Scholars didn’t make takfeer of al Buseri the author of al Burdah.
1. ash-Shawkani said:
فانظر رحمك الله تعالى ما وقع من كثير من هذه الأمة من الغلو المنهى عنه المخالف لما في كتاب الله وسنة رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم كما يقوله صاحب البردة رحمه الله تعالى :
يا أكرم الخلق ما لي من ألوذ به ***** سواك عند حلول الحادث العمم
فانظر كيف نفى كل ملاذ ما عدا عبدالله ورسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم وغفل عن ذكر ربه ورب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون
So see, may Allah have mercy on you, The exaggeration that occurred from many of the people of this ummah which is forbidden contrary to what is mentioned in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger peace be upon him as the author of Al-Burdah may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“O Most Honored of Creation! Whom can I turn to
But you when the Encompassing Event befalls?”
(Shawkani commented) Look at how he limited turning for good to no other than the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he forgot about Allah, ina lillah wa ina ilieh rajioon.”
الدر النضيد في إخلاص كلمة التوحيد pages 22-23
Important thing to note is that ash-Shawkani prayed for mercy on him even if he went against his ode.
2. Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdil Wahaab.
He said regarding accusations against him:
، وإني أكفّر البوصيري لقوله: يا أكرم الخلق
(The accuser says) I say kafir to al Buseri (author of al burdah) due to his saying “Ya akram al Khalq”
After quoting all the accusations, He said:
جوابي عن هذه المسائل، أن أقول: سبحانك هذا بهتان عظيم! وقبله من بهت محمداً صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه يسب عيسى بن مريم ويسب الصالحين، فتشابهت قلوبهم بافتراء الكذب وقول الزور.
I have answer to all these masail, that these are great slanders, before us the slanders were on Muhammad peace be upon him, they criticise Eesa ibn Maryam and the righteous.. [الكتاب: الرسائل الشخصية (مطبوع ضمن مؤلفات الشيخ محمد بن عبد الوهاب، الجزء السادس) 6/12
Why these scholars criticised these words? Because they said Buseri is leaving Allah and asking help from Prophet peace be upon him. We know that when some people will seek help (Istigatha) from Prophet peace be upon him on the day of judgement. He will reject helping them.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) got up amongst us and mentioned Al Ghulul (Dishonesty in war booty or Dishonesty in anything see Mirqaat al Mafateeh), emphasized its magnitude and declared that it was a great sin saying, “Don’t commit Ghulul for I should not like to see anyone amongst you on the Day of Ressurection, carrying over his neck a sheep that will be bleating, or carrying over his neck a horse that will be neighing. Such a man will be saying:
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَغِثْنِي
O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Agithni
and I will reply,
لا أملك لك شيئا
‘I can’t help you, for I have conveyed Allah’s Message to you Nor should I like to see a man carrying over his neck, a camel that will be grunting. (I.e. the camel he stole or dishonesty borrowed)
Sahih al-Bukhari 3073
Mulla Ali al Qari said:
( ” يا رسول الله ! أغثني ” ) : أمر من الإغاثة والمراد منه الشفاعة ( ” فأقول : لا أملك ” ) أي : من الله ( ” لك ” ) أي : لأجلك ( ” شيئا ” ) أي : من الدفع والنفع ، والمعنى لا أدفع عنك شيئا من عذاب الله ( ” قد أبلغتك ” ) أي : وثبتت عليك الحجة فيما بين المؤمنين : ( وما على الرسول إلا البلاغ المبين )
O Rasool Allah help me) Igatha is (seegha of) Amr the meaning is Intercession. (I can’t help you)… Meaning I can’t push anything from Allah’s punishment against you. (I have conveyed) meaning I have established the hujjah against the Momineen (Allah says) The Messenger’s duty is only to deliver ˹the message˺ clearly.”
Mirqaat al Mafateeh under the hadeeth 2996
In short, this will happen when The Prophet peace be upon him is in front of you on the day of Judgement, what about asking him help in this world when He peace be upon him is not in front of you? For sure He peace be upon him will intercede on the day of judgement for the sinners. But what will happen to the extreme innovators and those who perform shirk.
Whereas, other scholars who commented on Burdah claim that Buseri is not asking help in this world. Rather he is talking about great Intercession of Prophet peace be upon him on the day of judgement.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ تَدْنُو يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْعَرَقُ نِصْفَ الأُذُنِ، فَبَيْنَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ اسْتَغَاثُوا بِآدَمَ، ثُمَّ بِمُوسَى، ثُمَّ بِمُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم ”. وَزَادَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ” فَيَشْفَعُ لِيُقْضَى بَيْنَ الْخَلْقِ، فَيَمْشِي حَتَّى يَأْخُذَ بِحَلْقَةِ الْبَابِ، فَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا، يَحْمَدُهُ أَهْلُ الْجَمْعِ كُلُّهُمْ ”. وَقَالَ مُعَلًّى حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، أَخِي الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ حَمْزَةَ، سَمِعَ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ
“On the Day of Resurrection, the Sun will come near (to, the people) to such an extent that the sweat will reach up to the middle of the ears, so, when all the people are in that state, they will ask Adam for help, and then Moses, and then Muhammad (peace be upon him) .” The sub-narrator added “Muhammad will intercede with Allah to judge amongst the people. He will proceed on till he will hold the ring of the door (of Paradise) and then Allah will exalt him to Maqam Mahmud (the privilege of intercession, etc.). And all the people of the gathering will send their praises to Allah.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 1474, 1475
3. Shakh Abd al Latif al ash-Shaykh
Najdi scholars do agree that Prophet peace be upon him will intercede on the day of judgment. Shaykh Abd al Latif Al ash-Shaykh while refuting Al Burdah said:
وأما حصول الشفاعة وسؤاله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم القيامة فهذا لا ينكر ، وهو من جنس ما كان يطلب منه في حياته صلى الله عليه وسلم وأما بعد موته فلم يعرف عن أحد من أصحابه ولا عن أئمة الاسلام بعدهم أنه دعاه وطلب منه شفاعة أو غيرها
As for requests and attainment of intercession of the Prophet peace be upon him on the day of judgment. This cannot be denied. That is like requesting him in his (peace be upon him) life. As for after his death, it was not known from any of his companions, nor from the great imams of Islam that they called him and asked him for intercession or other things like that. (Ghayat al Amani vol 2 page 349. Mahmud Shukri al Alusi quoted Abdel Latif from his book Minhaj al Tasis).
4. Taqi ad din al Maqrizi (d. 845 h).
Buseri was not a scholar, rather a poet. Taqi ad Din Ahmad bin Ali al-Maqrizi al-Misree al-Shafi’i (d. 845H) mentioned him in المقفى الكبير vol 5 pages 661 to 669, he mentioned some kalam on him that he had little knowledge of writing books and he also mentioned some criticism on his manors. He mentioned how he wrote al Burdah. Also important thing to note is that, as per Taqi ad din Maqrizi, it is shirk to ask help from the grave dwellers see Tajreed al-Tawhid al-Mufeed page 70, which means he didn’t think Burdah contains istigatha from Prophet peace be upon him in this world. Otherwise he would mention it too. Allahu alam.
He was student of al-Siraaj ad din al-Balqini, al-Haythami, Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi etc who were also teachers of Ibn Hajr al Asqalani.
5. Zayn ad din al Iraqi.
It is said that he narrated al Burdah and he is teacher of Ibn Hajr. I didn’t find any criticism of al Iraqi on Buseri. But it is clear that he didn’t think that Buseri asked helped from Prophet peace be upon him, as his student Taqi ad din Maqrizi and son were anti Istigatha.
Wali ad din Iraqi son of Zayn ad-Din al Iraqi said about istigatha.
وأما قوله: (أنا أطلب منك أن يحصل لي كذا وكذا) فأمر منکر ، فالطلب إنما هو من الله تعالى، والتوسل إليه بالأعمال الصالحة أو بأصحابها أحياء وأمواتا لا ينكر
As for the saying (I ask/request you to get me such and such) this practice is MUNKAR because asking/requesting (Talab) is from Allah tala. And there is no inkar on tawassul of the righteous deeds (I.e. o Allah I ask you through so and so good deed) or the righteous who are alive and dead..
فتاوى ولي الدين العراقي (ص:١٦٦) ط/ دار الفتح
Zayn ad din Iraqi’s student Taqi ad Din Ahmad bin Ali al-Maqrizi al-Misree al-Shafi’i (d. 845H) on Istigatha.
He said:
قوم يزورون الموتى فيدعون لهم وهذه الزيارة الشرعية .
– وقوم يزورونهم يدعون بهم ، فهؤلاء هم المشركون في الألوهية والمحبة .
وقوم يزورونهم فيدعونهم أنفسهم ، وقد قال النبي ( (( اللهم لا تجعل قبري وثنا يعبد )) وهؤلاء هم المشركون في الربوبية
There are three types of people who visit the graves.
a) A Group that visits the dead and supplicate for them, this is Shar`ee visiting.
b) Another group visit them and ask through them (i.e. Directly asking him, O Abdul Qadir Jelani Ask Allah for me) these people are doing shirk in Uluhiyyah and love.
c) A Group visits them and Ask help from them (i.e. O Sayyadi fulaan help me) the Prophet peace be upon him said : “Do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped ” , they are doing shirk in Rububiyah.
Tajreed al-Tawhid al-Mufeed page 70
6. Mahmud Shukri al Alusi.
Mahmud Shukri al Alusi was grandson of Shihab ud din Mahmud al Alusi the author of Tafsir Ruh al M`ani and They are al Husaini, the Sayyed.
He said:
Al Sarsari and al Buseri have been criticised by the scholars and the great religious people that these two poets have been guilty of exaggeration in their poems.
Ghayat al Amani English translation vol 3 page 275.
7. Ibn Hajr asqalani.
It is said that he narrated and heard Qaseeda Burdah. We can clearly come to the conclusion that Ibn Hajr also didn’t think that Buseri is asking help from Prophet peace be upon him or seeking his refuge. Otherwise he would surely point out, as he himself said:
(لكنه لا يستعاذ الا بالله أو بصفة من صفات ذاته
There is no seeking refuge but only to Allah and from the attributes of his dhaat. [Fath ul Bari Kitab al Eman Ch 12]
He again said:
، إذ لا يستعاذ بمخلوق ، قال الله تعالى فاستعذ بالله ، وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم :
وإذا استعذت فاستعذ بالله
“There is no Seeking refuge in creation !” [Fathul Bari Kitab at Tawheed ch 13]
Conclusion.
Even the scholars who narrated Qaseeda Burdah like al Iraqi and Ibn Hajr and those who mentioned biography of al Buseri and quoted the story of how Burdah was written like Maqrizi, agree that Istigatha through dead is Munkar, Prohibited and Shirk. The only difference between these scholars and those who criticised Qaseeda Burdah is that, they think he is asking directly from Prophet peace be upon him and leaving Allah. Whereas, others interpretated that he is talking about the day of judgement. Otherwise they would have cleared it as they themselves consider Istigatha or seeking refuge from creation to be Munkar and Shirk.