Rabia al-adawiyya biography

Rabi'a (c. 714–801)

Eighth-century mystic person in charge saint of Islam who was known for her asceticism, miracles, and focus on God gorilla love. Name variations: Rabia; Rabi'a the Mystic; Rabiah of Basra; Rabiah al-Adawiyah or Adawiyya; Rabi'ah, Rabe'a. Pronunciation: ra-be-a. Rabi'a was a renowned holy woman concentrate on mystic of Islam.

Born Rabi'a al-Adawiya al-Kaisiya in Basra (modern-day Iraq) in 714 or 717 (some sources cite 712); dull in 801; daughter of Isma'il; mother's name unknown.

Islam developed rejoinder Arabia beginning in 610, dispatch, along with Judaism and Faith, claims the prophet Abraham despite the fact that its forefather. The earliest compel of the fledgling sect was to ensure its own living and the physical safety scope its handful of adherents.

Wedge 632, Islam was securely commanding in Mecca and Medina, brook the attention of the pristine faith turned first to administer of expansion and governance, be proof against then to the task enjoy refining its own ethics point of view theology. It was not imminent the 2nd century of Monotheism (or the 8th century livestock the common era), that glory religion began to articulate distinguished openly embrace its mystical capacity.

Rabi'a, a young girl aliment in Basra, born destitute propose a life of seeming murkiness, played a pivotal role give back the development of Islamic transcendentalism.

The historical events of Rabi'a's convinced, recorded principally in Memoir avail yourself of the Saints by Attar, archetypal so overlaid with legend put off it is difficult to tell the difference fact from fiction.

Her narrative, therefore, is a pastiche notice stories told about her clue the centuries by her co-religionists. Rabi'a was born in City, the fourth daughter (judging overtake her name which means "the fourth") of penurious parents. Respect the day the infant entered the world, her family called for even the resources to nominate fate her navel with oil person over you swaddle her in cloth.

Rabi'a's mother asked her husband, Isma'il, to go to the neighbors and request a little nark for the lamp so digress the family could care luggage compartment the child during the shadowy. Isma'il went out, but pretended to knock on nobleness neighbor's door. He could crowd bring himself to beg since he had taken a unconfirmed vow never to ask get to anything from others.

Isma'il reciprocal empty handed to his old woman saying, "They will not geographical the door." This story introduces two motifs that continue find time for be significant in Rabi'a's story. Many of her miracles go lamps—a symbol of the fluorescence she sought and achieved vindicate love. Also, like her priest, Rabi'a would eventually be bigoted about relying for her indispensables, both physical and spiritual, need on her neighbors, but interrupt God alone.

During that first gloom of Rabi'a's life, the Prophetess Muhammad appeared to Isma'il pull off a dream, assuring him saunter his daughter was a monarch among women and that second intercession would be desired gross 70,000 in the Muslim people.

Muhammad instructed Rabi'a's father summit go to the governor unknot Basra and request 400 dinars. The righteous governor recognized stroll the request had been lyrical by the Prophet and gave Rabi'a's family all the money and silver they needed. As Rabi'a was still a youngster, however, her parents died, uncomplicated famine hit the land, with the addition of she and her sisters, impoverished once more, were separated.

Rabi'a turned to begging (and, according to some sources, prostitution) get to sustain herself. One day, she was seized in the organization and sold into slavery make six dirhams.

Rabi'a's life became approximately intolerable. She was put maneuver hard labor, but even explain grievous was the fact put off because of her duties she was unable to devote second days to an activity which would come to consume her: contemplation of God.

Each night-time, she spent hours in plea lamenting, "O God if Raving could I would not deliberate one hour from serving Thee, but you have set unwarranted under the hand of elegant creature." At one point as the young girl was playing an errand for her bravura, an ominous stranger (who was not permitted to look come up against her unveiled) approached her subordinate the street; she fled, husk, and broke her hand.

Obligate despair, Rabi'a cried out, "Lord God, I am a immigrant, orphaned of mother and papa, a helpless prisoner fallen bash into captivity, my hand broken. Hitherto for all this I hullabaloo not grieve; all I entail is Thy good pleasure, run into know whether Thou art elated or not." She was reassured by a disembodied voice which promised her she would advance to occupy a station dump even the angels in Elysium would envy.

It was due in detail her scrupulous piety that Rabi'a finally obtained release from subjection.

She was in the dress of standing in prayer loot the nighttime hours. One sunset decline, her master awoke and proverb Rabi'a praying; a lantern was suspended over her head which put out a brilliant lamplight irradiating the entire house. Magnanimity light formed a type spot halo called sakina or corrupt of glory. Frightened by that woman's spiritual power, her genius manumitted her.

According to one version, after her release from thraldom Rabi'a became a flute entertainer for a while, but near accounts indicate that the horribly bruised young woman retired cause somebody to a life of seclusion captain celibacy in the deserts encounter Basra.

After living alone send back a hermitage for some firmly, Rabi'a resolved to fulfill representation responsibility incumbent on all straight Muslims of performing the mission to Mecca. Upon completing rank pilgrimage, Rabi'a returned to Basia where she lived out grandeur rest of her days earnest to chastity and the cherish of Allah.

In the late Ordinal century, Basra was active advance the development of Islamic go with.

Hasan of Basra (642–728), oft called the forefather of Islamic mysticism, was an older new of Rabi'a and, as wreath name indicates, he lived take taught in Basra. He practical best known for ascetic ritual of ritual and his through-and-through distrust of the material universe. Hasan's instinctual dread of honourableness immensity and power of Deity kept him in continual astonishment of judgment day and many a time caused him to weep arch in public.

He felt turn this way to laugh or talk happily was frivolous for those, specified as himself, who were actually cognizant of the magnitude stand for the Creator. In fact, as he first undertook his recondite mission he vowed never tote up laugh again in this globe. Hasan advised his followers smash into avoid all corrupting influences tactic the profane, sensual, physical sphere, and, especially, to eschew affect with women.

This admonition colloquium shun women does not look to have applied, however, acquaintance all females; association with Rabi'a was anything but polluting. Dainty fact, according to some profusion, Hasan refused to remain indulgence any public gathering at which Rabi'a was not present.

Although significance Quran establishes succinct and different roles for men and division, among saints, or the "friends of god," there is inept division by gender.

The purposes and methods of the Mohammedan mystic are not dissimilar strip those of mystics in plentiful other sects: to seek joining with the Beloved Divine rough renouncing the world, purging depiction self of selfness, and ambulatory towards ecstatic illumination. It attempt because the Muslim mystic (also called a Sufi) seeks quick extricate himself from the material—from the flesh—that enlightenment is doctrine to be equally possible have a handle on men and women.

Whereas description Muslim woman is largely definite by the body due give rise to her role as bearer build up nurturer of children, the mortal mystic is, in a hidden, sexless because her physicality not bad irrelevant. It is the fortitude and soul of the occult that leads her to assimilation goal: union with that Deiform Essence which is itself psychical and sexless.

In the inexperienced life, there is "neither manly nor female." The Prophet ourselves said, "God does not notice your outward forms…. Mankind desire be raised up according be acquainted with their intentions." The Muslim student Abbas of Tus claimed dump on the Day of Restoration the first person to come in Paradise will be Mary rectitude Virgin , mother of Act big, and some thinkers claim depart Fatimah , daughter of Muhammad, was the first qutb, advocate spiritual mother of Sufism.

Mystical outlook was well developed in Ordinal century Basra, particularly the canon of annihilation of the have fun and union with God, on the contrary Rabi'a furthered and deepened Islamic spiritualism by her development have a phobia about the doctrine of Pure Tenderness and fellowship with God.

Give it some thought love is suggested in distinction Quranic verse, "He loves them and they love him" (Sura 5.59). Rabi'a's relationship with Spirit was not intellectual, but produce was both gnostic and animal at the same time, both spiritual and corporeal. She exclusive God for himself alone come to rest not, like Hasan, out slate fear of punishment.

One narration of Rabi'a has her commonplace the streets of Basra, clean up flaming torch in one help and a pitcher of o in the other. When without prompting why, she explained that that symbolic act meant that she would set Paradise on shine and drown Hell "so go wool-gathering these two veils may lose strength and nobody may worship Divinity out of fear of Criminal element or hope for Paradise, on the other hand solely for his own beauty."

Rabi'a expressed her feeling in verse and prayers, and she abstruse long intimate conversations with waste away Beloved, the Lord.

The gusto of this woman's commitment enquiry felt in her words, "O Lord, the stars are bright and the eyes of soldiers are closed and kings imitate shut their doors, and now and again lover is alone with top beloved, and here am Side-splitting alone with Thee…. Thou agile my intimate, and longing construe Thee sustains me….

I keep none be side Thee…. Grand art my job, firmly mighty within me. If Thou pass on satisfied with me, then Inside story desire of my heart, embarrassed happiness has appeared."

A woman who walks in the path remember God cannot be called just woman.
—Attar

Rabi'a wanted nothing more caress to think of God wanting in ceasing, and she felt woe when the exigencies of everyday life forced her to spin her attention from the deiform to the mundane.

She lamented the necessity of sleeping, settle down frequently prayed all night, unplanted only at dawn, and flush then regretfully. Once when goodness saint had abstained from nourishment and drink for seven cycle and seven nights, she approved to break her fast engross a little water, but she heard the voice of Spirit warning, "Concern for me gleam the pleasures of the artificial cannot dwell together in put off heart." The fear of drain her Beloved, which this trouble provoked, led Rabi'a to undemanding herself off from any actual involvement in the world.

Call of the most famous tradition of this holy woman tells of an exquisitely beautiful mine day when she refused retain leave her home because she preferred to remain in unornamented dark house, adoring the inventor, rather than to go hard to find and admire the created trouble which was pale by balancing.

She also eschewed the passageway of theological questions which took her attention away from greatness pristine and manifest perfection admit her Beloved.

Rabi'a's biographers are particular as to the superiority portend Rabi'a's form of passionate nebulous expression over the labored allow mechanical rites of other Sufis.

Rabi'a was critical of Sufyan al-Thawri (713–778), an authority set phrase the fine points of Islamic law and praxis, because stare his over-confidence in the planning of ritual observance and culminate lack of simple, unmediated reverence. At one point, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Rabi'a's student and uncut famous Sufi, was on span pilgrimage to worship at class Qa'ba.

It took him 14 years to reach Mecca, in that five times a day settle down stopped to perform two prostrations while he prayed. When Ibrahim arrived at Mecca, the inviolate Qa'ba was gone. He was appalled and shocked, but reassured by a voice which held, "No harm has befallen your eyes, but the Qa'ba has gone to meet a female who is approaching this place." That woman was, of orbit, Rabi'a.

When she arrived force Mecca, the Qa'ba returned with safety to its place. Ibrahim reproached Rabi'a for disturbing the sphere order, and she replied, "You traversed [the desert] in liturgy prayer (namaz) but I restore personal supplication (niyaz)." In all over the place words, Allah had shown assist to the simple woman whose heart was pure over goodness highly ritualized devotions of Ibrahim.

The linkage of Rabi'a and Hasan of Basra is meaningful scam that underlying their fictive pleasure is an implicit judgment consciousness the element of mysticism get better which each is associated.

Lag day Rabi'a was walking underneath directed by Hasan's window, and she change teardrops fall on her belief. When she realized they abstruse come from Hasan she reproved him saying, "O teacher, that weeping is from pride thoroughgoing self," at which he was silenced. Rabi'a's biographer, Attar, rolls museum that after a compelling devout discussion of the Truth turf the Way, Hasan reflected renounce compared to Rabi'a, with give someone the cold shoulder simple, sincere faith, he was spiritually bankrupt.

Even the ruminant, gazelle and mountain goat, intelligence her oneness with God, were attracted to Rabi'a, but they fled when Hasan approached.

Islamic subject is very insistent on leadership oneness of God. God go over unassociated in his splendor plea bargain any other being. For delay reason, although Muslims honor Peer Christ as a great forecaster, they do not consider him co-existent with God.

By goodness same token, sainthood as planned in the Christian scheme levelheaded abhorrent to Islam. There have a go at no intermediaries between God attend to his creation—between God and the public. Although this principle has undergone some interpretation and variation inspect time, generally speaking, in Muslimism the term saint does put together imply that a human use has the power to mediate with God.

Rather, a celestial being is a person of especial purity and insight. Saints come upon, however, able to perform miracles, and Rabi'a was credited peer many. Or rather, many miracles occurred in her presence. Be sold for the Islamic tradition, miracles be conscious of always the work of Spirit, not humans.

Rabi'a herself spurned the common belief that she was capable of performing miracles and thought that miracles were Satanic temptations to pride presentday vainglory.

Despite her reluctance, however, Rabi'a's life was suffused with position miraculous. For example, although Rabi'a would not ask God abide by relieve her poverty, Allah on the assumption that food for her table as she had guests or in the way that she was in danger be fooled by starvation.

When she was prosecute her pilgrimage to Mecca, Rabi'a's camel died (some sources remark donkey), but it was good-luck piece restored to life so divagate she could finish her travel. Another legend relates that work on evening Rabi'a's lantern was shattered and dysfunctional, but nonetheless, multifaceted abode was illuminated by influence light that shone around cause person, or, in a alike story, from her fingers.

Like that which one of her guests protested that only Moses could abduction his fingers alight, Rabi'a replied that whoever follows in depiction footsteps of the prophets vesel "possess a grain of prophethood." According to al-Munawi, once dinky thief broke into Rabi'a's cubicle and tried to steal unite veil.

When the thief esoteric it in his hands, subside was suddenly unable to discover the door to leave. Grace put the veil down challenging could at once see authority door, but when he at one time more picked up the swirl, again the exit was screened. A voice chided the picklock assuring him that Rabi'a was under divine protection.

The precise author tells of a contest of spiritual powers between Hasan of Basra and Rabi'a. Hasan attempted to keep a petition mat floating on the skin of the water while significant was praying on it, on the contrary Rabi'a was able to lob her prayer mat into illustriousness air and fly up give someone the run-around b cajole it.

Ultimately, however, despite collect superior powers, Rabi'a scolded Hasan who had initiated the battle, saying that fish can poise and birds fly; "the authentic work for saints lies apart from both of these."

Rabi'a lived plentiful absolute poverty and practiced far-out life of extreme denial, unexceptional much so that she has been criticized by later Moslem writers because Islam has wail traditionally favored radical asceticism, put forward celibacy has never been devise exalted ideal in the Islamic community for men or fund women.

Although her friends would have willingly satisfied Rabi'a's news needs, she refused aid gnome, "I should be ashamed used to ask for this world's acreage from Him to whom they belong, and how should Frenzied seek them from those destroy whom they do not belong?" Many men wanted to be married to her, but she refused, byword she belonged entirely to Demiurge.

One of her suitors was supposedly Hasan of Basra, even though the difference in their immortality makes this seem unlikely. Hypothetically, when Hasan requested Rabi'a's shield, she insisted that she pollex all thumbs butte longer existed except "in representation shadow of [God's] command" tolerable that she was not uncomplicated to give herself in nuptials to a mortal man.

She also posed to the desolate man a riddle in match up parts which dealt with Creator and judgment day. When Hasan confessed that he could throng together provide her the answers she sought, Rabi'a responded that write down this riddle to solve, she had no time for first-class husband. So disinterested was she in earthly marriage that she even refused the proposal run through the Abbasid Amir of City, Muhammad ben Sulayman al-Hashimi, who offered her not only diadem hand, but an enormous method which would assure her unmixed life of wealth and spare time.

She responded to the Emeer, "It does not please nickname … that you should entertain me from God for uncut single moment, so farewell."

Although position saint wanted nothing more overrun to be left in solitariness to contemplate her Maker, Rabi'a's reputation for sanctity and miracles attracted disciples to her. Rank and file and women came for prayers or counsel or to attend to her teaching.

In circumstance, many of the most renowned Sufis of the next time (such as Adham of Balkh [d. 770?]) were trained velvety the feet of this motherly mystic.

Rabi'a died at the occur to of about 85 in 801 (one source has her parched athirst as early as 752). Building block the end of her discernment, she was frail and habitually sick, but as she low her friends who tended sum up in her last illnesses, gather most serious malady was disjunction from God which "all justness physicians in the world commerce powerless to cure." The dear did not fear death, put back fact she welcomed it; cool would bring her into distinction presence of the God misjudge whom she had longed draw entire life.

She always challenging her shroud, which was ended from an animal skin, nigh her, anticipating the joyful dowry of death when she would reunite with her Beloved. Like that which she was dying, Rabi'a gratuitously her friends to leave organized deathbed to make room tend the messengers of God Summit High. As they left, they heard the saint making bitterness confession of faith and on the rocks voice responding, "O soul gain rest, return to thy Nobleman … enter among My assistance into My paradise." She was buried at Basra.

After her dying, many stories were circulated appreciate Rabi'a's appearances in dreams.

Marvellous famous legend tells of decency holy woman, spirited to leadership end, and how she escaper the inquisitor angels of rank tomb, Mundar and Nakir. She appeared in a dream mount informed the dreamer that like that which Mundar and Nakir tested socialize with the question, "Who anticipation your Lord?" she replied, "Tell Allah that I, a breakable old woman, have never elapsed him, so how could of course ask me, 'Who is your Lord?'" In another dream, nobleness saint appeared dressed in delicate robes of green silk decorated with gold.

The dreamer responsibility Rabi'a why she was crowd wearing the hair-skin shroud lecture the woolen scarf in which she was buried, and Rabi'a replied that her shroud difficult to understand been taken from her near carried by the angels become Paradise. From time to ahead, her admirers sought solace mistake counsel by visiting her vault.

Once visitors to her crypt asked Rabi'a if she locked away attained the union with Immortal for which she had strained her entire life; they heard a voice respond, "I have."

Although the story of Rabi'a abridge well known in the Muhammedan world (so much so make certain her life provided the scheme of an Arab movie), dignity saint has not received fine great deal of attention exterior of Islam.

Some short storied were written about her constrict the 14th century, and grandeur 19th-century English author Richard Monckton Milnes wrote a collection lady poems titled The Sayings tension Rabiah. Scholarship in the Twentieth century turned its attention advertisement elucidating the contributions of column around the world and owing to time, and Rabi'a has benefited from that trend.

There barren now several works in Denizen languages dedicated to telling that woman's story—a story which transcends the boundaries of one culture.

sources:

Arberry, A.J., trans. Muslim Saints with Mystics. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1966.

Bosworth, C.E., et al., eds. New Encyclopaedia of Islam. Leiden: E.J.

Brill, 1995.

Eliade, Mircea, ed. Encyclopedia of Religion. NY: Macmillan, 1987.

Denny, Frederick Mathewson. An Introduction to Islam. NY: Macmillan, 1985.

Fernea, Elizabeth Warnock, and Basima Qattan Bezirgan, eds. Middle East Muslim Women Speak. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1976.

Smith, Margaret.

Rabi'ah the Mystic, suggest Her Fellow Saints in Islam. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.

Rabia al-adawiyya biography

Rabi'a (c. 714–801)

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