Banat Su'ad (the Burda of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr)
قصيدة بانت سعاد (بردة كعب بن زهير)
Ka'b ibn Zuhayr's celebrated apology-ode beginning 'Su'ad has departed, and today my heart is love-sick', recited before the Prophet in Medina; it pleads for pardon and praises the Prophet as a light and an unsheathed sword of God.
At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Summary
Ka'b ibn Zuhayr's famous qasida "Su'ad has departed, and my heart today is love-sick", which he recited before the Prophet in excuse and praise — it came to be known as the Burda 1.
The poem's account
Ka'b recited it to the Prophet in the mosque after declaring his Islam and seeking safety 1. In it he excused his former lampooning and praised the Prophet, describing him as "a light by which guidance is sought, and a drawn Indian blade of God's swords" 2. In it he praised the Muhajirun of Quraysh and hinted at the Ansar — for one of them had sought leave to strike his neck — then made amends with them after his Islam in a poem of praise 2.
For young visitors
A long, beautiful poem by a famous poet, excusing himself to the Prophet and praising him; it became one of the Arabs' most famous poems.
Connections
- Authored by
- Ka'b ibn Zuhayr
- Mentioned in
- Ka'b ibn Zuhayr's pardon and recitation of Banat Su'ad
- About
- MuhammadKa'b ibn Zuhayr
People and things also explored
Ka'b ibn Zuhayr's pardon and recitation of Banat Su'adKa'b ibn ZuhayrMedinaMuhammadKhuza'a's appeal to MedinaThe killing of Ka'b ibn al-Ashrafal-Nadr ibn al-Harithal-Tufayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi
Sources
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, pp. 446-447
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, p. 447
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Banat Su'ad (the Burda of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/work/qasidat-banat-suad/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.