Thinkers Timeline

Rabia of Basra was an early Sufi mystic and saint. Sufism is the mystical tradition within Islam. It emphasises the inner experience of God rather than only outward religious practice. Rabia is one of the most important early figures in this tradition. She lived in what is now southern Iraq. Her full name was Rabia al-Adawiyya al-Basri. 'Al-Basri' means 'from Basra'. She was probably born around 717 CE and died around 801 CE, living to nearly 80 years old. The exact dates are uncertain. Almost everything we know about her comes from later Sufi writers who collected and shaped stories about her over the following centuries. The traditional life story tells of great hardship. She was born the fourth daughter to a poor family in Basra. Her parents died when she was young, possibly in a famine. She was kidnapped or sold into slavery as a child. Her master treated her harshly. According to legend, he saw a light shining around her one night while she was at prayer. He freed her in awe. After her release, she lived alone in the desert for some years. Then she returned to Basra. She lived a life of severe poverty and constant prayer. She refused to marry, despite many proposals from important men. She said she belonged only to God. Disciples gathered around her. She taught a generation of Sufis. Her teaching focused on pure love of God, not love motivated by hope of paradise or fear of hell. Her grave was a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Modern scholars debate how much of the traditional story is reliable history.