Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya
Rabi’a al-Adawiyya is recognised as the first female Saint of Islam due to her
major role in the early maturation of Islam, specifically, the expansion of
Sufism. It was she who focused on a rigorous asceticism that required complete
abandonment of ones worldly pleasures in order to detach one from the fear of
hell and enter the passionate love and devotion for God. Her belief in this
notion “Muhabbah” (Divine Love) and her dismissal of materialism became a strong
prestige throughout her teachings and poetry. Additionally, her incomparability
from the traditional female ideology of the time period challenged the specific
roles of gender as delineated by Islam. It latter became widely accepted within
the Sufi movement that women had gained a greater role within the religion due
to Rabi'a's actions and influences.
The Sufis are not an ethnic or religious group, but a mystical movement that is
found all over the Islamic world and that still has a deep influence on the
varied populations of the Middle East. Sufism searches for a direct mystical
knowledge of God and of his Love. Its goal was to progress beyond mere
intellectual knowledge to a mystical (existential) experience that submerged man
in the infinity of God. Sufism had an important part in the formation of Muslim
societies as it educated the masses and met their felt needs, giving spiritual
meaning to their lives and channeling their emotions. The goal of the sufi's is
to reach a strong amalgamation with Allah (their god) through love and true
faith.
'Mahabba' or Love as it is known, is a noble state that God has bestowed as a
quality belonging to the creation, through this love, he has has touched that
who seeks him. Rabi'a al Adawiya, believed that God's love is at the core of the
universe and that we need to feel that love in all we do. Walking through the
streets she was seen carrying a bucket of water in one hand and a burning candle
in the other. When asked why, she said: "I want to set fire to...