The Story of Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya

Just recently I learnt about this woman, Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya. Her story impressed me and fascinated me, and I was happy to learn about one of the female contributors to Islam. Unfortunately, not many people know about such women, they are not told about nor read about like the male contributors. A female servant of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is just as much worth as a male servant. To enlighten more people about this woman, I will tell her story and provide a link for further information.

Rabi'a was the fourth daughter and child in her family, and she was born outside Basra, in what is now called Iraq around year 717 (95-99 A.H.). Her father's name was Isma'il and they were very poor. Her father had made a promise that he would never ask any human being for help, so even when Rabi'a was born he didn't go to ask his neighbour for some oil to light the lamp.

When he was sleeping he dreamt that Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) came to him and said: "Do not be sad. The girl child which has just been born is a queen amongst women who shall be the mediator for seventy thousand of my Community. Tomorrow you must go to 'Isa Zadan, the Governor of Basra. Write this message on a piece of paper which you will take to him: Every night you send upon me a hundred blessings and on Friday night four hundred. Last night was Friday night and you forgot me. To set right your forgetfulness, give this man four hundred dinar, which he has lawfully earned."

After Isma'il woke up he burst into tears, and wrote down what the Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) had told him in the dream, and went to one of the Governor's chamberlains to present the letter. After the Governor had read the letter, he gave the man 400 dinars and Isma'il went to buy all the necessities for his holy daughter.

Isma'il was working very hard for his family in the desert, and when Rabi'a was just 11 years old he died and left the family in poverty. The mother thought the life in the desert was too hard, and decided to take her daughters to Basra to make a better living. However, in the desert bandits came to them and killed their mother and took the daughters as slaves.

The master of Rabi'a took her to Baghdad and used her in the best way for him to make profits. He made her dance and sing for people, in celebrations and occasions and in any way his customers wanted her. This caused her to live a very low life.

When she was about 36 years old singing in a wedding, she found herself singing in a different way. The songs came from her heart for her Beloved who was her true Love, because now Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) had awakened her.

At this moment she left all the singing and dancing and refused to continue. This caused her master to be angry and started to hit her and abuse her, to make her come back to her singing like before. She had begin praying every night and asked Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) for help. After have being abused for some time, she still refused to go back and at the end her master decided to sell her at the slavery market, because she was not for any use for him any more.

A holy man took Rabi'a to his home and gave her food and clothes. He said he didn't want anything from her, and that she could be free in his house. She thanked him and said: "If you want anything from me for the Face of Allah, He will give you your reward, but if you want anything from me for yourself only, I have nothing to give you. I have everything that I need from my Beloved God and I do not need anything from any human being."

She never married or had any children. She thought Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) was enough for her, and she didn't need any earthly husband. She said: "My peace is in solitude but my Beloved is always with me. Whenever I witness His Beauty He is my prayer niche (mihrab); toward Him is my qibla. Oh Healer of souls, the heart feeds upon its desire and its striving towards Union with You has healed my soul. You are my Joy and my Life to Eternity. You were the Source of my life; from You came my ecstasy. I have separated myself from all created beings, for my hope is for Union with You; for that is the Goal of my searching."

Rabi'a was very spiritual and wise, and she did not have any shaykh to guide her. She received everything directly from Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Eventually she left Baghdad, and went back to Basra, before she turned her nose to Jerusalem and settled there. She is often referred to as the first true Saint (waliya) of Islam and was praised, because someone said: "When a woman walks in the Way of Allah like a man, she cannot be called a woman." She is accepted as the second spotless Mary.

At the end of her life she bought a small house on the top of the Mountain of Olives, and every day she used to walk down to al-Aqsa Mosque, where she prayed and gave teachings to the people, both men and women, who came to listen to her. After she finished the prayers and teachings, she walked back home again. After her death, her followers built a tomb for her and it still exists near the Christian Church of the Ascension on top of the Mountain of Olives.

When Rabi'a urged to speak, she spoke words that perfectly manifested her belief, faith and love for her Lord. She said: "If I will a thing and my Lord does not will it, I shall be guilty of unbelief." Her faith came from her total surrender to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and she didn't desire anything in this material world, only the love of her Lord. She lived in total poverty, but she didn't want to change her condition, because with the love for her Lord she was still rich. She regarded misfortune in the same way as she regarded favours and happiness.

Once Rabi'a was on her way to Mecca. Half-way she saw the Ka'aba coming to meet her and she said: "It is the Lord of the House Whom I need. What have I to do with the House? I need to meet with Him Who said: "Whoso approaches Me by a span's length I will approach him by the length of a cubit." The Ka'aba which I see has no power over me. What does the Ka'aba bring to me?"

The key to Rabi'a's reaching an living in the presence of her Lord was her constant praying, remembrance and asking for forgiveness for all her shortcomings. She was also aware that her remembrance and repentance didn't come from herself but from her Beloved God. She said: "Seeking forgiveness with the tongue is the sin of lying. If I seek repentance of myself, I shall have need of repentance again. Our asking for forgiveness of Allah itself needs forgiveness."

Other famous quotes from Radi'a are:

"Oh Allah, whatsoever You have apportioned to me of worldly things,
Give that to Your enemies,
And what You have apportioned to me in the Hereafter,
Give that to Your Friends,
For You suffice me."

"Oh Allah, if I worship You for fear of Hell,
Burn me in Hell,
And if I worship You in hope of Paradise,
Exclude me from Paradise.
But if I worship You for Your Own sake,
Grudge me not Your everlasting Beauty."

She saw fear and hope like veils to the vision of God Himself. A story is told that a number of Sufis saw her hurrying on her way with water in one hand and a burning torch in the other. When they asked her to explain, she said: "I am going to light a fire in Paradise and to pour water on to Hell, so that both veils may vanish altogether from before the pilgrims and their purpose may be sure ..."

She was once asked if she hated Shaytan. She replied: "My love to Allah has so possessed me that no place remains for loving or hating any save Him."

She also has said: "O my Joy and Desire, my Life and my Friend. If Thou art satisfied with me, then, O Desire of my heart, my happiness is attained."

Rabi'a was a special woman who inspired a lot of people, and she had a good message to convey. She always spoke wise words and people listened to her. She was very devoted to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala.) May we all learn something from her, inshaAllah!