Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya

Khatam Sharif
In Honour Of The Venerable
Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya al- Basri
(95 185 AH) (717 801 AD)

That which God said to the rose,

and caused it to laugh in full-blown beauty,
He said to my heart,
and made it a hundred times more beautiful.
Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi

In the Mathnavi sharif, Mawlana tells the story of Majnu who was once wandering in the desert.
He happened to pass a traveller who was praying. Majnu, in his hal, walked by in front of him not
knowing he was even there. The traveller was furious and stopped Majnu shouting, cant you
see that I am praying, reading namaz? Please forgive me Haji Sahib, said Majnu, I was
thinking about Layla.

The traveller became even more enraged and continued to shout at Majnu telling him off for
disrupting his prayer. Majnu then replied, If my love for a woman can make me blind, and I cant
see you. You are supposed to be in love with Allah, how is it then that you see me?

Sayyiduna Isa (A) received a revelation in which Allah said, O Isa, when I look into the heart of
a person, if that heart is empty from the love of dunya, this world, and Akhirah, the hereafter, then
I put my love in it.

Hadrat Rabias love was not for a person, not for anything in this world nor the hereafter, but
her love was for Allah alone.

Introduction
Shaykh Attar introduces Hadrat Rabia in this way:

The one who is set apart in the seclusion of holiness, the woman veiled with the veil of religious
sincerity, the one who is on fire with love and longing, the one enamoured of the desire to

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approach her Lord and be consumed in His glory, the woman who lost herself in union with the
Divine, the one accepted by men as a second spotless Mary She is Rabia al- Adawiyya, may
God have mercy upon her.

Hadrat Rabia bint Ismail al-Adawiyya of Al Atik, a tribe of Qays bin Adi was born in humble
circumstances in about 717 AD, between 95 and 97 Hijri. She settled in Basra, in what is now
Iraq, the ancient land of Mesopotamia, where she lived a very modest life. She was a major saint
of Islam and one of the central figures in a Sufi tradition that was highly esteemed by many of her
pious contemporaries. She is known as Rabia al-Adawiyya or al-Qaysiyya, and also as al-
Basriyya. To her, a lifelong celibate is attributed a large share in the introduction into Sufism of
the theme of Divine love.

Her Birth
The night when Hadrat Rabia was born, there was nothing whatsoever in the house. The family
lived in very poor circumstances. They did not possess even one drop of oil to anoint her navel.
There was no lamp, and not even a rag to wrap her in. She had three sisters, and Hadrat Rabia
was the fourth, which is why she was called by that name as it means four in Arabic.

Hadrat Rabias father was a dervish and a pious person who had promised God that he would
never ask any mortal for anything. Please go to our neighbour and ask for a drop of oil, so that
we can light the lamp, his wife said to him. So, he went to the neighbours house, didnt even
knock on the door and returned after a short while empty-handed. They must be asleep, he
reported.

The poor woman wept bitterly. With a heavy heart, in that anxious state, the father placed his
head on his knees and went to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw Rasulullah (S). The
Prophet (S) gave good news to him about his daughter saying, Dont worry the girl who has just
come to earth is a queen amongst women. They then told him to go to Isa ibn Zadan, the
governor of Basra, and tell him, Every night you send upon me a hundred salawat and on Friday
night four hundred. Last night was Friday night, and you missed the 400 salawat, so I am fining
you in compensation of that. Give this man four hundred dinars lawfully acquired.

Hadrat Rabias father on awaking burst into tears. He rose up and wrote as the Prophet (S)
had ordered him. He went to the governors house and sent him the message by the hand of a
guard.

Give ten thousand dinars to the poor as shukrana, the governor commanded after reading the
letter, As a thanksgiving for the Holy Prophet (S) remembering me. Also, give four hundred dinars
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to this man and tell him, I wish to do your ziyarah, but I do not hold it proper adab for a man like
you who has seen Rasulullah (S) come to me. I would, therefore, like to come and place my head
at your threshold. Whatever else you may need, please let me know.

Hadrat Rabias father took the 400 dinars and purchased all that was necessary. He never
returned to the governor and said that he would never have gone either if the Prophet (S) had not
commanded it.

Slavery In Childhood
When Hadrat Rabia had become a little older, and her mother and father had passed away, a
famine came upon Basra. Thus, she was separated from her sisters. Hadrat Rabia ventured
out and was seen by a wicked man, who seised her and then sold her as a slave. In slavery, from
childhood, her master put her to hard labour.

One day as she was passing along the road, a stranger approached. Hadrat Rabia fled. As
she ran, she fell headlong and dislocated her hand. Lord God, she cried, bowing her face to the
ground, I am a stranger, orphaned of mother and father, a helpless prisoner fell into captivity, my
hand broken. For all this I do not grieve as this does not give me pain; all I need is your pleasure,
to know whether you are happy with me or not.

Do not grieve, she heard a voice say. Tomorrow, meaning the Day of Judgment, a station
shall be yours that even the high- ranking angels in heaven will be proud of you.

Hadrat Rabia returned to her masters house. During the day she continually fasted, and by
night she stood in ibadat, worship, until sunrise. One night her master awoke from sleep and,
looking through the window, saw Hadrat Rabia praying. He saw that light was emanating from
above her head like a lantern or lamp, but it was suspended in mid-air without a chain or cord.
The light was glowing so much that her whole room was filled with it.

Hadrat Rabia prayed, O God, You know my heart desires to please You, and that the light of
my eye is in serving You. I would not rest one hour from serving You if I had the freedom to do
so, but this is not in my control. You have made me a slave, and therefore I have to perform my
duties as a slave to my master. Thus, Hadrat Rabia was seeking forgiveness for not having
started her prayer and worship earlier.

Her master upon hearing this dua became afraid. He sat pondering all night. When day broke he
summoned Hadrat Rabia , he was gentle with her and set her free saying, If you wish you can

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go wherever you like as you are free and if you would like to remain here then I will be honoured
to serve you.

Give me permission to depart, Hadrat Rabia said. He gave her leave, and she left the house
and went into the desert where she occupied herself in ibadat day and night. It is said that she
used to offer a thousand nafals every night.

Journey To The Door Of The Beloved

Mawlana Rumi say in the Mathnavi Sharif that when the lover comes to knock at the door of
the beloved, he is asked, Who is it? The lover replies, It is I, your lover. The beloved then
says, Go away you are not yet ready to enter. So, he goes away for many years and then comes
back. He knocks at the door and when asked, Who is it? He replies, It is You O beloved. The
beloved then says, If it is me outside and me inside then open the door and enter, there needs
to be no veil of separation.

The goal of the dervish is union with his Lord. The seeker after God renounces this world and its
attractions. He is purged of Self and all its desires. There remains no me or I only the beloved.
He is inflamed with the passion of love of God. He burns in this separation and journeys ever
onward, looking for the final purpose, to unite with the beloved. This journey takes the lover
through the life of illumination, with all its experiences of joys and sorrows, knowledge,
understanding and wisdom, until at last he achieves the heavenly gnosis and attains the vision of
God. It is this vision of God in which the lover hopes to become one with the Beloved and abide
in Him forever.

Hadrat Abu Hurrairah narrates that Rasulullah (S) said, He who loves to meet Allah, Allah
loves to meet him and he who does not want to meet Allah, Allah has no desire to meet him.

Hadrat Rabia is a prime example of a seeker who is inflamed with the passion of love of God.
As Shaykh Attar affirms that she was on fire with love and longing and that she was captivated
in the desire to approach her Lord and be consumed in His glory, who lost herself in union with
the Divine.

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The Journey Of Love

My Greatest Need is You

Your hope in my heart is the rarest treasure,

Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word.
My choicest hours are the hours I spend with You.
O Allah, I can't live in this world without remembering You,
How then can I endure the next world without seeing Your face?
I am a stranger in your country and lonely among Your worshippers.
This is the substance of my complaint.

Hadrat Rabias love for Allah can be seen in this prayer. Each line of this prayer has a very
deep meaning. Of course, we cannot reach that depth from where Hadrat Rabia spoke, but we
can only reach to the depth of our understanding.

Your hope in my heart is the rarest treasure

That in her heart there is this hope that she will meet her beloved because in this dunya you cannot meet Him. This is
the strange country, so she has hope that her meeting will take place in the hereafter. She goes through life and
endures every affliction with this hope that she will get to see her Beloved. It is this hope that she values most.

Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word.

Sain Tawakkul Shah, a shaykh from Punjab, used to say, When we read durood sharif it is like eating sweets. When
we mention Rasulullah (S)s name, it is as if Allah has put something sweet on our tongues, and it is very enjoyable.
This description shows how much he loved Rasulullah (S) because every time he mentioned their name he felt it, he
tasted it. Likewise, Hadrat Rabia is saying that when you love someone even to say their name is like tasting sweet
honey or sugar.

My choicest hours are the hours I spend with You

If you ask a lover, What is your best time? His answer would be the time spent with the beloved. Mawlana Shaykh
Nazim (Q) would say the time that they were with Grand Shaykh was the best time of their life. That is the true
value of ones life. Hadrat Rabia affirms that the moments spent with the beloved hold the greatest value.

O Allah, I can't live in this world without remembering You

This is the state of the Ashiq, lover, who doesnt need reminding. Hadrat Rabia is saying that its not that I am
forced to remember You; I cant live without remembering You. Our Grand Shaykh Shah e Naqshaband says,
Dhikr, remembrance, is to take away ghaflat, ignorance. Doing Dhikr is to remember something you have forgotten.
So, you are reminding yourself there is someone because you have forgotten. Hadrat Rabia is saying, I have
not forgotten, I can not live without remembering You, as it is what I do.

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How can I endure the next world without seeing Your face?
Remembering the beloved is like being with the beloved. If one is always thinking, talking, remembering, yearning for
the beloved it is indeed as if you are with them. Hadrat Rabia is saying that in this world I remember You without
seeing You, but I dont want this state to be permanent. If I do not see your blessed face in the hereafter, then nothing
will have any meaning. Our Grand Shaykh Sultan ul Arifin said that even Heaven could be Allahs makkar, trick.
Attaining Heaven might be a payoff, like Allah saying, take that and go away. For the lovers of Allah, even Heaven
will be like Hell if they are denied Allahs vision, as this will be unbearable for them.

I am a stranger in your country

Rasulullah (S) said that be in this world like a traveller who sits in the shade of a tree, rests and then goes. Hadrat
Rabia lived in a hut, without desire of anything and did not plan for anything. Both the rich and poor came to her,
yet she never asked them for anything. She says, I am a stranger in this world because people do not understand
what I am saying and I do not understand what they are saying. I want to talk about love, and they want to talk about
something else.

And lonely among your worshippers:

Mawlana Rumi said, When we say the takbir our hands are in this world, but our heart goes into the Divine
presence.

Hadrat Rabia is saying, O Allah you have many worshippers. I am lonely because they are praying for something
else and worshipping something else.

This is the substance of my complaint.

Allah Almighty tells us about the complaint of Sayyiduna Yaqub (A) in Surah Yusuf. When he heard from his sons
that a wolf had eaten his dearest child, Sayyiduna Yaqub (A) said, My complaint is only for Allah, and my pain is
only for Allah.

Later, when the brothers returned from Egypt they still find Sayyiduna Yaqub (A) missing his beloved son so much
so that his eyes had turned white from having cried through separation. When they said, O father, you will kill
yourself crying through separation from Yusuf.

Sayyiduna Yaqub (A) again replied, My complaint is for Allah, my pain is for Allah.

A lover directs his complaints and his prayers both to the beloved. The complaint is to the beloved because nothing
exists except the beloved. Hadrat Rabia clarify this point, I am not just making this statement for people. I am
complaining to You, my Beloved. What then are my hopes and aspirations?

Thus, Hadrat Rabia describes her journey of love in this life and looks towards the final
purpose, to unite with the beloved. In life, she retains the hope of achieving this purpose by
keeping focused on the goal and not allowing any other distractions to come in her way.

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Love For Allah

O Beloved, take me. Liberate my soul. Fill me with Your Love and release me from the
two worlds. If I set my heart on anything but You, let the fire burn me from inside. O
Beloved, take away what I want. Take away what I do. Take away what I need. Take
away everything that takes me from You.
Mawlana Rumi

In Arabic, one word for love is hubb. This word originates from a vessel in which you put water.
When the vessel gets filled up that is when it is called hubb. This is what happens when one is
in love. Love fills one up so that there is no more room for anything else.

Many Sufi masters explain love in different ways such as: to sacrifice everything for the beloved
is love; love is always to do what the beloved wants in their presence and their absence; to finish
yourself in your beloved that is love; to have the fear of losing the respect, honour, and love for
the beloved, this constant fear is love.

Sultan ul Arifin describe love by saying, If you have something in abundance you should
consider that very small. Whatever your beloved gives you, even if it is little you should consider
that a lot.

Imam Qushayri says that his master, Imam Ali Daqaq said about love, This quality is indeed
a Divine quality. It is a quality that you can even attribute to Allah, as Allah loves. This is such a
beautiful quality that it is attributed to both the servant and the lord as they both love.

Someone asked Hadrat Rabia , What is Love? She replied, Love has come from Eternity
and passed into eternity, and none has been found in seventy thousand worlds who drink one
drop of it until at last he is absorbed in Allah, and from that comes to His words:

He loves them, and they love Him.

(Quran 5:59)

Shaykh Abu Said , one of the great masters from Khorasan, explain that a person thinks he
loves God, but , it is God who loves him. A persons attraction to God is just a fraction of how
much Allah loves that person. The Masters say that the real thing that shames the awliya is when
they reach Divine love they realise how little their love is compared to how much their Lord loves
them, and the reality that it was His love that pulled them in the first instance.

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Rasulullah (S) explains in a Hadith Sharif that when Allah loves someone, he tells Sayyiduna
Jibrail (A). Then Jibrail (A) starts loving that person because Allah loves him or her. Then that
person gains fame and acceptance amongst people. Allah puts the love for that person in the
hearts of human beings.

In another Hadith Qudsi, Rasulullah (S) said that Allah says, Whoever shows disrespect or insults
one of my friends, I declare war on him. The Hadith Sharif shows how dear Allah holds the
people that He loves. He declares war on those that detest his friends.

Divine love and love of those whom Allah loves is indeed one of the greatest blessings from Allah
Almighty. Shaykh Attar explains that to love the awliya is a great blessing from Allah. Allah only
puts this love in the hearts of those whom He is pleased with otherwise those hearts would be
void of Love for Him and His friends. It is this blessing from Allah Almighty which blossoms the
heart giving it value and honour, as Mawlana says it makes the heart a hundred times more
beautiful.

Sayyiduna Daud (A) once received a revelation, in which Allah said, When I look into the heart
of a person, and I find in it anything besides me, any love besides my love then I make it haram
for my love to enter that heart.

Rasulullah (S) said, You will be with the one you love.

From this Hadith Sharif, if somebody is in love with an ordinary human being, then they can expect
to be with that person in the hereafter. However, if the love is for someone greater such as the
awliya, or the Prophets, or Rasulullah (S) or even Allah, then what a great honour it is indeed. For
this reason, the Masters warn us to be careful whom we love because our hereafter depends on
it.

Mian Muhammad Bakhsh explains the importance of love by saying, Even if you were to do
thousands of hours of worship and you do it without love, what use is it? It is worth nothing.

One thing is certain from the masters, they all affirm that love gives you honour both here and in
the hereafter. Mian Sahib says in his book, Saif al-Muluk, that anyone who goes towards Allah,
Allah increases his honour in this life as well as in the next and anyone who turns away from Him,
He is degraded in this world and the hereafter.

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Signs Of Love Attribute All To The Beloved

I love God: I have no time left
In which to hate the devil.

By saying this, Hadrat Rabia shows that she is in constant remembrance of her Beloved, and
allows nothing to distract her from this.

Once some people visited Hadrat Rabia and sat in her company. They started talking about
the world reproachfully. She said, 'Do not talk of the world. Do not talk about it even disparagingly.
For, talking about it shows that you consider it to be worth talking about, and something of
consequence. If it were of no consequence in your sight, you would never have liked to make a
mention of it.

There are many signs of being in love. A lover attributes everything to the beloved by constantly
being a state of remembrance. Thus, the lover sees all paths of every situation leading only to the
beloved. The lover does not tolerate anything that is said or done against the beloved. As a lover
frequently mentions his beloved, no matter what the situation Hadrat Rabias response was
always such that it brought the focus back to the Beloved.

My peace is in solitude, but my Beloved is always with me. Whenever I witness His Beauty He
is my mihrab, prayer niche; toward Him is my qibla. O, Healer of souls, the heart feeds upon its
desire, and it's 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 Union with You; for that is the Goal of my searching.

Throughout her life, Hadrat Rabia engaged in the service of her Lord. She strived to seek His
love and pleasure. Hadrat Rabias love was not for a person. She never married, although she
had many offers because of her piety, her love was only for Allah.

Once, Imam Hasan al- Basri asked her, Do you desire to get married? The tie of marriage
applies to those who have a physical being, Hadrat Rabia replied. Here, being has
disappeared, for my physical presence does not exist, and I exist only through Him. I belong
wholly to Him. I live in the shadow of His control. You must ask my hand of Him, not of me.

Once Hadrat Rabia saw a man with a bandage tied around his head. Why have you tied the
bandage? she asked. Because of my headaches, the man replied. How old are you? she
demanded. Thirty, he replied. Have you been in pain and anguish the greater part of your

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life? she enquired. No, the man answered. For thirty years you have enjoyed good health,
she remarked, and you never tied about you the bandage of thankfulness. Now because of this
one night of a headache, you tie the bandage of complaint to show the world!

The Journey To Hajj

Hadrat Rabia became compelled to perform the pilgrimage, Hajj. She bound her bundle on a
donkey and set off into the desert in the direction of Makkah Sharif along with a caravan of other
pilgrims.

On the way, it so happened that her donkey died in the heat of the desert. Others in the caravan
offered to help her with her luggage. You go on, she replied. I have not come putting my trust
in you. So the caravan proceeded towards their destination without her. O God, she cried,
lifting her head, Do kings so treat a woman who is a stranger and powerless? You have invited
me to your House, and yet during the way you have taken from me my only mode of transport,
leaving me alone in this desert.

As soon as she had completed this dua, her donkey began to move and miraculously rose up.
Hadrat Rabia then placed her load on its back and continued on her way. She travelled on
through the desert for some days, and then she halted.

O God, she cried, My heart is weary. Where am I going? I a lump of clay, to a house of stone!
I need You and not the house. She then heard a voice in her heart, O Rabia, do you not
remember how Moses prayed for the vision of Me? And I cast my tajalli upon the mountain, and
the mountain shattered into forty pieces. Be content here with My Name!

Further along in journey, she saw that the Kaba had come to greet her in the middle of the desert.
Upon seeing the Holy House, she remarked, I have not come for you, I want to see your lord,
what do I want with the Kaba, how will it make me happy just seeing you.

It so happened that the great mystic Shaykh Ibrahim bin Adham was also making his way to
Makkah. It took him 14 years to reach Makkah because at every step he prayed two rakahs.
When he finally arrived, he noticed that the Kaba was no longer there.

As he pondered on what calamity could have taken place and even queried the visibility of his
own eyes, he heard a voice from the unseen; There is nothing wrong with your eyes, the Kaba
is not here. It has gone to meet that poor old woman, Rabia.

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Shaykh Ibrahim bin Adham immediately set off to meet this mysterious old woman. When he
finally met Hadrat Rabia he questioned, What is all this commotion that the Kaba is coming
to meet you? Hadrat Rabia replied, what is all this commotion that you are saying that you
have spent 14 years getting to Makkah. You have come to the Kaba by namaz, and I have come
through Niyaz, humility. I do not focus on my actions, whereas you think that you have done
something incredible.

In Her Presence
Shaykh Attar quote Hadrat Abbas Yatusi who say, On the Day of Judgement when Allah
commands O man come forward, the first person to go forward will be Sayyida Maryam (A).

Shaykh Attar strongly justifies his reason for including a woman amongst the biographies of
men in his revered book, Tadhkirat ul Awliya, Memoirs of the Saints. He quotes the Hadith Sharif,
which states that Allah Almighty does not look at the faces, but he looks inside the hearts and
ones intentions. He further adds, If it is permissible for the Ummah to take one-third of the Deen
from a lady, Sayyida Aishah Siddiqah , then why shouldnt we take our spirituality from one of
her servants, Hadrat Rabia .

In this book, Shaykh Attar gives many accounts of Hadrat Rabia were she would teach and
guide people. Her audience and admirers were not only ordinary people but included the great
Shaykhs of the time, such as Hadrat Sufyan Thawri , Hadrat Hasan al- Basri , Hadrat Malik
bin Dinar , Shaykh Ibrahim bin Adham , Hadrat Fudayl bin Iyadh and many others.

Hadrat Rabia say to her Lord, I have made You the Companion of my heart. But my body is
available to those who desire its company. And my body is friendly toward its guest, But the
Beloved of my heart is the guest of my soul.

Although, as Hadrat Rabia said herself, she was always busy with her Beloved all the time and
did not have any moment for anybody or anything else but Him, she also knew the meaning of
what she said, for her Beloved revealed Himself to her in every face around her. She said, The
groaning and yearning of the lover of Allah will not be satisfied until it is satisfied in the Beloved.
And for many people, Hadrat Rabia was that beloved.

Hadrat Rabia was direct in her approach to people, including the Shaykhs. This is because her
love for Allah made her forthright in all matters. Despite this, prominent Shaykhs and learned
scholars were never deterred by her approach and would feel honoured to return to be corrected
by her continually.

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One Shaykh, in particular, was Shaykh Hasan al- Basri , one of the great early masters of the
Qadiri/Chishti Order. He would often spend his time in the company of Hadrat Rabia and the
following anecdotes illustrate his appreciation of her company and likewise her appreciation of
Gods creatures.

On one occasion Hadrat Rabia passed by Shaykh Hasans house. The Shaykh had his head
out of the window and was weeping. His tears fell on Hadrat Rabias dress. Looking up, she
thought at first that it was rain; then, realising that it was the Shaykh Hasans tears, she turned to
him and addressed him. O Hasan, this weeping is a sign of spiritual laziness. Guard your tears,
so that there may surge within you such a sea that takes you closer to God.

One-day Shaykh Hasan saw Hadrat Rabia when she was near a lake. Throwing his prayer
rug on the surface of the water, he called, O Rabia, come! Let us pray two rakahs here!
Hasan, Hadrat Rabia replied, When you are showing off your spiritual abilities in this worldly
market, it should be things that your fellow men are incapable of displaying. She flung her prayer
rug into the air and flew up onto it. Come up here, Hasan, where people can see us! she cried.
Shaykh Hasan , who had not attained that station, said nothing. Hadrat Rabia sought to
console him. Hasan, she said, What you did, fish also do, and what I did flies also do. The real
business is outside both these tricks. One must apply ones self to the real business.

One-night Shaykh Hasan , with two or three friends went to visit Hadrat Rabia . Hadrat Rabia
had no lantern. Their hearts yearned for light. Hadrat Rabia blew on her finger, and all night
till dawn her finger shone like a lantern, and they sat in its radiance. Shaykh Attar explains, If
anyone says, How could this be? I answer, The same as Moses hand. If it is objected, But
Moses was a Prophet, I would reply, Whoever follows in the footsteps of the Prophet can possess
a grain of Prophethood, as Rasulullah (S) said, Whoever rejects a farthings worth of unlawful
things has attained a degree of prophethood, and a true dream is one-fortieth part of
Prophethood.

On one occasion Shaykh Hasan queried of Hadrat Rabia , How did you find this secret, O
Rabia? I lost all found things in Him, Hadrat Rabia answered. How do you know Him?
Shaykh Hasan enquired. You know the how; I know the homeless, Hadrat Rabia replied.

A thief entered Hadrat Rabias hut and seised her blanket. He then attempted to leave the
house, but the way was blocked somehow. He dropped the blanket and started to leave. Realising
the way was now open, he seized the blanket again and returned to discover the way blocked

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again. Once more he dropped the blanket. This he repeated seven times over. Then he heard a
voice proceeding from a corner of the zawiyya.

Man, do not put yourself to such pains. It is so many years now that she has committed herself
to Us. The Devil himself has not the boldness to creep around her. How should a thief have the
boldness to creep around her blanket? Be gone, scoundrel! Do not put yourself to such pains. If
one friend has fallen asleep, the other Friend is awake and keeping watch.

Two pious people came to visit Hadrat Rabia , and both were hungry. It may be that she will
give us food, they said to each other. Her food is bound to come from a lawful source. When
they sat down, there was a napkin with two loaves laid before them. They were both contents with
this. Just then, a beggar arrived, and Hadrat Rabia gave him the two loaves. The two men of
religion were much upset but said nothing. After a while, a maidservant entered with a handful of
warm bread.

My mistress sent these, she explained. Hadrat Rabia counted the loaves. There were
eighteen. Perhaps it was not this that she sent me, Hadrat Rabia remarked. For all that the
maidservant assured Hadrat Rabia it did her no good. So, she took the loaves back and carried
them away. It so happened that she had taken two of the loaves for herself. She added the two
back to the pile and returned with them to Hadrat Rabia . Hadrat Rabia again counted the
loaves and found there were twenty loaves this time. She then accepted them saying, This is
indeed what your mistress sent for me. She set the loaves before the two men, and they ate,
marvelling.

What is the secret behind this? they asked her. We had an appetite for your bread, but you
took it away from us and gave it to the beggar. Then you said that the eighteen loaves did not
belong to you. When there were twenty, you accepted them. I knew when you arrived that you
were hungry, Hadrat Rabia replied. I said to myself, how can I offer two loaves to two such
notables? So, when the beggar came to the door, I gave them to him and said to Almighty God,
O God, You have promised to repay tenfold for one good deed, and this I firmly believed. Now I
have given two loaves to please You, so that You may give twenty in return for them. When
eighteen were brought me, I knew that either there had been some misappropriation, or that they
were not meant for me.

One-day Hadrat Rabias maid was making an onion stew; for it was some days since they had
cooked any food. Finding that she needed some onions, she said, I will ask of next door.
Forty years now, Hadrat Rabia replied, I have had a covenant with my Lord not to ask from
anyone but Him. Never mind the onions. Immediately a bird swooped down from the air with
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Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya

peeled onions in its beak and dropped them into the pan. I am not sure if this is a trick or not,
Hadrat Rabia commented. And she left the onion pulp alone and ate nothing but bread.

Hadrat Rabia had gone one day into the mountains. She was soon surrounded by a flock of
deer, mountain goats and other wild animals which came and sat beside her in harmony. Upon
seeing her, Shaykh Hasan walked in her direction. As soon as the animals sighted Shaykh
Hasan , they made off altogether, so that Hadrat Rabia remained alone. This dismayed
Shaykh Hasan . Why did they run away from me, and associated so tamely with you? he
asked Hadrat Rabia . What have you eaten today? Hadrat Rabia countered. Some meat.
You eat their fat, Hadrat Rabia remarked. Why then should they not flee from you?

Even great Shaykhs of the time were humbled in the presence of Hadrat Rabia . Shaykh Sufyan
al-Thawri , a giant amongst the Awliya, once visited her. Shaykh Abd al-Wahid relates, I went
with Shaykh Sufyan to visit Hadrat Rabia when she was sick, but out of awe for her, I could
not begin to address her. You say something, I said to Shaykh Sufyan .

If you will say a prayer, Shaykh Sufyan said to Hadrat Rabia , your pain will be eased.
Do you not know who has willed that I should suffer? Was it not God? Hadrat Rabia
demanded. Yes, Shaykh Sufyan agreed. How is it that you know that, Hadrat Rabia
went on, and yet you bid me to request from Him the contrary of His will? It is not right to oppose
ones Friend. What do you desire, O Rabia? Shaykh Sufyan asked. Sufyan , you are a
learned man. Why do you speak like that? What thing do you desire? By the glory of God,
Hadrat Rabia said, For twelve years now I have desired fresh dates. You know that in Basra
dates are of no consequence. Till now, I have not eaten any; for I am His servant, and what
business has a servant to desire? If I wish, and my Lord does not wish, this would be kufr,
infidelity. You must want what He wishes, to be a true servant of God. If God himself gives, that
is a different matter.

Shaykh Sufyan was reduced to silence. Then he said, Since one cannot speak about your
situation, do you say something about mine? You are a good man, but for the fact that you have
too much love for dunya, the world, Hadrat Rabia replied, You love reciting Traditions. This
she said, implying that it was a high position. Lord God, cried Shaykh Sufyan , deeply moved,
be content with me! Are you not ashamed, shouted Hadrat Rabia , to seek the pleasure of
the One with whom you are not pleased?

Shaykh Malik bin Dinar relates, I went to visit Hadrat Rabia , and saw her with a broken
pitcher out of which she drank and made her ritual ablutions, an old reed mat, and a brick which
she occasionally used as a pillow. I was grieved. I have rich friends, I told her. If you wish, I
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Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya

will get something from them for you. O Malik, you have committed a grievous error, she
answered. Is not my Provider and their the same? Yes, I replied. And has the Provider of the
poor forgotten the poor because their poverty? And does He remember the rich because of their
riches? she asked. No, I replied. Then, she went on, since He knows my state, how should
I remind Him? Such is His will, and I too wish as He wills.

Once Hadrat Rabia fell grievously sick, she was asked what the cause might be. I gazed upon
Paradise, she replied, and my Lord disciplined me.

Shaykh Hasan of Basra went to visit her. He saw one of the notables of Basra standing at the
door of Hadrat Rabias hermitage wanting to offer her a purse of gold and weeping. Shaykh
Hasan asked why he was weeping.

On account of this saintly woman of the age, he replied. For if the blessing of her presence
departs from among mankind, mankind will surely perish. I brought something for her tending, but
I am afraid that she will not accept it. Please, will you intercede.

Shaykh Hasan then entered and spoke to Hadrat Rabia . She glanced up at him and said,
He provides for those who insult Him, and shall He not provide for those who love Him? Ever
since I knew Him, I have turned my back upon His creatures. I know not whether any mans
property is lawful or not; how then can I take it? I stitched together by the light of a worldly lamp
a shirt that I had torn. For a while, my heart was obstructed until I remembered. Then I tore the
shirt in the place where I had stitched it, and my heart became dilated. Ask the gentleman pray
not to keep my heart obstructed.

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Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya

Sayings

One-day Hadrat Rabia was seen running through the streets of Basra carrying a torch in one
hand and a bucket of water in the other. When asked what she was doing, she said:

I intend to put out the fires of Hell and burn down the rewards of Paradise. They block the way
to God. I do not want to worship from fear of punishment or for the promise of reward, but
simply for the love of God.

Shaykh Sufyan once asked her, What is the best thing for the servant to do who desires
proximity to his Lord? Hadrat Rabia replied, That the servant should possess nothing in
this world for the Next, except Him.

Someone once said to her, Alas, for my sorrow, my sins are great! Hadrat Rabia replied,
Do not lie, but say rather, 'Alas for my lack of sorrow,' for if you were truly sorrowful, life would
have no delight for you.

I seek forgiveness from Allah for the lack of my sincerity when I say I seek the forgiveness of
Allah.

One day a man, who was said to be a knower of Allah, met Hadrat Rabia who asked him
about his state, after that he replied, I have trod the Path of obedience, and I have not sinned
since Allah created me. She said to him, Alas my son, your existence itself is a sin with which
no other sin may be compared.

Hadrat Jafar asked Hadrat Rabia when a devotee might become content with God. She
replied, When his joy in affliction equals his joy in blessing.

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 Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya

I swear that ever since the first day You brought me
back to life,
The day You became my Friend,
I have not slept -
And even if You drive me from your door,
I swear again that we will never be separated -
Because You are alive in my heart
I will not serve God like a labourer, in expectation of
my wages.
O Beloved of Hearts, I beseech only You.
Have pity this day on those who turn to You.
My Hope, my Rest, my Delight,
this heart can love none other but You.
I look everywhere for your love -
Then suddenly I am filled with it.
O Captain of my Heart,
Radiant Eye of Yearning in my breast

I seek no exchange for my dearest love O God, my whole occupation

And all my desire in this world,
Of all worldly things,
O God, Is to remember You.
You know that the only thing I want in this life And in the Hereafter
Is to be obedient to Your command. It is to meet You.
Even the living sight of my eyes This is on my side, as I have stated.
Is service at your court Now You do whatever You will.

Arriving at the destination

Once when Hadrat Rabia was asked, Where have you come from? She said, From that World.
They then asked her, Where are you going? She replied, To that World. They asked, What are you
doing in this world? She said, I am sorrowing. They asked, In what way? She said, I am eating the
bread of this world and doing the work of that World. Then someone said, One so persuasive in speech
is worthy to keep a guest house.

She replied, I am keeping a rest house. Whatever is within I do not allow to go out, and whatever is
without I do not allow to come in. If anyone comes in or goes out, he does not concern me, for I am
contemplating my own heart, not mere clay.

As the journey of love continues to the other world, Hadrat Rabia again remains focused on purpose.
She does not let rewards, Paradise, Hell and the matters of the hereafter distract her even after death.

O God if tomorrow on the Day of Judgement You send me to Hell

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Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya

I will tell such a secret that Hell will break and run from me
Until it is a thousand years from me.

Give the goods of this world to Your enemies

Give the treasures of Paradise to Your friends
But as for me You are all I need.

O God
If I adore You out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!
If I adore you out of desire for Paradise,
Lock me out of Paradise.
But if I adore You for Yourself alone,
Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty.

One of the most famous stories in the Holy Quran about love is that of Sayyiduna Yusuf (A). In the story,
the wife of the minister of Egypt, Hadrat Zulaykha , fell in love with Sayyiduna Yusuf (A), her slave boy.
Hadrat Zulaykhas friends started making fun of her and taunting her that she had disgraced herself by
falling in love with a slave boy. The ladies had never seen Sayyiduna Yusuf (A) so Hadrat Zulaykha
invited them. She sent trays of fruit with knives for her guests to cut and eat. When Sayyiduna Yusuf (A)
appeared before them, the ladies were cutting the fruit. They all became so overwhelmed and besieged
with his beauty that they cut into their hands, slicing their fingers, but they did not feel any pain because
they were looking at Sayyiduna Yusuf (A).

Then Hadrat Zulaykha asked the ladies, All this time you had made fun of me for falling in love with
this slave. What do you say now? The ladies had no answer because they had never seen Sayyiduna
Yusuf (A) so when they did see him they all too fell in love with him.

One of the Masters was confused about two traditions of Rasulullah (S) in which they describe two
different states of people during death. In one Hadith Sharif Rasulullah (S) describe the death of a believer
as if it were like pulling a hair out of butter, painless. In another they said it is like pulling a cloth over
sharp thorns, tearing it to shreds. Rasulullah (SAW) told him in a dream that the answer to his question
was in Surah Yusuf.

The shaykh read the Surah and still could not understand how death, a sure painful affair, can be painless
to some people. Again Rasulullah (S) visited him in a dream, and he asked, Ya Rasulullah (S) I did not
understand. They replied that the answer to his question was in Sayyiduna Yusufs (A) story and that he
should read it again.

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Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya

The shaykh read the surah again and again until finally, he reached this point in the story where the
women cut themselves when they saw Sayyiduna Yusuf (A), and yet they felt no pain. From that, the
Shaykh was told that if you are in love and were dying in that state, you would not feel pain because you
will be looking to your beloved. Just like those women who were lost in Sayyiduna Yusuf (A), they too did
not feel any pain because their focus was on the beloved.

When Sayyiduna Bilal was on his deathbed, his wife was crying beside him knowing that he was about
to die. Sayyiduna Bilal was showing happiness on his face. His wife asked, How can you be so happy
when you are dying? He replied, I am looking towards who I am going to meet. I am going to be with
Rasulullah (S). I am going to be with my friends. Knowing this gives me greater joy than to remain here.

That is the mind frame of the awliya and Hadrat Rabia . No matter where they are in the world, they
are looking forward to the time when they will be with their beloved. For them, this body is an obstacle,
and if it were up to them, they would not exist a moment in separation from their beloved.

An Urdu poet describes his affair in the grave saying that when the angels come into my grave and they
ask me the questions, who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is this person and what did you say
about him in your life?

He says that I will ignore their demands and run to Rasulullah (S) I will fall on their feet and the angels
will demand an answer to their questions. Then my answer to them will be, O angels my whole reason
for dying is so that I can get to this moment. I have died to get to the feet of Rasulullah (S).

Rasulullah (S) said that death is a present for a believer; it is a present for someone who is in love
because it takes him or her to the bridge. Death is like a bridge that takes the lover to the beloved. So
the poet explains that the whole point of dying is to get to Rasulullah (S) and meet them.

Hadrat Rabias maid narrates:

Her permanent, lifelong practice was to remain in prayer and Salat the entire night. After sunrise, she
would lay for a short while on her prayer mat. When her eyes opened, she would be in a state of fear.
Reprimanding herself, she would say, How long will you sleep and refrain from ibadat. Soon you will be
overtaken by such sleep from which only the Trumpet of the angel Israfil (A) will awaken you.

This remained her condition until her death. When her time of death was imminent, she instructed me
not to publicise her death. Only those directly involved in her burial were informed. She further instructed
me to prepare her kafan from her simple cloak, which she used to wear at the time of Tahajjud. Thus she
was buried in that cloak and another cloak which she used to wear.

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Hadrat Rabia al- Adawiyya

The night after her burial, I saw her in a dream clad in the most beautiful silken garments. I asked what
had happened to her old cloaks, which were used as kafan.

She said, It was removed from me, sealed and delivered to the loftiest heavenly realm, A`la Il-liyyeen. It
will be added to my deeds on the Day of Judgement. In place of it, I have been dressed in the garments
you see now. I said, Tell me of something by which I can gain closeness to Allah. She said, Dhikr in
abundance. From this, you will be envied in the grave.

In the year 801AD, 185 AH, when the time of Hadrat Rabias death drew closer, those attending her
deathbed left the room and closed the door. Then a voice was heard saying, O soul at peace, return to
your Lord, well pleased!

A short while later no sound came from the room. As the people opened the door, they found that she
had passed away to meet her Beloved finally. After her death, Hadrat Rabia was seen in a dream.
She was asked, How did you get on with Munkar and Nakir? She replied, Those youths came to me
and asked, Who is your Lord? I answered, Return and say to God, with so many thousands and
thousands of creatures. You did not forget one feeble old woman. And I, who have only one Lord in the
whole universe, how can I ever forget You, that You should send someone to ask me, Who is your God?

Rasulullah (S) indicated Hadrat Rabias father before her birth saying, Be not sorrowful, the child who
has just come to earth is a queen among women. She shall be the intercessor for seventy thousand of
my Ummah on the Day of Judgement.

By the honour of his beloved Hadrat Rabia , may Allah Almighty fill our hearts with His Divine love and
the love of those whom He loves and make us from the people that will benefit from her intercession on
the Day of Judgement?

Al- Fatiha

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