The Impact of Sufism on Early Women

7/29/2019 The Impact of Sufism on Early Women

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The Impact of Sufism on Early Women's Social Status

In general, the statement could be made that in Islam, men and women should be equal. After all in

the Koran both sexes are addressed side by side. Sura thirty three states, Men and women who

have submitted, believed, *+ Allah has prepared for *both of+ them forgiveness and a great reward

(Quran, 423). Thus, Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, should be equally as accommodating to

women as it is to men. However, it is commonly known that what is preached is not what is always

practiced. According to Carl Ernst, professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill and current Director of theCarolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim

Civilizations, Outside of the United States or Western Europe, it is rare to find a Sufi order that

accepts women as a matter of policy (As-Sulami, 18). This is a general statement, and by no means

tries to encompass all Sufi orders and all Sufi women. However, in the modern Eastern world it is

unusual to find women at the head or even in the midst of a Sufi order. They are often marginalized

as Qalandars, freewheeling Sufis, or as hangers-on of a Sufi shrine (As-Sulami, 19). This was not

always the case. During the early stages, women played a large role in the development of Sufi

thought and practice. While there are many who would keep the involvement of women in Sufism

under wraps, Farid Ud-Din Attar, Persian Sufi poet, Abu Abd ar-Rahman as-Sulami, author of the

Tabaqat as-Sufiyya, Bayazid Bistami, theoretical founder of the Malamati approach, Dhon-Nun

Mesri, a famous Egyptian shaykh, and Karbalai, author of the Rawdhat al-Jenan, are among the

advocates of their power and contribution. Through the hagiographies of early female Sufi saints,

one can see how women were significant participants of and contributors to Islamic mysticism and

because of this were able to overcome the limits placed on them by society.

The poet Farid Ud-Din Attar was a strong proponent of women on the Sufi path. He claimed, The

holy prophets have laid it down that God does not look upon your outward forms. It is not the

outward form that matters, but the inner purpose of the heart (Smith, 19). From this statement

one can see that Attar believed a woman could achieve sainthood the same way that a man could.

He did not see either sex as better than the other in the eyes of God.

Of the earliest female Sufi saints, Rabia Al-Adawiyya of Basra is often looked upon as the greatest

female contributor to Islamic mysticism. The longest account of Rabias life and work is by the poet

Farid Ud-Din Attar. In Attars hagiography of Rabia of Basra, she is portrayed as having more wisdom

than any man or woman, and having achieved her status through faith and devotion to God. Rabia is

most famous for introducing the concept of love, ishq, into Sufism. Many other female saints are

often held in comparison to her. According to the story, Rabia was a slave gir l who one day heard

the voice of God. She began to fast and pray during all of her free time. One night her master saw

her praying and saw a light above Rabias head which illuminated the entire room. Seeing her

spirituality and devotion to God, he set Rabia free, realizing that there was something very special

about her. After she gained her freedom, Rabia left the home of her master and went out into the

world devoting the rest of her life to the love of God (Attar, 156+).

In this hagiography, it is easy to see how social conventions can be flipped over. Rabias master

realized that even as a slave and a woman, Rabia was wiser than he. Rabia is often compared to or
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connected with Hasan of Basra, who is considered to be the forefather of Sufism. In many instances,

Rabia is presented as having more wisdom than Hasan of Basra. For instance, in a famous tale

between the two, Hasan floats on his prayer rug on the water, and in response Rabia floats on her

prayer rug in the sky. It should be noted that she did not do this to outshine him. In fact, Rabia says

Master, what you did a fish can do, and what I did a fly can do. The real business is beyond both,

(Attar, 161). In this tale, Rabia is explaining to Hasan that the miracles they both perform are

meaningless compared to what God can do. In another instance Hasan asks Rabia if she wants a

husband. She responds, The marriage knot can only tie one who exists. Where is existence here? I

am not my own- I am his and under his command. You must ask permission from him, and Hasan

replies O Rabia, by what means did you attain this degree? (Attar, 162). This tale is very significant

to Rabias role in society. First of all, as a woman of God, she does not have to marry if she chooses

not to. She will not be looked down upon in the eyes of society. In fact, she is even revered by later

Sufi scholars for not doing so. Secondly, in this dialogue between the two, one can interpret Hasans

line to mean that Rabia is actually at a degree higher than Hasan himself on the path to God. In her

hagiography Rabia performs many miracles and is portrayed as being wiser than the men of hertime. An ordinary woman would be looked down upon for refusing marriage or attempting to out do

a man in any aspect. However, because of her devotion to and as a saint of God she is highly

respected by men and women across the centuries. Thus, it is not difficult to see why Rabia of Basra

is almost always the first woman mentioned in a discussion of women in Sufism.

Abu Abd ar-Rahman As-Sulami was a strong advocate of womens contribution to Sufism. However,

unlike Attar he saw a distinction between men and women. As-Sulami believed, For Sufi women, it

is their means to divine inspiration and the spiritual method that distinguishes them from their male

Sufi colleagues (As-Sulami, 54). As-Sulami saw these women as being servants of God. Theirmethods of devotion were different from that of men. In his book, Dhikr An-Niswa Al-Muta Abbidar

As Sufiyyat, As-Sulami discusses the accomplishments and feats of many great female Sufi saints.

Rabia of Syria, often confused with Rabia of Basra, is also a well-renowned female Sufi. Her first

hagiography was written by as-Sulami in Dhikr An-Niswa Al-Muta Abbidar As Sufiyyat. She is distinct

from Rabia of Basra because she married, not once but twice, and was an incredibly wealthy woman

in her own right. As-Sulami begins Rabia of Syrias hagiography claiming, Rabia was one of the

great women of Syria. She was extremely rich and spent all of her wealth on Ahmad [ibn Abi al-

Hawari+ and his companions (As-Sulami, 138). According to the story, Rabia of Syria asked Ahmadibn Abi al-Hawari to marry her but he refused. Rabia wanted to marry Ahmad, not out of lust, but to

donate her wealth to him and their fellow Muslims. She saw that as her act of charity on the path to

attaining truth. Ahmad only accepted the proposal when his shaykh, Abu Sulayman, who was

normally against marriage, told him, O Ahmad, marry her, for this woman is one of the saints of

God, and this is the speech of those who are sincere in their faith (Smith, 170). This story proves

two points. The first is that Rabia was devoted to God, and was not looking for a real marriage. As

it is well known, being a Muslim, especially a Sufi, means being both pious and generous. Rabia

wanted to give away her wealth and marrying Ahmad was the only way she felt she could do this.

Unlike Rabia of Basra who never married because of her holy status, Rabia of Syria married out of

charity and to protect herself from the unwanted attentions of men, and in doing so could also

freely practice her faith as she pleases. This proves that married women could become saints as well,


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as long as they were reformed and on the right path. The second point is that even as a widow

Rabia was a well respected woman by other Sufi masters of her time. They saw her piousness and

devotion as saintliness.

Rabia of Syria was also known for her miracles. In one tale, a basin was brought to Rabia and she

said, Take that wash basin away from me! For I see written on it: Harun *al-Rashid], the

Commander of the believers has died (As-Sulami, 138). It was later confirmed that Harun al-Rashid,

the fifth Abbasid Caliph and ruler of the Arab world (Harun, 1), had truly died on that day. From this

tale, it is clear that Rabia of Syria was well known for her clairvoyance. Sufis often consulted her for

information on the mystical states one can experience on the path (Smith, 172). She was highly

respected and valued in her community. Abu Talib, another important Sufi hagiographer, even

stated, Her *Rabias+ position among the people of Syria was comparable to that of Rabia al-

Adawiyya among the people of Basra (Smith 173). Bing held in comparison with Rabia of Basra is a

very honorable position.

Her husband, Ahmad, also stood in wonder of her, recognizing her wisdom and the fact that she was

further on the path than he. Ahmed claimed, I would become filled with awe and reverence

whenever I gazed upon Rabias face *+ when I was with my companions *men+ discussing the

effects of devotion in our circles of remembrance *dhikr+, I never sensed this sort of awe

(Nurbakhsh, 83). This statement is very important. Her husband clearly points out that Rabia is so

saintly, he gains more from looking at her, than from practicing dhikr with the other students in his

order. It is important to note how highly Rabia is respected by her husband, as well as other

prominent figures of her time. As an early Sufi saint, much like Rabia of Basra, Rabia of Syria was

revered for her ascetic practices, miracles, and devotion to God.

Another very prominent Sufi saint is Fatima of Nishapur. According to her short hagiography, Fatima

lived in Khorasan, but spent her life journeying between Mecca and Jerusalem, and died in 838 while

performing the lesser pilgrimage (Nurbakhsh, 161+). She is recorded to have been in the company of

Bayazid Bistami, the founder of the drunken Sufi approach, and Dhon-Nun Mesri, a great Egyptian

Sufi master (Helminksi, 1). Bistami is attributed to saying, In all of my life I have seen only one true

man and one true woman. The woman was Fatima of Nishapur (As-Sulami, 20). Through this one

could see that Bistami regarded Fatima as an exceptional woman, a woman who has risen above

other woman and this is because of her devotion to God. Bistami goes on to say, There was no

station about which I told her that she *Fatima+ had not already undergone (Nurbakhsh, 162).

Through this statement one can make the assumption that Bistami sees Fatima as an equal of his, or

perhaps even a step above him on the path of God. She has made it to the highest level and thus

attained unity with God. By saying this, Bistami has put Fatima in quite an honorable position. As a

very important Sufi master who is traced back to by many orders in their silsila, Bistamis opinion of

Fatima has a substantial amount of weight.

There is another tale in which Dhon-Nun was asked by another Sufi master, Who, in your opinion,

is the highest among the Sufis? to which Dhon-Nun replied, A lady in Mecca called Fatima


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Nishapuri, whose discourse displayed a profound apprehension of the inner meanings of the Koran

*+ she is one of the saints of God and my teacher (Nurbakhsh, 162). This statement shows how

highly a woman could be respected. Dhon-Nun, a famous Sufi master himself, is attributed to saying

that Fatima is his teacher. In addition to this, As-Sulami makes it seem as though Fatima corrects

Dhon-Nun regularly (As-Sulami, 20).This is another excellent example of how a woman can rise

above her role in society and is even considered wiser than a spiritual master himself. Through these

two short tales of Fatima of Nishapur one can get the idea of just how highly a woman is esteemed

for attaining the level she has. She utilizes the opportunity to journey the path to God and is not

looked down upon. She is not viewed as a woman attempting to do something she is not capable of.

In fact, in the eyes of Bistami, Dhon-Nun, Al-Sulami, and many other prominent males, she is viewed

as more accomplished than the men of her time, and thus this raises her status from a regular

woman, to a wali, or friend of God.

Mama Esmat, while less known than Rabia of Basra, Rabia of Syria, and Fatima of Nishapur, is also

considered a great Sufi saint. Her hagiography is written by Karbalai, author of the Rawdhat al-

Jenan. Mama Esmat was a woman from Asbost of whom even the nobility of her time respected

(Nurbakhsh, 170). She was the daughter of Ahmad Asbosti, a member of the Ahari Sufi order, and

tended to lean more towards the ecstatic or drunken Sufi approach. Mama Esmat is praised rather

highly by Karbalai in his account of her. Mama Esmat was the queen of the Gnostic women of her

time, highly acclaimed and deeply venerated for her saintliness among the company of the

righteous. She had attained to exalted spiritual stations and experienced wondrous mystical states

(Nurbakhsh, 167). Much like the previous women discussed, Mama Esmat spent her days and nights

enraptured in prayer. Her devotion and spirituality attracted people of all social classes. In one tale,

Shekkar Khatun, the mother of Emperor Jahanshah, visited with Mama Esmat. Mama Esmat lookedat Shekkar Khatuns baby boy and predicted, This boy of yours shall one day be a great king, which

he indeed became (Nurbakhsh, 170+). This tale shows how highly respected Mama Esmat was

among the nobility of her time. She was often consulted for information on the mystical states, as

well as sought for her miracles and uncanny psychic abilities. Mama Esmat is considered a highly

acclaimed woman of her time in Turkey because of her devotion, asceticism, and spirituality.

Rabia of Basra, Rabia of Syria, Fatima of Nishapur, and Mama Esmat were all from the Eastern

world, what is today Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Prominent Sufi men, such as Attar, As-Sulami, and Bistami,

were all advocates of their power and wisdom. However, the most important concept to note in thisessay is that the spirituality and devotion of these women to the Sufi path is what helped them to

overcome the bounds of society. Rabia of Basra, once a slave girl, became the most important

female Sufi saint in history. She accomplished this through her resilient praying and devotion to God.

Rabia of Syria was considered to be greater than any other woman of her time and comparable to

that of Rabia of Basra. She was thought to be a saint of God, and thus higher than the women of her

community, because of her ascetic practices and spirituality. Fatima of Nishapur and Mama Esmat

were as highly respected because of their asceticism and devotion as well. All for of these women

were regarded highly and considered valuable to their community. As early Sufi women, their

contribution to Sufism was mainly due to ascetic practices rather than mystical practice. However,

they were considered to be great women because of this. They were looked upon more highly than

any other man or women in their respective communities. They were not looked down upon for


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crossing the limits placed upon a woman in society, but were rather praised and cherished for having

the ability to overcome these boundaries. Shaykhs, husbands, and even royalty, were in awe of

these womens prowess and were not afraid to consider them masters and teachers of the faith. In

every sense, these women were looked upon as truly equal to men, which proves that, in the early

stages, Sufism was as equally accommodating to women as it was to men in the Eastern world.

Works Cited

An Interpretation of the Quran. Trans. Majid Fakry (New York: New York University Press, 2002).

As-Sulami, Abu Abd ar-Rahman. Early Sufi Women. Trans. Rkia E. Cornell (Louisville: Fons Vitae,

1999).

Attar, Farid Ud-Din. Rabia: Her Words and Life, in Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Quran, Miraj,

Poetic, and Theological Writing. Ed. Michael Sells (New York: Paulist Press, 1996).

Harun al-Rashid. Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. *Updated 2005; Cited 29 November 2005+

Available from http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/H/HarunalR1.asp.

Helminski, Camille Adams. Women and Sufism. [Cited 29 November 2005]. Available from

http://www.sufism.org/society/articles/women.html.

Nurbakhsh, Javad Dr. Sufi Women. Trans. Leonard Lewisohn (London: Khaniqahi Nimatullahi

Publications, 1990).

Smith, Margaret. Rabia, The Life and Work of Rabia and Other Women Mystics in Islam. (Oxford:

Oneworld Publications, 1994).

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