He was from the clan of Banu Habnum, a major branch of the North African Berber Sanhaji tribe
Imam al-Busiri’s full name was Abu Abdullah Sharaf al-Din Muhammad ibn Sa’id al-Busiri al-Sanhaji The commentators of IGI’s new edition of the Burdah observe, “Given that different biographers and historians have documented varied versions…not much is certain about Imam al-Busiri’s life.” Sources indicate the following: Imam al-Busiri, the author of the Burdah, is less well known that his poems. This widespread appeal of the Burdah suggests that, in writing this poem, the author connected with something profound and universal. While, again, this is impossible to measure, it seems that the Burdah has gained a unique level of worldwide acceptance across language barriers and among different cultures. This tradition has continued for hundreds of years down to the present day. The burdah is regularly sung in weekly, monthly, and annual gatherings across dozens of countries and a wide range of cultures.
