
in versified rhyme in English in the year 2000 (Published by
ECO Cultural Institute, Tehran in 2003). Having listened to
more popular verses of this Qaseedah on the Pakistan
Television channel (PTV) and in Mahaafil-e-Milaad (of late, I
watched a beautiful recitation by Mehmut Kurtis of Turkey on
some music channel), I became keen to go through
Qaseedah in its entirety. Thus, during my trip to Pakistan
from Doha (Qatar) in January 2007 where I was serving as
Counsellor/Deputy Head of Pakistani Mission, I started work
on its translation on 4 January 2007 and Alhamd Lillah, the
same has now been completed after eight months, the later
half of work done in Islamabad during May-August 2007
period.
( Surah Anm 6,
Verse 59) Translation: With Him are the keys of the unseen,
the treasures that none knoweth but He. Quran also tells us in
another verse;
-
Translation: He (Surah Jinn 72, Verse 26-27 )
(alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one
acquainted with His Mysteries, Except an apostle whom
:He has chosen
( Surah Al-Najm 53, Verse 10) Translation: So did
(Allah) convey the inspiration to His Servant- (conveyed)
what He (meant) to convey. This is something which only
Allah knows as to what He revealed to him or only he knows
to whom it was revealed. There is no third person or gobetween to give any clue as to what transpired during this
exclusive meeting. Let me add that while the word means
a servant who is required to worship, Allah has always used
this word in a very affectionate connotation for this particular
Prophet, not only here but even in another verse which
pertains to invitation for ISRA or Night Journey.
(Surah
Al-Isra
17,
Verse
1)
Translation:
Glory to (Allah) Who did take His Servant for a Journey by
night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque. So
here is a special ( Servant) who is being honoured in a
sublime way by the Creator of the worlds.
( Surah Baqarah 2,
Quran;
Verse 285) Translation: We make no distinction between
one and another of His apostles. Well, in my opinion, we
must never differentiate and rightly so, in the established fact
that all of messengers were Allahs chosen people bestowed
with prophethood; thats part of the belief. This makes
Muslims different from other Peoples of the Book
who used to believe in some prophets but discarded others.
But as regards the inter se merits or divine favours on some
of them, let us read another Quranic verse in its proper
context. Quran says;
(Surah Baqarah 2, Verse 253) Translation: Those apostles
We endowed with favours, some above others. Or Surah
Isra, Verse 55 says,
Translation: And indeed, We have preferred some of the
prophets above others. Another Quranic verse that bears
ample testimony as to Prophet Muhammad
being the supreme in the line of Prophets is evident in
the following:
Surah Aal Imran )
(2, Verse 81
Translation: Remember when Allah took the covenant of
the prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the
Book and Hikmah (Understanding of laws of Allah) and
(Surah
Al-Qasas
28,
Verse
16)
manifest victory. That Allah may forgive you your sins of the
past and the future and complete His favour on you and
guide you on the Straight Path.
iii)
Musa begged;
(Surah Ta-ha 20, Verse 25) Translation: (Musa )
said; O My Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me selfconfidence, contentment and boldness). For the Chosen
Prophet , Quran says;
iv)
Musa asks
( Surah Ta-ha
20, Verse 26) Translation: And ease my task for me. About
the Amin-Trustworthy Prophet , it says;
( Surah Al-Aala 87, Verse 8)
Translation: And We shall make easy for you (O
Muhammad ) the easy way.
v)
Musa spoke to his Lord on earth;
( Surah
Maryam 19, Verse 52) Translation: And We called him
from the right side of the Mount and made him draw near to
Us for a talk with him (Musa) or
(Surah Al-Najm 53, Verses 5-11) Translation: He has been
taught this Quran by One Mighty in power. Then he rose and
became stable And he was in the highest part of the horizon
then he approached and came closer and was at a distance
of two bows length or even nearer. So Allah revealed to His
servant (Muhammad ) whatever He
revealed. The Prophet s heart lied not in
what he saw.
vi)
Musa was sent as a Prophet to the children
of Israel, to his own people only.
( Surah Ta-ha 20, Verse 47) Translation: So let
the children of Israel go with us and torment them not. In
another verse, Quran says:
(Surah
Al
( Surah Saba
34: 28) Translation: And We have not sent you (O
Muhammad ) except as a giver of glad
tidings and a warner to all mankind.
( Surah Al-Anbiya 21, Verse 107) Translation:
And We have sent you (O Muhammad )
not but as a mercy for the Aalamin (Mankind, jinn and all that
exists).
( Surah Al-Aaraaf 7,
Verse 158) Translation: Say (O Muhammad
) : O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the
Messenger of Allah.
vii) Quran says concerning Musa as follows:
( Surah Taha 20, Verse 39) Translation: And I endued you with love
from Me, in order that you may be brought up under My Eye.
And for the Chosen Prophet , it says:
( Surah Al-Tur 52, Verse
48) Translation: So wait patiently (O Muhammad
) for the decision of your Lord, for verily, you are
under Our Eyes. In terms of grammar, latter verse is
indicative of complete and comprehensive care.
viii) Allah has given two of His most beautiful names to His
best loved Messenger:
( Surah Hijr 15, Verse
72) Translation: Verily, by your life (O Muhammad
) , in their wild intoxication, they were wandering
blindly.
x)
While Allah addresses other prophets by name O
Adam, O Musa, O Nuh, O Dawud, O Zakariyya, O Yahya, O
Lot, O Isa , his most beloved Messenger is called
(O
Prophet!,
O
Messenger!)
xi) While the miracles of earlier Prophets were temporary
and went off after them, the exclusive miracle of Muhammad
bin Abdullah is lasting and eternal, in the
preservation and availability of Holy Quran which keeps
revealing its mysteries and testifying new discoveries with
each passing day. Allah has guaranteed its preservation:
( Surah Hijr 15, Verse 9)
Translation: Verily, We, it is We, Who have sent down the
Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, we will guard it (from
corruption or deliberate distortion).
xii)
Allah praises the Prophets character:
(Surah Aal Imran 3, Verse 159) Translation: And by the
Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you
been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken
away from about you; so pass over (their faults) and ask
(Allahs) forgiveness for them; and consult them in the
affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust
in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in
Him).
At another place, Quran says;
(Surah
Anfaal
8,
Verse
33)
Translation: But Allah was not going to send them a penalty
whilst thou wast amongst them. For his pleasure, Allah said
(Surah Baqarah 2, Verse 144) Translation: Verily! We
have seen the turning of your (Muhammad )
face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you to a
Qiblah that shall please you so turn your face face in the
direction of Al-Masjidil Haram
I do not wish to go further into details of the kind
reflected in above verses, so amply describing the due
dignity, high honour and especial esteem of Allahs mostbeloved Prophet. Holy Quran is full of such praise and none
of us can ever do full justice about the person of Prophet
in this domain. Suffice to admit;
AL-BOUSERI - A biography
(608 - 696 A.H., 1212 - 1296 A.D.)
Lineage: His full name was Muhammad Bin Saeed Bin
Hamaad Bin Muhsin Bin Abi Sarwar Bin Hayan Bin Abdullah
Bin Malak Al-Sinhaji, AL-BOUSERI , al-Misri
nicknamed Aba Abdallah, titled Sharfuddin. His lineage goes
to famous Barbar tribe of Sinhaj in Maghrib.
Birth Place: He was born on Tuesday, 1st Shawwal 608
A.H.
(7 March 1212) at the village of Dalas whereto
belonged his mother and his father being from Bouser. He
titled himself on both sides and was called Dalaseri, but
became famous as Bouseri. Bouser is located between Bani
Suwaif and Fuyum Districts in modern Egypt. Dalas stood on
the West Nile, adjacent to Bahinsa. Contrary to Maqreezis
contention, Ibne Taghri Bardi mentions his birth place at
Behsham near Bahinsa and about the year of birth too, he is
indecisive as being 607 or 608 or 610. Bouseri
was brought up in Bouser. His origins go back to Maghrib.
Studies: As regards his studies, in his times they used to
learn Quran by heart which Bouseri did at the age
of 13. He also studied religious sciences, language,
grammar, literature, Islamic history and in particular, the life
history of Prophet Muhammad . He is said
to have spent time in studying mysticism ( )as well. This
was followed by teaching young generation the Holy Book.
Perhaps organized teaching interested him not, so he was
assigned the teaching of Quran only. He started teaching
religious subjects once he came to Cairo at what was called
King Saleh Najmuddin Ayubi who assumed rule of Egypt in 637 A.H. distributed 3,000
Dinars for seminaries through one scholar. Nothing was apportioned to Abdul Zahir
mosque whereupon Bouseri wrote an elegy in praise of this mosque while these funds
were being usurped. Thus, one came to know of his link with that mosque and about the
incident when Bouseri was aged 30.
Then, he read Qaseedah starting with
Back in Cairo, he composed a long ode called ,
. It started with this verse;
. In this Qaseedah, Bouseri
mentioned of the places seen during Hijaz journey. He
proceeded by road northward and eastward (not by sea-
.
As regards naming of this Qaseedah as , the
poet had been used to name all his Qaseedahs on a certain
pattern. For example, , , or his
,( known as ) , a third one titled
, and a fourth one bearing title
. Likewise, he named this Qaseedah
. Some people even put conditions
that the Qaseedah should be recited only when in ablution (
), reciter should face Kaaba direction, attention to its
proper pronunciation, the reader to have comprehension of
its meaning etc. Some Sufis even adopted its reading at
hours of happy ceremonies and at funerals, things not liked
by Keelani of Deewan. He feels disgusted by its usage in
ailments and hardships etc. However, Qaseedah kept
disbursing to every nook and corner of the world, its
translation done in eastern and western languages, its
teaching made part of syllabus in seminaries. In particular, it
became popular among Shazlis of Maghrib. Despite Ibne
Taimiyyahs criticism of Qaseedah (especially verse Nos. 43
to 46), it kept spreading in popularity until Muhammad bin
Abdul Wahab of Najd and his students started condemning it
as a .
My Foreign Office colleague Muhammad Ayaz Khan
who served in Cairo and also translated a non-rhyme version