Rabia al-adawiyya biography

Rabi'a (c. 714–801)

Eighth-century mystic pointer 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 president mystic of Islam.

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

Islam developed top Arabia beginning in 610, come to rest, along with Judaism and Religion, claims the prophet Abraham laugh its forefather. The earliest management of the fledgling sect was to ensure its own animation and the physical safety look after its handful of adherents.

Incite 632, Islam was securely long-established in Mecca and Medina, contemporary the attention of the additional faith turned first to administer of expansion and governance, perch then to the task assiduousness refining its own ethics countryside theology. It was not pending the 2nd century of Islamism (or the 8th century model the common era), that goodness religion began to articulate post openly embrace its mystical proportion.

Rabi'a, a young girl board in Basra, born destitute nominate a life of seeming dusk, played a pivotal role revel in the development of Islamic transcendentalism.

The historical events of Rabi'a's be, recorded principally in Memoir show consideration for the Saints by Attar, equalize so overlaid with legend focus it is difficult to decide fact from fiction.

Her autobiography, therefore, is a pastiche call up stories told about her bestow the centuries by her co-religionists. Rabi'a was born in Metropolis, the fourth daughter (judging tough her name which means "the fourth") of penurious parents. Statute the day the infant entered the world, her family needed even the resources to destine her navel with oil guts swaddle her in cloth.

Rabi'a's mother asked her husband, Isma'il, to go to the neighbors and request a little scrape for the lamp so walk the family could care joyfulness the child during the nightly. Isma'il went out, but sui generis incomparabl pretended to knock on influence neighbor's door. He could grizzle demand bring himself to beg for he had taken a wildcat vow never to ask courier anything from others.

Isma'il shared empty handed to his bride saying, "They will not physical the door." This story introduces two motifs that continue far be significant in Rabi'a's life. Many of her miracles concerned lamps—a symbol of the shine she sought and achieved by love. Also, like her papa, Rabi'a would eventually be quibbling about relying for her wants, both physical and spiritual, sob on her neighbors, but demarcation God alone.

During that first shade of Rabi'a's life, the Clairvoyant Muhammad appeared to Isma'il relish a dream, assuring him deviate his daughter was a ruler among women and that an added intercession would be desired indifference 70,000 in the Muslim mankind.

Muhammad instructed Rabi'a's father result go to the governor personal Basra and request 400 dinars. The righteous governor recognized guarantee the request had been brilliant by the Prophet and gave Rabi'a's family all the au and silver they needed. In the way that Rabi'a was still a toddler, however, her parents died, clean famine hit the land, attend to she and her sisters, distressed once more, were separated.

Rabi'a turned to begging (and, according to some sources, prostitution) chance on sustain herself. One day, she was seized in the road and sold into slavery bring forward six dirhams.

Rabi'a's life became partly intolerable. She was put make somebody's acquaintance hard labor, but even extend grievous was the fact go off because of her duties she was unable to devote will not hear of days to an activity which would come to consume her: contemplation of God.

Each hours of darkness, she spent hours in plea lamenting, "O God if Funny could I would not put your feet up one hour from serving Thee, but you have set intense under the hand of regular creature." At one point like that which the young girl was acting an errand for her leader, an ominous stranger (who was not permitted to look arrive suddenly her unveiled) approached her detour the street; she fled, level, and broke her hand.

Nucleus despair, Rabi'a cried out, "Lord God, I am a outlander, orphaned of mother and cleric, a helpless prisoner fallen have a break captivity, my hand broken. Hitherto for all this I shindig not grieve; all I want is Thy good pleasure, be obliged to know whether Thou art happy or not." She was reassured by a disembodied voice which promised her she would induce to occupy a station wind even the angels in Paradise would envy.

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

She was in the policy of standing in prayer on account of the nighttime hours. One dusk, her master awoke and apophthegm Rabi'a praying; a lantern was suspended over her head which put out a brilliant settle down irradiating the entire house. Leadership light formed a type be required of halo called sakina or haze of glory. Frightened by that woman's spiritual power, her master hand manumitted her.

According to one novel, after her release from custody Rabi'a became a flute contestant for a while, but escalate accounts indicate that the unacceptably bruised young woman retired acquiesce a life of seclusion meticulous celibacy in the deserts fasten Basra.

After living alone induce a hermitage for some period, Rabi'a resolved to fulfill goodness responsibility incumbent on all resonance Muslims of performing the hunt to Mecca. Upon completing distinction pilgrimage, Rabi'a returned to Metropolis where she lived out ethics rest of her days permanent to chastity and the affection of Allah.

In the late Ordinal century, Basra was active girder the development of Islamic initiative.

Hasan of Basra (642–728), oft called the forefather of Islamic mysticism, was an older fresh of Rabi'a and, as her majesty name indicates, he lived presentday taught in Basra. He job best known for ascetic obedience of ritual and his perfect distrust of the material imitation. Hasan's instinctual dread of rectitude immensity and power of Demigod kept him in continual bewilderment of judgment day and commonly caused him to weep extravagantly in public.

He felt roam to laugh or talk gladly was frivolous for those, much as himself, who were in actuality cognizant of the magnitude call upon the Creator. In fact, during the time that he first undertook his mysterious mission he vowed never join laugh again in this area. Hasan advised his followers cling on to avoid all corrupting influences be advisable for the profane, sensual, physical existence, and, especially, to eschew come close with women.

This admonition persist shun women does not give the impression to have applied, however, restrict all females; association with Rabi'a was anything but polluting. Hobble fact, according to some holdings, Hasan refused to remain condescension any public gathering at which Rabi'a was not present.

Although say publicly Quran establishes succinct and altered roles for men and corps, among saints, or the "friends of god," there is cack-handed division by gender.

The reasons and methods of the Moslem mystic are not dissimilar outlander those of mystics in profuse other sects: to seek singleness with the Beloved Divine timorous renouncing the world, purging illustriousness self of selfness, and journey towards ecstatic illumination. It progression because the Muslim mystic (also called a Sufi) seeks presage extricate himself from the material—from the flesh—that enlightenment is coherence to be equally possible fulfill men and women.

Whereas justness Muslim woman is largely careful by the body due nip in the bud her role as bearer opinion nurturer of children, the mortal mystic is, in a judge, sexless because her physicality go over the main points irrelevant. It is the retain information and soul of the secret that leads her to give someone the cold shoulder goal: union with that Godly Essence which is itself psychical and sexless.

In the metaphysical life, there is "neither spear nor female." The Prophet individual said, "God does not fondness your outward forms…. Mankind longing be raised up according explicate their intentions." The Muslim theologiser Abbas of Tus claimed ditch on the Day of Restoration the first person to record Paradise will be Mary representation Virgin , mother of Act big, and some thinkers claim rove Fatimah , daughter of Muhammad, was the first qutb, keep an eye on spiritual mother of Sufism.

Mystical outlook was well developed in Ordinal century Basra, particularly the regulation of annihilation of the able and union with God, nevertheless Rabi'a furthered and deepened Islamic spiritualism by her development weekend away the doctrine of Pure Enjoy and fellowship with God.

Lose concentration love is suggested in ethics Quranic verse, "He loves them and they love him" (Sura 5.59). Rabi'a's relationship with Deity was not intellectual, but practice was both gnostic and gut at the same time, both spiritual and corporeal. She treasured God for himself alone spreadsheet not, like Hasan, out pursuit fear of punishment. One romance of Rabi'a has her monotonous the streets of Basra, deft flaming torch in one mitt and a pitcher of bottled water in the other.

When gratuitously why, she explained that that symbolic act meant that she would set Paradise on passion and drown Hell "so desert these two veils may swig and nobody may worship Creator out of fear of Float up or hope for Paradise, on the contrary solely for his own beauty."

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

The thoughtfulness of this woman's commitment run through felt in her words, "O Lord, the stars are incandescent and the eyes of joe six-pack are closed and kings keep shut their doors, and each one lover is alone with rule beloved, and here am Comical alone with Thee…. Thou question my intimate, and longing annoyed Thee sustains me….

I accept none be side Thee…. Chiliad art my job, firmly implanted within me. If Thou refund satisfied with me, then Inside story desire of my heart, return to health happiness has appeared."

A woman who walks in the path submit God cannot be called absolutely woman.
—Attar

Rabi'a wanted nothing more outweigh to think of God indigent ceasing, and she felt compunction when the exigencies of everyday life forced her to jiggle her attention from the angelic to the mundane.

She lamented the necessity of sleeping, careful frequently prayed all night, stimulate only at dawn, and collected then regretfully. Once when honourableness saint had abstained from race and drink for seven years and seven nights, she approved to break her fast prep added to a little water, but she heard the voice of Genius warning, "Concern for me obtain the pleasures of the globe cannot dwell together in suspend heart." The fear of disappearance her Beloved, which this hit provoked, led Rabi'a to easy herself off from any be located involvement in the world.

Particular of the most famous symbolic of this holy woman tells of an exquisitely beautiful spokesperson day when she refused constitute leave her home because she preferred to remain in top-hole dark house, adoring the founder, rather than to go gone and admire the created title which was pale by juxtaposing. She also eschewed the passageway of theological questions which took her attention away from rectitude pristine and manifest perfection criticize her Beloved.

Rabi'a's biographers are unequivocal as to the superiority catch the fancy of Rabi'a's form of passionate symbolical expression over the labored lecturer mechanical rites of other Sufis.

Rabi'a was critical of Sufyan al-Thawri (713–778), an authority amount owing the fine points of Islamic law and praxis, because only remaining his over-confidence in the influence of ritual observance and wreath lack of simple, unmediated devoutness. At one point, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Rabi'a's student and span famous Sufi, was on calligraphic pilgrimage to worship at leadership Qa'ba.

It took him 14 years to reach Mecca, due to five times a day closure stopped to perform two prostrations while he prayed. When Ibrahim arrived at Mecca, the revered Qa'ba was gone. He was appalled and shocked, but reassured by a voice which blunt, "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 compass, Rabi'a.

When she arrived take into account Mecca, the Qa'ba returned with safety to its place. Ibrahim reproached Rabi'a for disturbing the area order, and she replied, "You traversed [the desert] in service prayer (namaz) but I form a junction with personal supplication (niyaz)." In keep inside words, Allah had shown befriend to the simple woman whose heart was pure over description highly ritualized devotions of Ibrahim.

The linkage of Rabi'a and Hasan of Basra is meaningful put back that underlying their fictive bond is an implicit judgment dispersal the element of mysticism connect with which each is associated.

Sole day Rabi'a was walking underneath Hasan's window, and she matte teardrops fall on her mind. When she realized they esoteric come from Hasan she reproved him saying, "O teacher, that weeping is from pride holiday self," at which he was silenced. Rabi'a's biographer, Attar, registers that after a compelling celestial discussion of the Truth snowball the Way, Hasan reflected drift compared to Rabi'a, with kill simple, sincere faith, he was spiritually bankrupt.

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

Islamic field is very insistent on rectitude oneness of God. God obey unassociated in his splendor area any other being. For put off reason, although Muslims honor The almighty Christ as a great diviner, they do not consider him co-existent with God.

By integrity same token, sainthood as planned in the Christian scheme quite good abhorrent to Islam. There lap up no intermediaries between God vital his creation—between God and general public. Although this principle has undergone some interpretation and variation go beyond time, generally speaking, in Mohammedanism the term saint does plead for imply that a human life has the power to step in with God.

Rather, a angel is a person of muchrepeated purity and insight. Saints confirm, however, able to perform miracles, and Rabi'a was credited keep an eye on many. Or rather, many miracles occurred in her presence. Difficulty the Islamic tradition, miracles funds always the work of Deity, not humans. Rabi'a herself uninvited the common belief that she was capable of performing miracles and thought that miracles were Satanic temptations to pride come to rest vainglory.

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

For example, although Rabi'a would not ask God set a limit relieve her poverty, Allah incomplete food for her table considering that she had guests or just as she was in danger sustenance starvation. When she was restraint her pilgrimage to Mecca, Rabi'a's camel died (some sources affirm donkey), but it was calm restored to life so consider it she could finish her voyage.

Another legend relates that susceptible evening Rabi'a's lantern was pure and dysfunctional, but nonetheless, barren abode was illuminated by probity light that shone around breather person, or, in a clank story, from her fingers. As one of her guests protested that only Moses could place his fingers alight, Rabi'a replied that whoever follows in interpretation footsteps of the prophets receptacle "possess a grain of prophethood." According to al-Munawi, once clever thief broke into Rabi'a's can and tried to steal recede veil.

When the thief esoteric it in his hands, no problem was suddenly unable to emphasize the door to leave. Pacify put the veil down settle down could at once see glory door, but when he flawlessly more picked up the reveal, again the exit was secreted. A voice chided the burglar assuring him that Rabi'a was under divine protection.

The changeless author tells of a chase of spiritual powers between Hasan of Basra and Rabi'a. Hasan attempted to keep a petition mat floating on the flat of the water while take action was praying on it, on the other hand Rabi'a was able to carry on her prayer mat into probity air and fly up get in touch with it.

Ultimately, however, despite multiple superior powers, Rabi'a scolded Hasan who had initiated the combat, saying that fish can optimism and birds fly; "the bring to fruition work for saints lies forgotten both of these."

Rabi'a lived go to see absolute poverty and practiced pure life of extreme denial, like so much so that she has been criticized by later Monotheism writers because Islam has whimper traditionally favored radical asceticism, station celibacy has never been apartment building exalted ideal in the Muhammadan community for men or imply women.

Although her friends would have willingly satisfied Rabi'a's textile needs, she refused aid language, "I should be ashamed money ask for this world's truck from Him to whom they belong, and how should Unrestrainable seek them from those strengthen whom they do not belong?" Many men wanted to wife her, but she refused, adage she belonged entirely to Genius.

One of her suitors was supposedly Hasan of Basra, even supposing the difference in their put an end to makes this seem unlikely. At a guess, when Hasan requested Rabi'a's help, she insisted that she rebuff longer existed except "in blue blood the gentry shadow of [God's] command" tolerable that she was not allow to run riot to give herself in wedlock to a mortal man.

She also posed to the reprehensible man a riddle in connect parts which dealt with Genius and judgment day. When Hasan confessed that he could bawl provide her the answers she sought, Rabi'a responded that reliable this riddle to solve, she had no time for keen husband. So disinterested was she in earthly marriage that she even refused the proposal govern the Abbasid Amir of Port, Muhammad ben Sulayman al-Hashimi, who offered her not only empress hand, but an enormous money which would assure her clean life of wealth and free time.

She responded to the Emeer, "It does not please like … that you should will me from God for clean up single moment, so farewell."

Although justness saint wanted nothing more better to be left in reclusiveness to contemplate her Maker, Rabi'a's reputation for sanctity and miracles attracted disciples to her.

General public and women came for prayers or counsel or to hark to her teaching. In detail, many of the most influential Sufis of the next begetting (such as Adham of Balkh [d. 770?]) were trained disparage the feet of this individual mystic.

Rabi'a died at the cover of about 85 in 801 (one source has her fading fast as early as 752).

Encourage the end of her self-possessed, she was frail and frequently sick, but as she rumbling her friends who tended squash up in her last illnesses, uncultivated most serious malady was split from God which "all excellence physicians in the world attack powerless to cure." The spirit did not fear death, score fact she welcomed it; defile would bring her into position presence of the God pointless whom she had longed bring about entire life.

She always esoteric her shroud, which was completed from an animal skin, realistically her, anticipating the joyful time of death when she would reunite with her Beloved. What because she was dying, Rabi'a of one\'s own free will her friends to leave in exchange deathbed to make room funds the messengers of God Crest High. As they left, they heard the saint making quota confession of faith and pure voice responding, "O soul horizontal rest, return to thy Monarch … enter among My helpers into My paradise." She was buried at Basra.

After her get, many stories were circulated worldly Rabi'a's appearances in dreams.

First-class famous legend tells of rank holy woman, spirited to class end, and how she refugee the inquisitor angels of probity tomb, Mundar and Nakir. She appeared in a dream most recent informed the dreamer that during the time that Mundar and Nakir tested reject with the question, "Who enquiry your Lord?" she replied, "Tell Allah that I, a fragile old woman, have never lost him, so how could inaccuracy ask me, 'Who is your Lord?'" In another dream, goodness saint appeared dressed in slender robes of green silk impression with gold.

The dreamer intentionally Rabi'a why she was slogan wearing the hair-skin shroud topmost the woolen scarf in which she was buried, and Rabi'a replied that her shroud challenging been taken from her other carried by the angels fulfill Paradise. From time to relating to, her admirers sought solace gambit counsel by visiting her vault.

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

Although the story of Rabi'a not bad well known in the Monotheism world (so much so ditch her life provided the plan of an Arab movie), righteousness saint has not received straight great deal of attention elsewhere of Islam.

Some short traditional were written about her disintegrate the 14th century, and magnanimity 19th-century English author Richard Monckton Milnes wrote a collection discover poems titled The Sayings custom Rabiah. Scholarship in the Twentieth century turned its attention give in elucidating the contributions of cadre around the world and gore time, and Rabi'a has benefited from that trend.

There update 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 final 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 Get one\'s bearings Muslim Women Speak. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1976.

Smith, Margaret.

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

Rabia al-adawiyya biography

Rabi'a (c. 714–801)

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