Legend of a lady Sufi saint

SUFISM TRADITIONALLY symbolises the mystic version of spirituality in Islam. But in reality, Sufism may be deemed to represent the quest of humanity for the evolution of an universal religion, based on the philosophy of Love of God, regardless of consideration of one's race, creed, caste or community. Like the Bhakti Cult of India, Sufi mysticism lays emphasis on the concept of ``Love of God'', in marked preference to the traditional religious dogma of ``Fear of God''.

Sufism with its basic philosophy of Fana Fillah, which envisages the soul's ultimate merger with God, also shares its belief with Adi Sankara's philosophy of Advaitism (non-dualist existence), which holds that the individual soul (Atma) and the supreme Universal Soul (Paramatma), are one and the same.

Sri Aurobindo has eloquently explained the mystery of spiritual ``unity in diversity'' thus:

``There is only ONE soul, and ONE existence; therefore, we all see ONE objectivity only. But there are many knots of mind and ego in the one-soul existence. Therefore, we all see ONE object in different lights and shadows...''

An illustrious exponent of `Bhakti Cult', Sant Tukaram has expounded in a devotional song, the special relationship of the individual soul symbolised by the supreme deity, as under:

``There is a whole tree within a seed,

And a seed at the end of each tree,

That is how, it is between You and me,

One contains the other,

There is a ripple on water,

That is itself water...

Says Tuka, the image

Merges with the mirror!''

This subtle philosophy has been reflected in a well-known Sufi saying:

``Man is a wave in the sea that is God

Man is a ray of the sun that is God''.

Unique phenomenon

In the galaxy of Sufi saints, who had preached and practised the Sufi philosophy of `Loving and Serving God' through `serving humanity', a lady Sufi saint Rabiya Basri (717-801 AD), who had lived in the Iraqi city of Basra, shines like a bright star.

It is rather a unique phenomenon in the Islamic theological history that in an orthodox and tradition-bound male-dominated medieval society, Rabiya Basri notwithstanding her gender handicap, had risen to the highest position ever occupied by any lady saint in the spiritual hierarchy of Sufi saints.

Rabiya believed in putting into practice the percepts she taught, and as such tried to match her words with actual deeds. By virtue of her deeds, Rabiya demonstrated to her followers how through `Love of God' one could be with one's Maker. She expressed her preference to be with her Maker through service, rather than just behold what He had made, by being lost in empty rituals. She reiterated her faith that the more man knows God through self- realisation, the more he is absorbed in Him, which is the ultimate goal of every enlightened soul. Rabiya also proclaimed a subtle Sufi philosophy that she loved God so much that she had hardly any time left for hating the Devil.

Real miracles

It is said that some people informed Rabiya that a certain mystic had claimed to perform a miracle by offering prayers on the surface of the waters of a river.

Rabiya told the people that she might as well try to perform successfully a similar or even a better miracle, by flying in air like a bird. But sensible people should understand that in reality, both these ``feats'' even performed by any person, as imagined, would really mean nothing from a truly spiritual perspective. The real miracles lay in rendering selfless service to humanity, and eradicating ignorance, poverty and disease from the surface of the earth.

Debunking the myths of ``miracles'', based on one's ignorance and superstition, Rabiya posed this question to the people: ``Don't fish swim in the waters of rivers and seas; and birds fly in the air, as a matter of their daily `natural' routines? Is there anything miraculous or supernatural in the acts performed by the fish and the birds, in comparison with human beings?''

By trying to synthesise in a practical manner the sublime spirituality of her message with certain stark realities prevailing in society, Rabiya Basri reveals herself to be a most distinguished Sufi saint, as illustrated by an actual event from her legendary life.

It is recorded in her biography that Rabiya often went round the streets of Basra with a flaming torch in one hand, and a bucketful of water in another hand.

When asked by curious people about her unusual behaviour, she had replied that since people appeared to do good deeds, mostly motivated by the greed of obtaining the pleasures of the paradise and refrained from evil deeds out of fear of the Hell fire, she wanted to burn down the paradise with the flaming torch, and extinguish the Hell fire with her bucket of water!

K. HUSSAIN

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