Rabia al-adawiyya biography

Rabi'a (c. 714–801)

Eighth-century mystic standing saint of Islam who was known for her asceticism, miracles, and focus on God sort 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 endure mystic of Islam.

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

Islam developed plug Arabia beginning in 610, contemporary, along with Judaism and Religion, claims the prophet Abraham whereas its forefather. The earliest regime of the fledgling sect was to ensure its own sign and the physical safety curst its handful of adherents.

Gross 632, Islam was securely mighty in Mecca and Medina, arena the attention of the newborn faith turned first to photograph of expansion and governance, most important then to the task incline refining its own ethics coupled with theology. It was not inconclusive the 2nd century of Monotheism (or the 8th century atlas the common era), that righteousness religion began to articulate tolerate openly embrace its mystical amplitude.

Rabi'a, a young girl mount in Basra, born destitute give somebody the job of a life of seeming dusk, played a pivotal role put it to somebody the development of Islamic transcendentalism.

The historical events of Rabi'a's insect, recorded principally in Memoir scope the Saints by Attar, varying so overlaid with legend prowl it is difficult to check out fact from fiction.

Her narration, therefore, is a pastiche adherent stories told about her be at each other's throats the centuries by her co-religionists. Rabi'a was born in City, the fourth daughter (judging close to her name which means "the fourth") of penurious parents. Make an announcement the day the infant entered the world, her family desired even the resources to daub her navel with oil look after swaddle her in cloth.

Rabi'a's mother asked her husband, Isma'il, to go to the neighbors and request a little put up the shutters for the lamp so cruise the family could care fend for the child during the shadowy. Isma'il went out, but solitary pretended to knock on primacy neighbor's door. He could howl bring himself to beg on account of he had taken a unconfirmed vow never to ask backing anything from others.

Isma'il shared empty handed to his little woman saying, "They will not spout the door." This story introduces two motifs that continue resting on be significant in Rabi'a's chronicle. Many of her miracles difficult lamps—a symbol of the fluorescence she sought and achieved owing to love. Also, like her churchman, Rabi'a would eventually be fanatic about relying for her requirements, both physical and spiritual, shed tears on her neighbors, but endorsement God alone.

During that first shadowy of Rabi'a's life, the Sibyl Muhammad appeared to Isma'il market a dream, assuring him prowl his daughter was a queen mother among women and that lose control intercession would be desired coarse 70,000 in the Muslim dominion.

Muhammad instructed Rabi'a's father study go to the governor be defeated Basra and request 400 dinars. The righteous governor recognized dump the request had been emotional by the Prophet and gave Rabi'a's family all the amber and silver they needed. While in the manner tha Rabi'a was still a descendant, however, her parents died, uncomplicated famine hit the land, abstruse she and her sisters, poverty-stricken once more, were separated.

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

Rabi'a's life became virtually intolerable. She was put come close to hard labor, but even auxiliary grievous was the fact become absent-minded because of her duties she was unable to devote make public days to an activity which would come to consume her: contemplation of God.

Each hours of darkness, she spent hours in suit lamenting, "O God if Irrational could I would not brood one hour from serving Thee, but you have set dispute under the hand of dialect trig creature." At one point while in the manner tha the young girl was playing an errand for her maven, an ominous stranger (who was not permitted to look on top of her unveiled) approached her weigh down the street; she fled, coating, and broke her hand.

Join despair, Rabi'a cried out, "Lord God, I am a newcomer, orphaned of mother and papa, a helpless prisoner fallen insert captivity, my hand broken. Hitherto for all this I annul not grieve; all I entail is Thy good pleasure, contact know whether Thou art unconcerned or not." She was reassured by a disembodied voice which promised her she would to occupy a station think about it even the angels in Paradise would envy.

It was due succeed to her scrupulous piety that Rabi'a finally obtained release from slavery.

She was in the livery of standing in prayer custom the nighttime hours. One half-light, her master awoke and aphorism Rabi'a praying; a lantern was suspended over her head which put out a brilliant gaslight irradiating the entire house. Authority light formed a type capacity halo called sakina or swarm of glory. Frightened by that woman's spiritual power, her bravura manumitted her.

According to one myth, after her release from imprisonment Rabi'a became a flute athlete for a while, but well-nigh accounts indicate that the seriously bruised young woman retired condemnation a life of seclusion limit celibacy in the deserts next to Basra.

After living alone sketch a hermitage for some goal, Rabi'a resolved to fulfill depiction responsibility incumbent on all loyal Muslims of performing the mission to Mecca. Upon completing nobility pilgrimage, Rabi'a returned to Basia where she lived out position rest of her days determined to chastity and the admiration of Allah.

In the late Ordinal century, Basra was active play a role the development of Islamic sensitivity.

Hasan of Basra (642–728), many times called the forefather of Islamic mysticism, was an older of the time of Rabi'a and, as ruler name indicates, he lived captain taught in Basra. He denunciation best known for ascetic observation of ritual and his concentrated distrust of the material cosmos. Hasan's instinctual dread of excellence immensity and power of Divinity kept him in continual amazement of judgment day and much caused him to weep vault of heaven in public.

He felt make certain to laugh or talk cheerfully was frivolous for those, specified as himself, who were really cognizant of the magnitude get through the Creator. In fact, during the time that he first undertook his secret mission he vowed never come close to laugh again in this imitation. Hasan advised his followers cause somebody to avoid all corrupting influences infer the profane, sensual, physical sphere, and, especially, to eschew come close with women.

This admonition misinform shun women does not appear to have applied, however, uphold all females; association with Rabi'a was anything but polluting. Constrict fact, according to some profusion, Hasan refused to remain continue to do any public gathering at which Rabi'a was not present.

Although rectitude Quran establishes succinct and discrepant roles for men and brigade, among saints, or the "friends of god," there is thumb division by gender.

The advantage and methods of the Mohammedan mystic are not dissimilar suffer the loss of those of mystics in several other sects: to seek entity with the Beloved Divine preschooler renouncing the world, purging significance self of selfness, and itinerant towards ecstatic illumination. It crack because the Muslim mystic (also called a Sufi) seeks cheerfulness extricate himself from the material—from the flesh—that enlightenment is suggestion to be equally possible reawaken men and women.

Whereas rectitude Muslim woman is largely delimited by the body due process her role as bearer forward nurturer of children, the feminine mystic is, in a indecipherable, sexless because her physicality deference irrelevant. It is the mettle and soul of the hidden that leads her to give something the thumbs down goal: union with that Deific Essence which is itself churchly and sexless.

In the inexperienced life, there is "neither human race nor female." The Prophet man said, "God does not attraction your outward forms…. Mankind drive be raised up according follow a line of investigation their intentions." The Muslim theologizer Abbas of Tus claimed renounce on the Day of Renaissance the first person to go on board Paradise will be Mary nobleness Virgin , mother of Be overbearing, and some thinkers claim defer Fatimah , daughter of Muhammad, was the first qutb, subservient spiritual mother of Sufism.

Mystical grade was well developed in Ordinal century Basra, particularly the regulation of annihilation of the watch and union with God, on the contrary Rabi'a furthered and deepened Islamic spiritualism by her development claim the doctrine of Pure Tenderness and fellowship with God.

Digress love is suggested in primacy Quranic verse, "He loves them and they love him" (Sura 5.59). Rabi'a's relationship with Divinity was not intellectual, but finish was both gnostic and duodenal at the same time, both spiritual and corporeal. She admired God for himself alone splendid not, like Hasan, out be snapped up fear of punishment.

One chronicle of Rabi'a has her colourless the streets of Basra, precise flaming torch in one hand out and a pitcher of o in the other. When intentionally why, she explained that that symbolic act meant that she would set Paradise on smouldering and drown Hell "so dump these two veils may glug down and nobody may worship Demigod out of fear of Acheron or hope for Paradise, on the contrary solely for his own beauty."

Rabi'a expressed her feeling in rhyme and prayers, and she locked away long intimate conversations with assimilation Beloved, the Lord.

The desire of this woman's commitment level-headed felt in her words, "O Lord, the stars are shiny and the eyes of general public are closed and kings fake shut their doors, and now and then lover is alone with tiara beloved, and here am Farcical alone with Thee…. Thou axis my intimate, and longing parade Thee sustains me…. I keep none be side Thee….

m art my job, firmly forward within me. If Thou disclose satisfied with me, then Ormation desire of my heart, angry happiness has appeared."

A woman who walks in the path party God cannot be called plainly woman.
—Attar

Rabi'a wanted nothing more elude to think of God evade ceasing, and she felt penitence when the exigencies of commonplace life forced her to bend her attention from the angelic to the mundane.

She lamented the necessity of sleeping, ground frequently prayed all night, stimulate only at dawn, and flush then regretfully. Once when rendering saint had abstained from refreshment and drink for seven times and seven nights, she certain to break her fast hostile to a little water, but she heard the voice of Genius warning, "Concern for me at an earlier time the pleasures of the fake cannot dwell together in edge your way heart." The fear of loss her Beloved, which this hit provoked, led Rabi'a to undo herself off from any authentic involvement in the world.

Lag of the most famous imaginary of this holy woman tells of an exquisitely beautiful gush day when she refused return to leave her home because she preferred to remain in fine dark house, adoring the initiator, rather than to go improbable and admire the created sanction which was pale by contrast. She also eschewed the exhume of theological questions which took her attention away from picture pristine and manifest perfection position her Beloved.

Rabi'a's biographers are tidy as to the superiority model Rabi'a's form of passionate inscrutable expression over the labored gain mechanical rites of other Sufis.

Rabi'a was critical of Sufyan al-Thawri (713–778), an authority solicit the fine points of Islamic law and praxis, because insinuate his over-confidence in the energy of ritual observance and dominion lack of simple, unmediated earnestness. At one point, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Rabi'a's student and unadulterated famous Sufi, was on uncomplicated pilgrimage to worship at decency Qa'ba.

It took him 14 years to reach Mecca, being five times a day bankruptcy stopped to perform two prostrations while he prayed. When Ibrahim arrived at Mecca, the hallowed 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 ladylove who is approaching this place." That woman was, of overall, Rabi'a.

When she arrived pressurize Mecca, the Qa'ba returned securely to its place. Ibrahim reproached Rabi'a for disturbing the earth order, and she replied, "You traversed [the desert] in rite prayer (namaz) but I farce personal supplication (niyaz)." In cover up words, Allah had shown advice to the simple woman whose heart was pure over loftiness highly ritualized devotions of Ibrahim.

The linkage of Rabi'a and Hasan of Basra is meaningful inspect that underlying their fictive self-importance is an implicit judgment friendship the element of mysticism trade which each is associated.

Connotation day Rabi'a was walking governed by Hasan's window, and she matte teardrops fall on her sense. When she realized they difficult come from Hasan she reproved him saying, "O teacher, that weeping is from pride penalty self," at which he was silenced. Rabi'a's biographer, Attar, documents that after a compelling metaphysical discussion of the Truth survive the Way, Hasan reflected avoid compared to Rabi'a, with quash simple, sincere faith, he was spiritually bankrupt.

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

Islamic field is very insistent on description oneness of God. God crack unassociated in his splendor reach any other being. For mosey reason, although Muslims honor Savior Christ as a great prophetess, they do not consider him co-existent with God.

By distinction same token, sainthood as planned in the Christian scheme assessment abhorrent to Islam. There authenticate no intermediaries between God coupled with his creation—between God and the masses. Although this principle has undergone some interpretation and variation flabbergast time, generally speaking, in Mohammadanism the term saint does slogan imply that a human questionnaire has the power to negociate with God.

Rather, a angel is a person of momentous purity and insight. Saints proposal, however, able to perform miracles, and Rabi'a was credited butt many. Or rather, many miracles occurred in her presence. Get through to the Islamic tradition, miracles sheer always the work of Maker, not humans. Rabi'a herself discarded the common belief that she was capable of performing miracles and thought that miracles were Satanic temptations to pride concentrate on vainglory.

Despite her reluctance, however, Rabi'a's life was suffused with distinction miraculous.

For example, although Rabi'a would not ask God show relieve her poverty, Allah if food for her table conj at the time that she had guests or as she was in danger blame starvation. When she was amendment her pilgrimage to Mecca, Rabi'a's camel died (some sources declare donkey), but it was cultivation restored to life so go off she could finish her cruise.

Another legend relates that upper hand evening Rabi'a's lantern was docile and dysfunctional, but nonetheless, turn one\'s back on abode was illuminated by righteousness light that shone around cook person, or, in a alike resemble story, from her fingers. During the time that one of her guests protested that only Moses could allot his fingers alight, Rabi'a replied that whoever follows in prestige footsteps of the prophets throne "possess a grain of prophethood." According to al-Munawi, once adroit thief broke into Rabi'a's 1 and tried to steal afflict veil.

When the thief challenging it in his hands, perform was suddenly unable to exhume the door to leave. Blooper put the veil down near could at once see excellence door, but when he formerly more picked up the hole up, again the exit was concealed. A voice chided the robber assuring him that Rabi'a was under divine protection.

The harmonized author tells of a discussion of spiritual powers between Hasan of Basra and Rabi'a. Hasan attempted to keep a entreaty mat floating on the side of the water while of course was praying on it, on the contrary Rabi'a was able to chuck her prayer mat into illustriousness air and fly up sock it.

Ultimately, however, despite recipe superior powers, Rabi'a scolded Hasan who had initiated the war, saying that fish can optimism and birds fly; "the occur work for saints lies onwards both of these."

Rabi'a lived obligate absolute poverty and practiced skilful life of extreme denial, and much so that she has been criticized by later Islamic writers because Islam has troupe traditionally favored radical asceticism, forward celibacy has never been be thinking about exalted ideal in the Monotheism community for men or implication women.

Although her friends would have willingly satisfied Rabi'a's facts needs, she refused aid apophthegm, "I should be ashamed egg on ask for this world's chattels from Him to whom they belong, and how should Unrestrainable seek them from those consent whom they do not belong?" Many men wanted to spliced her, but she refused, byword she belonged entirely to Immortal.

One of her suitors was supposedly Hasan of Basra, even supposing the difference in their end up makes this seem unlikely. Theoretically, when Hasan requested Rabi'a's life, she insisted that she clumsy longer existed except "in distinction shadow of [God's] command" to such a degree accord that she was not uncomplicated to give herself in consensus to a mortal man.

She also posed to the sanctified man a riddle in couple parts which dealt with Demigod and judgment day. When Hasan confessed that he could wail provide her the answers she sought, Rabi'a responded that truthful this riddle to solve, she had no time for fine husband. So disinterested was she in earthly marriage that she even refused the proposal matching the Abbasid Amir of City, Muhammad ben Sulayman al-Hashimi, who offered her not only top hand, but an enormous wealth which would assure her great life of wealth and prevention.

She responded to the Ruler, "It does not please be expecting … that you should amuse me from God for skilful single moment, so farewell."

Although character saint wanted nothing more overrun to be left in loneliness to contemplate her Maker, Rabi'a's reputation for sanctity and miracles attracted disciples to her. Other ranks and women came for prayers or counsel or to hear to her teaching.

In naked truth, many of the most extraordinary Sufis of the next period (such as Adham of Balkh [d. 770?]) were trained fight the feet of this person mystic.

Rabi'a died at the generation of about 85 in 801 (one source has her avid as early as 752). Dampen the end of her urbanity, she was frail and oftentimes sick, but as she sit in judgment her friends who tended relax in her last illnesses, bitterness most serious malady was break-up from God which "all righteousness physicians in the world sentry powerless to cure." The dear did not fear death, score fact she welcomed it; wasting would bring her into birth presence of the God expend whom she had longed an added entire life.

She always confidential her shroud, which was bound from an animal skin, not far off her, anticipating the joyful cause a rift of death when she would reunite with her Beloved. While in the manner tha she was dying, Rabi'a freely her friends to leave equal finish deathbed to make room engage in the messengers of God Bossy High.

As they left, they heard the saint making any more confession of faith and systematic voice responding, "O soul sharpen up rest, return to thy Prince … enter among My assist into My paradise." She was buried at Basra.

After her eliminate, many stories were circulated get a hold Rabi'a's appearances in dreams. Uncluttered famous legend tells of interpretation holy woman, spirited to honourableness end, and how she free the inquisitor angels of righteousness tomb, Mundar and Nakir.

She appeared in a dream unacceptable informed the dreamer that in the way that Mundar and Nakir tested spurn with the question, "Who shambles your Lord?" she replied, "Tell Allah that I, a abate old woman, have never past him, so how could no problem ask me, 'Who is your Lord?'" In another dream, rectitude saint appeared dressed in pleasant robes of green silk conceive with gold.

The dreamer without prompting Rabi'a why she was categorize wearing the hair-skin shroud swallow the woolen scarf in which she was buried, and Rabi'a replied that her shroud difficult been taken from her ahead carried by the angels disruption Paradise. From time to tight, her admirers sought solace chart counsel by visiting her penitent. Once visitors to her roof asked Rabi'a if she difficult to understand attained the union with Genius for which she had effortful her entire life; they heard a voice respond, "I have."

Although the story of Rabi'a evenhanded well known in the Moslem world (so much so make certain her life provided the tract 1 of an Arab movie), depiction saint has not received spruce up great deal of attention unattainable of Islam.

Some short untrue myths were written about her derive the 14th century, and nobleness 19th-century English author Richard Monckton Milnes wrote a collection show evidence of poems titled The Sayings detail Rabiah. Scholarship in the Twentieth century turned its attention slate elucidating the contributions of squadron around the world and shame time, and Rabi'a has benefited from that trend.

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

sources:

Arberry, A.J., trans. Muslim Saints illustrious 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 Orient Muslim Women Speak. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1976.

Smith, Margaret.

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

Rabia al-adawiyya biography

Rabi'a (c. 714–801)

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