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Lot Essay
The writer of this celebrated poem Al-Busairi had become paralysed and physicians had given up hope of his recovery. While in despair he composed this poem in praise of the Prophet Muhammad. He then isolated himself and recited the poem. While reciting he fell asleep and is said to have had a vision in which he spoke to the Prophet. When he awoke he found the around him the mantle that the Prophet had been wearing in his dream. He had a miraculous recovery and therefore called this work Qasidat al-Burda, (The Poem of the Mantle). See Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol.1, Leiden, 1986 pp.1314-15.
The dedicatory inscriptions on this manuscript relates to Al-Nasr Muhammad VI b. Qaitbay (r. AH 901-904/1496-98 AD) and his successor Al-Zahir Qansawh I (r. AH 904-905/1498-1500 AD). Most likely it was copied during short the reign of the former, which dates the manuscript fairly precisely. The dedication to Qansawh would have been a slightly later ammendment to honour the new Sultan.
Another 15th century Mamluk copy of Qasidat al-Burda is in the Bibliothéque Nationale in Paris (arabe 6072), illustrated in L'Art du livre arabe, Paris, 2001, no.74, p.105.
The dedicatory inscriptions on this manuscript relates to Al-Nasr Muhammad VI b. Qaitbay (r. AH 901-904/1496-98 AD) and his successor Al-Zahir Qansawh I (r. AH 904-905/1498-1500 AD). Most likely it was copied during short the reign of the former, which dates the manuscript fairly precisely. The dedication to Qansawh would have been a slightly later ammendment to honour the new Sultan.
Another 15th century Mamluk copy of Qasidat al-Burda is in the Bibliothéque Nationale in Paris (arabe 6072), illustrated in L'Art du livre arabe, Paris, 2001, no.74, p.105.