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Rabi'a al-Adawiyya
716 CE – 801 CE · Basrasufi
Description
Rābiʼa al-ʼAdawiyya al-Qaysiyya or Rabia Basri was a poet, one of the earliest Sufi mystics and an influential religious figure from Basra. Her full name is said to be Rābiʿa bint Ismāʿīl; her kunya was Umm ʿAmr, her wilāya was al-ʿAtakiyyah, and her nisba was al-ʿAdawiyya or al-Qaysīyya because she was a freed slave of the tribe of Qays ibn ʿAdī. She is regarded as one of the three preeminent Qalandars of the world.
Facts
| Born | between 714 and 718 CE |
| Died | 801 CE |
| Influences | Hasan of Basra |
| Era | Islamic Golden Age (Umayyad and Abbasid era) |
| Main interests | Asceticism, divine love |
| Notable ideas | Divine love |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Biography | Very little is known about the life of Rabi‘a, notes Rkia Elaroui Cornell. |
| Early life | Her father had three daughters, and Rābiʿa was the fourth. |
| Philosophy and religious contributions | Often noted as having been the single most famous woman in Islam, Rabiʿa was renowned for her high virtue and piety. |
| Poetry and stories | Much of the poetry attributed to her is of unknown origin. |
| Legacy | In a Sufi narrative, Sufi leader Hasan al-Basri explained, "I passed one whole night and day with Rabi'a... |
| In popular culture | The life of Rabia has been the subject of several motion pictures of Turkish cinema. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Rabi'a al-Adawiyya, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| I love God for Himself alone — not from fear of Hell nor desire for Paradise | Rabi'a, hikam |
| I would set the fire of Paradise and quench the flame of Hell | Rabi'a, hikam |