As Rabia opened her eyes in a very religious family, she started showing unusual attachment to Islam and the worship of Allah
The world, it is said, has seen only two-and-a-half Qalanders; Bu Ali Qalander, Shahbaz Qalander and Rabia Basri, who is considered half-Qalander for being a woman. Although in some matters women are considered incapacitated, but in taqwa and love of Allah, one gender has no advantage over the other. And perhaps this is the reason why the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) himself gave the news to Rabia’s father about her excellence.
Rabia was born in extreme poverty. The night she was born, the house had nothing to welcome the new baby, not even oil and a new cloth to wrap her in. The wife asked her husband, Ismael, to borrow some oil from next door to light the lamp. Ismael went out but returned without knocking at the door and told his wife that the neighbour didn’t open it.
Ismael had vowed that he’d never ask anything from anyone except Allah. Ismael, a very pious and religious person, had led his life in extreme austerity, always thanking Allah and never asking anything from others. Rabia was his fourth successive daughter and was named so, as in Arabic ‘Rabia’ means ‘fourth’.
While he was beset with his thoughts and misery, he dozed off and saw the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his dream. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) gave him the good tidings that his daughter would be blessed with religious and spiritual excellence.
The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) then asked him to write a note to the ruler of Basra on his behalf, saying: “You send darood (salutations) on me for 100 times daily and 400 times on Friday, but last Friday you forgot to send me darood. Therefore, as compensation, you should give 400 Dinars to Ismael.”
The next morning, Ismael sent the note to the ruler who immediately, after reading it, thanked the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) for remembering him and distributed charity amongst the poor and sent 400 Dinars to Ismael.
As Rabia opened her eyes in a very religious family, she started showing unusual attachment to Islam and the worship of Allah. She was about five years old when her parents died. Another misery struck when she was about eight or nine years old. A severe famine broke out in the city and people started migrating to other places in search of food. In the chaos, she lost her older sisters and she was sold to a wealthy trader of Basra. Her master was a cruel and callous man who would subject her to day-long labour. Hot sun or cold winter, there was no respite for her. She, however, never missed her night prayers.
Daily fasting and night prayers were her routines. Once when her owner woke up during the night, he saw Rabia praying and beseeching Allah and a halo around her. She was saying: “If it were in my hand I’d be spending every moment in your worship. Since you have made me a slave of another, I can’t spend all the time in your worship.” Hearing this, the owner got very upset and immediately released her.
The worship she did in her childhood was matchless. While praying to Allah, she would often say: “If I pray to be saved from Hell, then put me in it. If I pray for Paradise, then take it away from me. And if I pray to have a glimpse of you because I love you so much, then fulfil my desire.”
Most writers agree that Rabia was born in 95 Hijri when, after Mecca and Medina, Kufa and Basra had become the cities of knowledge and learning and home to several renowned Sufis and religious scholars. Immediately after her freedom, she devotedly learned about Islam and within a short time became an expert in the Holy Quran, Ahadiths and Fiqa. In knowledge and logic, she surpassed even her contemporary scholars and Sufis, such as Imam Sufyan Suri and Imam Malik. They would resort to her opinion on several religious matters.
It is said that once, while praying, she dozed off due to fatigue and there entered a thief in her house. Finding nothing in the house, he took the covering cloth from her head and rushed towards the door, but couldn’t find it. Several times he tried to find the door but couldn’t. He placed the cloth back on Rabia’s head and only then he found the door. He took it again but the door disappeared. When he couldn’t get out of the house with the cloth, there came a voice: “Rabia has given herself in My custody. I’m there to protect her and her belongings.” The dread of the voice made the thief run away.
She remained unmarried throughout her life. When people asked her the reason, she said: “The worry of three things stop me from marrying, and if you can remove my worry I’ll marry. The things are: Shall I die a Muslim; Shall I get my account in the right or left hand on the Day of Judgment; Shall my Creator be pleased with me?” No one could answer these questions.
At the time of death, she asked the people sitting around her to leave the room as angels were coming to take her. Everyone left the room and the door was shut. Then came a voice from inside, saying: “O’ peaceful soul, let’s go towards your Rub.” Rabia Basri died in 185 or 187 Hijri, and was buried in Basra, her hometown.
