Nasrul Ilm Chicago &
The Muslim-cultural Student Association of Northwestern
Present:
Tafsīr al-Burda
The Poem of the Cloak Explained
By
Shaykh Fakhruddin Owaisi
Imam of Hout Bay Mosque, Cape Town, South Africa
Recitation and reflections on the Burda
by an accomplished Muslim scholar and nashid artist.
January 10, 2010, 2:30 – 7:30 pm
Parkes Hall 122, Northwestern University
1870 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL, 60208
For more information, see www.nasrulilm.org, or call Barakat Aliou, 773-386-3294
Co-sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa (ISITA),
Northwestern University
About the Poem
The Qaṣīda al-Burda, or “Poem of the Cloak,” written by Imam al-Buṣayrī (or Buṣīrī, d. 1296, Egypt), is probably the most popular poem in Islamic history. Essentially a poem of praise dedicated to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), it contains provocative reflections on the human condition and the individual’s relationship to God. The poem is still memorized and recited by numerous students and scholars across the Muslim world, from Malaysia to Senegal. According to legend, the composition of the poem cured its author of paralysis. Many Muslims have since considered its words endowed with particular blessing for the healing of hearts and souls. For more information, see http://www.iqra.net/qasaaid1/burda.
About the Scholar
Shaykh Fakhruddin b. Ahmad Owaisi is the Imam of Hout Bay Mosque in Cape Town, South Africa, and a lecturer of Ḥadīth, Tafsīr and ‘Aqīda studies at Cape Town’s International Peace University. He is the former chairman of the Sunni ͑ Ulama Council of the Cape (South Africa), and has an extensive background in the Islamic sciences. His primary and secondary education was completed in Medina, Saudi Arabia; and he later received higher-education degrees from the University of Cape Town (M.A. in Islamic Studies, B.A. in Religious Studies) and the Islamic College of Southern Africa (B.A. in Islamic Theology). He has been a close student of some the age’s greatest Muslim scholars, such as Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad ͑Alawi al-Maliki (Grand Shaykh of Mecca), Shaykh Hazim Abu Ghazaleh (Jordan), Mufti Ghulam Sarwar (Pakistan) and Shaykh al-Islam Hassan Cisse (Senegal). He also has certificates of authorization from other notable Muslim scholars, such as Sayyid Muhammad Ya ͑qubi (Hadith). He is also an accomplished Nashid artist, and is a popular Muslim preacher with a versatile teaching repertoire. Shaykh Fakhruddin is an American citizen of Indian descent, whose family traces their lineage to the Sayyidina Owais al-Qarani (RA). He is fluent in English, Arabic and Urdu.
About the Sponsors
Nasrul Ilm, meaning “helping knowledge,” is a network of Muslim youths across America and abroad dedicated to promoting better understanding of Islam and to helping those in need. Nasrul Ilm was inspired by the legacy of Shaykh Hassan Cisse (d. 2008), the Senegalese Imam and humanitarian activist whose life in service to Islam and humanity touched millions. For more information, see www.nasrulilm.org.
The Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa (ISITA) was founded in 2000 and is the first research center in the United States specifically devoted to the study of African Islamic culture. ISITA seeks to raise awareness of Africa’s rich Islamic intellectual and literary heritage by encouraging collaboration and interaction between scholars and by publishing works on African Islamic thought and the transmission of knowledge. For more information, see http://www.cics.northwestern.edu/programs/isita.
The Muslim-cultural Student Association (McSA) of Northwestern University aims to increase awareness of Islamic culture at Northwestern University and to provide an Islamic environment for Muslim students. McSA regularly organizes events to present Islamic heritage and provide a forum for discussion for the wider Northwestern community. See http://groups.northwestern.edu/mcsa.