Ka'b ibn Zuhayr

Ka'b ibn Zuhayr (died approximately 26 AH / 646 CE) was a celebrated Arabic poet who converted to Islam and composed one of the most famous poems in the early Islamic period. The son of the great pre-Islamic poet Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma, Ka'b grew up in an environment steeped in Arabic poetic tradition and himself became an accomplished poet before the rise of Islam.

Initially, Ka'b composed satirical poetry mocking the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Muslims, and his poems were carried through the Arabian Peninsula by travelers and merchants. When the Conquest of Makkah established Muslim dominance over Arabia, the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have ordered the shedding of blood of certain individuals — among them Ka'b ibn Zuhayr — whose offenses against the Muslim community were deemed particularly serious.

Fearing for his life, Ka'b's brother Bujayr — who had embraced Islam — wrote to him urging him to come to the Prophet ﷺ and seek forgiveness. Ka'b traveled to Medina, presented himself at the Prophet's mosque, took the Prophet's hand without identifying himself, and declared his Islam. When his identity became known, some companions reacted sharply given his past satirical verses. The Prophet ﷺ, however, received his repentance and guaranteed his safety.

In gratitude and submission, Ka'b composed his famous qasida known as 'Banat Su'ad' (Su'ad Has Departed), beginning with a conventional love poem but moving to a powerful praise of the Prophet ﷺ and a description of the muhajirin as 'the swords of Allah.' The Prophet ﷺ was so moved by this ode that he reportedly removed his striped Yemeni cloak (burda) and placed it over Ka'b's shoulders — giving rise to the poem's alternative name, 'The Mantle Ode' (Qasidat al-Burda). This poem became one of the most recited and commented-upon compositions in the Arabic literary tradition, inspiring later panegyrics including the famous Burda of al-Busiri.