The Hamziyyah of Imam al-Busiri

Great poetry has moved hearts from premodern times until today. Imam al-Busiri excelled at praise poetry, and his verses attained a global reach because he praised the best of creation. His two most sublime poems, the Burdah and the Hamziyyah, have over the centuries occasioned countless commentaries explicating their eloquence and linguistic subtleties. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf had the distinction of translating the Burdah in 2001 and now offers the Hamziyyah for the English reader more than two decades later.

This volume is exquisitely produced with the entire poem of 456 lines in Arabic, calligraphed by the world-renowned Sabah Arbilli, alongside the English translation.

Original ornamentation was also commissioned to give the book its beautiful exterior. It also includes additional poems by the translator, ‘Spring’s Gift’ and ‘Be Like Ahmad’ and a lengthy introduction setting the context for this monumental poem and its place in the world today.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaquobi kindly wrote a Foreword endorsing the translation and also affording an ijaza (chain of transmission) connecting us back to the author of this sacred tradition.

Born and raised in Egypt in the thirteenth century, Imam al-Busiri has been aptly described as ‘the scholar of the poets, the most poetic among the scholars, the most eloquent among the orators, and the most erudite among the sages’. He studied prophetic biography and comparative religion, both of which inform the Hamziyyah. His epithet, reflecting a life of service to Islam, is Sharaf al-Din (Faith’s Honour). 

Substantial parts of the Hamziyyah cover the Prophet’s life, his historical period, and the miracles that attended him. The poem also details miracles of the Qur’an and provides a vivid account of the medieval voyage from Cairo to Mecca and Medina, a critique of misguided beliefs and deeds found among some adherents of the other Abrahamic traditions, and an introspective look at the poet’s own past deeds and misdeeds.

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“After the Qur’an and the prophetic sayings, the highest level of eloquence to which any Arab can aspire is realized in Arabic poetry. Thus, poets in subsequent generations invariably expressed their love for the Prophet in marvels of verse that poured forth from their tongues and pens like pearls unbound. … Having spent over fifty-five years of my life immersed in the poetry of Imam al-Busiri, listening to the Burdah and the Hamziyyah sung in weekly gatherings, and having penned two poetic expansions of each myself, I can say that Shaykh Hamza’s translation deserves both praise and celebration.” Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, from the Foreword.

“Piety toward the Prophet Muhammad and celebration of his life as exemplary are central to over 1,400 years of Muslim spirituality, but with the exception of Annemarie Schimmel, few scholars of Islam in the West have focused on this durable phenomenon. Hamza Yusuf ’s accessible and insightful translation of a praise poem by a celebrated poet and mystic adds a key work to our literature in English on Muslim spirituality.” Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History, University of Michigan

“This very attractive volume captures an exciting nexus of collaborations. The Hamziyyah connects a contemporary translator and his Arabic text, connects that translator to his scholarly predecessors in chains of pious transmission, connects the translator-as-English-poet to his translator into Arabic, and most importantly connects—with the aesthetic and affective ties that bind—communities across the ages who have loved al-Busiri’s poem.” Alexander Key, Associate Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature, Stanford University

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Translated By: Hamza Yusuf

Author Name: Muhammad b. Said al-Busiri

Foreword: Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi

Language: Arabic, English

Pages: 224

Dimensions: 161mm x 238mm

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Abu Zahra Press, Sandala

ISBN: 978-0-9928065-6-9