Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya's Poetry: A Tool of Communication

Rabi’a Al-Adawiyya, a prominent Sufi saint and proponent of Islamic mysticism, was among the first to introduce poetry as an expression in Sufism. It is important to note that the poems in Doorkeeper of the Heart are attributed to Rabi’a and it is not clear whether they were written by her (Upton, 7). Rabi’a’s poetry is fairly straightforward and easy to comprehend. When compared to other Sufi poets, her work might seem extremely simple. The translator of Doorkeeper of the Heart, Charles Upton, makes the claim that “If Rumi is the Ocean, Rabi’a is the Well […] Rabi’a has virgin clarity and undistracted focus” (Upton, 12). This simply means while other poets may offer variety in their work and multi-dimensional meanings of those works, Rabi’a presents her devotion to God clearly and does not hide behind the esoteric. This can be seen in two of her poems, selections 47 and 48, in Doorkeeper of the Heart. In these poems Rabi’a tries to communicate the main idea of Sufism: unity with God should be the ultimate goal. Her focus is that people should practice being a good person to achieve unity with God, not to do so out of the fear of hell or the desire of paradise.

Rabi’a’s use of simple language and the very prominent concept of Heaven and Hell in Islam are extremely helpful in understanding the focus of her work. She uses a very simple structure and does not hide her meaning behind metaphors. In other words, her work is short, but sweet and to the point. Rabi’a’s goal as a Sufi was to give up worldly want, remove the fear of hell and the desire of Heaven all for the love of God.The main idea in both of her poems is that God is all one needs. This idea is presented in selection 47.

Give the goods of this world to Your enemies-
Give the treasures of Paradise to Your friends-
But as for me- You are all I need (Upton, 47, lines 5-7).

These lines communicate Rabi’a’s beliefs plainly. Worldly possessions are what keeps one’s spirit limited to this earth, and thus cannot achieve oneness with God. The person is too caught up with material things to gain the ideal closeness with God. Paradise is something ordinary believers are after, seeing that as the end, but in reality the love of God is what they should be seeking. Her unambiguous writing style makes these ideas available to everyone. These ideas advocated by Rabi’a are not necessarily esoteric, but things that all believers should know and follow.

Rabi’a uses the same method of writing in both selections. She is very focused and adamant on getting her point across. There is no shyness and or sense of false modesty. Rabi’a boldly claims she will “set fire to heaven” (Upton, 43) and “put out the flames of Hell” (Upton, 43) so that those on the path to God will be enlightened as to what they should be searching for. She demands of God,

If I adore you out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!
If I adore you out of desire for Paradise,
Lock me out of Paradise (Upton, 42).

Her poems are written with strength and unwavering focus. Her language, though very simplistic, is incredibly powerful. Although I have stated above that these ideas are not necessarily esoteric, it does not mean that these ideals are easy to understand and apply. While knowing that one should love God simply for the sake of loving and being with him can easily be interpreted from Rabi’a’s poetry, doing so requires a greater knowledge and belief in God. This straightforward method is used to explain what one should want to achieve, not how to do so. Rabi’a’s stylistic techniques are an excellent tool for communicating the true goal of Sufism.

Both poems communicate the ultimate goal of Sufism, which is achieving oneness with God, very well. Selection 48 sums up Rabi’a’s main idea clearly.

I carry a torch in one hand
And a bucket of water in the other:
With these things I am going to set fire to Heaven
And put out the flames in Hell
So that voyagers to God can rip the veils
And see the real goal (Upton, 43).

In this poem she shows that those on the path to God should not be distracted by the notion of going to heaven or hell. They should focus solely on being united with God. For example in another selection in Doorkeeper to the Heart, Rabi’a is asked, “‘Rabi’a, Rabi’a- how do you see Paradise?’ ‘I see it like this: first the neighbor, then the house’” (Upton, 43). This can be interpreted to mean that Paradise, or Heaven is a part of your surroundings but it is not you. Your residence is with God, but you may meet the surroundings in which you ultimately reside first. This essentially leads to the conclusion that the main event is being with God and that loving God for this reason is what is most significant. As Rabi’a says in lines 12 through 13 in selection 47,

But if I adore You for Yourself alone,
Do not deny me Your Eternal Beauty (Upton, 42).

She is asking God to allow her to be with him once she loves him for who he is, not out of fear or for what he can provide her with. This idea is essential to Sufi thought, as well as the overall message of both selections.

While Rabi’a includes herself in both poems, claiming to know already that God is all she needs and what everyone else needs; it cannot be viewed as an act of egocentricity. She is literally seen as an excellent model to emulate and an advocate of good teachings. One can say for sure that she is not putting herself above becoming a victim to world possessions. For example, in selection 36 a rich merchant gives Rabi’a money to buy a new home, but she leaves the house immediately fearing that if she stays, she “would fall in love with that house” (Upton, 38). Her beliefs and ideas on loving God for himself may be due to her higher station, or maqam, but she is not above making the mistakes an ordinary believer would. This is very important because if she did she would be committing another mistake, seeing herself as better than others.

From reading and interpreting selections 47 and 48 by Rabi’a in Doorkeeper of the Heart, one can gain an understanding of the ultimate goal of Sufism. Both of these poems serve as a didactic tool for outsiders, or non-believers, and insiders, Sufis as well as those who may follow the “regular” path of Islam. A very straightforward style is used. These poems, as well as others in Doorkeeper of the Heart, showcase the most important goal of Sufism using very simple language, something that is quite different from other types of Sufi poetry. Incredibly powerful statements are made by Rabi’a stressing her desire for those on the path to God to realize “the real goal” (Upton, 43). The elements of heaven and hell are used to emphasize that people are focused on irrelevant matters in their search for truth. The most common Sufi beliefs are advocated: attaining unity with God and wanting to do so for the sake of being with him, not out of fear or desire for infinite happiness. Thus, these two poems by Rabi’a Al-Adawiyya are excellent examples of the goal of the Sufi path.

Works Cited

Upton, Charles. Doorkeeper of the Heart, Versions of Rabi’a. Vermont: Threshold Books, 1988.