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Rabi'a: From Narrative to Myth
A groundbreaking study of how Rabi‘a has been portrayed in Sufi, Islamic and secular literature from medieval to modern times
Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya is a figure shrouded in myth. Certainly a woman by this name was born in Basra, Iraq, in the eighth century, but her life remains recorded only in legends, stories, poems and hagiographies. The various depictions of her - as a deeply spiritual ascetic, an existentialist rebel and a romantic lover - seem impossible to reconcile, and yet Rabi‘a has transcended these narratives to become a global symbol of both Sufi and modern secular culture.
In this groundbreaking study, Rkia Elaroui Cornell traces the development of these diverse narratives and provides a history of the iconic Rabi‘a's construction as a Sufi saint. Combining medieval and modern sources, including evidence never before examined, in novel ways, Rabi‘a From Narrative to Myth is the most significant work to emerge on this quintessential figure in Islam for more than seventy years.
Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya is a figure shrouded in myth. Certainly a woman by this name was born in Basra, Iraq, in the eighth century, but her life remains recorded only in legends, stories, poems and hagiographies. The various depictions of her - as a deeply spiritual ascetic, an existentialist rebel and a romantic lover - seem impossible to reconcile, and yet Rabi‘a has transcended these narratives to become a global symbol of both Sufi and modern secular culture.
In this groundbreaking study, Rkia Elaroui Cornell traces the development of these diverse narratives and provides a history of the iconic Rabi‘a's construction as a Sufi saint. Combining medieval and modern sources, including evidence never before examined, in novel ways, Rabi‘a From Narrative to Myth is the most significant work to emerge on this quintessential figure in Islam for more than seventy years.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 2019
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About the author
Rkia Elaroui Cornell
4 books2 followersRkia Elaroui Cornell is Professor of Pedagogy and Coordinator of the Arabic program at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She has given numerous lectures and conference presentations on the subjects of Qur’anic exegesis, women in Islam, and language pedagogy.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 28, 2022
Cornwall gives a fascinating demonstration of how myths are made. She traces the emerging legends regarding one of Islam’s greatest female heroes, Rabi’a al-Adawiyya, reportedly of Basra, Iraq, in the 700s CE. This heroine’s story comes together piece by piece over several hundred years, till a composite figure emerges who portrays the Sufi “doctrine of divine love.” Are these stories factual? Were they all based on the same woman? Cornwall shows how little it matters. It doesn’t matter any more than it matters if Radha, the great legendary lover of Krishna, was a particular, historically identifiable individual. The story is a force unto itself. Here’s just a taste of it:
As Rabi’a began teaching and attracting disciples, a group of religious men came to challenge her. They accused her of presumption, explaining, “All the virtues have been scattered on the heads of men. The crown of prophethood has been placed on men’s heads. The belt of nobility has been fastened around men’s waists. No woman has ever been a prophet.” Rabi’a answered, “All of that is true, but egoism and self-worship and ‘I am your Lord’ have never sprung from a woman’s breast. ... All these things have been the specialty of men.”
As Rabi’a began teaching and attracting disciples, a group of religious men came to challenge her. They accused her of presumption, explaining, “All the virtues have been scattered on the heads of men. The crown of prophethood has been placed on men’s heads. The belt of nobility has been fastened around men’s waists. No woman has ever been a prophet.” Rabi’a answered, “All of that is true, but egoism and self-worship and ‘I am your Lord’ have never sprung from a woman’s breast. ... All these things have been the specialty of men.”
May 1, 2019
Having not heard of Rabi'a before this was an excellent way to be introduced to her.
May 13, 2023
read this for my sufism seminar, was pretty upfront with its premise but just felt really exhaustive to get through. the earlier chapters could have been a bit more concise though the latter chapters were the parts i found most compelling about literary/imaginary sources of mythmaking around the figure of Rabi'a
January 5, 2026
An intriguing and well-written book for the purposes of research into Rabi’a and, more generally, Sufism.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews