The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (474 page)

(Arab.)
1
A mantle, but especially one of the Prophet
Mu
ammad's
mantles, given away as a gift. The
Ottomans
claimed to possess a cloak of the Prophet, and this
khirqai-sharif
formed part of their claim to be authentic caliphs (
khal
fa
).
2
The name of a famous, often-recited, poem, al-Burdah, praising the Prophet, by al-Bu
r
(1213–96 CE (AH 610–95)).

 
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Burials
:

see FUNERAL RITES.

 
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Burning bush
.

The plant from which occurred God's revelation to
Moses
in Exodus 3. 1–4. 17. During the Middle Ages, the burning bush became a Christian symbol for
Mary
, as e.g. in Chaucer, Prologue to the Prioress’ Tale.

 
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Burning of books
.

A recurrent political and religious activity, indicating the power of words and ideas to call in question the validity and authority of existing systems. Familiar examples are ‘the burning of the books’ under Ch'in Shih Huang Ti (Qin Shihuangdi) (213 BCE), Ch'eng Yi (
Ch'eng Hao
), the burning of the library of
Alexandria
, the burning of the works of
Maimonides
, the burning of books under the Nazis.

 
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