Al Burda Award recognizes poetry as a medium that highlights the life and character of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) through the art of language and the power of verbal expression. Receiving submissions for both classical and Nabati poetry, the award simultaneously celebrates the beauty of the Arabic language and the literary heritage of the Arab and Islamic world. In a sense, the poetry category is a literal reflection of the award’s namesake, ‘Al Burda’, derived from Qasidat Al Burda, or Ode of the Mantle, which is an epic poem for the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), authored by the 12^th century Sufi mystic Imam Al Busiri.

• Classical poetry
• Nabati poetry