Author – Labib Mahfuj Chisty
Sometimes, some powerful beings have appeared in the world, who have taught the world about the love of God. They have taught everyone that ‘You are the true religion’. The torch of love for God has been lit by the two-faced. Such a loving, glorious being is Tapasi Rabeya Basri (RA).
Brief information
Name – Rabeya Basri Al-Adabiya (RA)
Title – Al-Basri
Place of birth – Basra city, Iraq
Birth – 713 AD
Father’s name – Ismail
Mother’s name – Mayful
Teacher – Imam Hasan Basri Al-Ansari
Death – 801 AD. Nationality – Arab
Biography
Hazrat Rabeya Basri (RA) was born into a very poor father’s family. They were passing their days in abject poverty. On the night Rabia Basri (RA) was born, they did not even have oil to light a lamp in the dark of the night. Rabia Basri’s (RA) father Ismail returned home after failing to procure oil. At his wife’s request, he went to borrow oil from a neighbor. But far from giving her oil, the neighbor did not even open the door to the house. After returning home with tears in his eyes, he became drowsy after some time. In a deep sleep, he dreamed that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) himself came and consoled him. He said, “Do not be sad, you are going to be the father of a great daughter soon. In the future, she will become a shining star in the world.” In a dream, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) asked him to take a written note and go to the Emir of Basra, Isa. The note read, “O Amir Isa, recite Durood one hundred times every night before going to sleep, and recite it four hundred times on Friday night. Since you did not recite Durood Sharif four hundred times on this Friday night, donate four hundred dirhams as compensation.”
Rabeya Basri’s (RA) father Ismail woke up. According to his dream, he wrote the words on a note and went to Amir Isa of Basra. The Amir was shocked after reading the note. He donated ten thousand dirhams as gratitude for the advice of the Prophet (SAW). And he gave four hundred dirhams to the letter carrier.
Rabeya Basri slowly started growing up in the arms of her parents. But God willing! Her pregnant mother said goodbye to her when she was still young. After a few days, her father left. Rabeya Basri (RA) fell into the bottomless sea with her four orphaned sisters.
The struggle for survival continued. There were no parents. A difficult struggle began to support so many lives. The four sisters started working in people’s homes. Sometimes they ate, sometimes they didn’t! At such a time, famine appeared in Basra! Now no one would hire anyone for work or give them to eat! The famine reached such a level that even parents started selling their children. It became very difficult to save their lives. In such a difficult time, all three sisters of Rabeya Basri (RA) disappeared somewhere. Despite a lot of searching, their whereabouts could not be found. Now Rabeya Basri (RA) was completely alone in this vast world.
Lonely Rabeya Basri. She started crying day after day. Suddenly, a heretic came and forcibly took Rabeya Basri (RA). He took her to a slave market and sold her to a man with an even more stony heart.
Rabeya Basri (RA) became a slave. Working day and night in the house of her master. If she deviates from her work, she will be brutally beaten! Torture! There is not a drop of affection, no love anywhere! The minor Rabeya spends her days with a chest full of gossip, oppression and fear of torture! At one point, everything becomes unbearable!
Rabeya Basri (RA) ran away from her master’s house. In the darkness of the night, she was intoxicated with the desire for freedom and kept running on the road. While running, she suddenly fell face down on the ground. One of her arms was completely broken!
Rabeya Basri (RA) kept moaning in intense pain. She raised her hands to the Lord with her broken arms. She prayed in a tearful voice, “Oh my Lord! I am a helpless servant! If the whole world is against me, it does not matter to me. I am happy only if you are pleased with me.”
Prayer brought immense peace to Rabeya Basri’s mind and soul. Her heart felt relieved. What should she do now with her broken hand? She slowly walked back to her master’s house. Even though the master was cruel! Still, there was a place to rest her head!
From now on, Rabeya Basri’s life of worship began. She worked all day. She spent the whole night awake in worship of the Lord.
Suddenly, Rabeya Basri’s (RA) master woke up in the middle of the night. He heard some vague words. Whose words were they in the deep darkness? When he went to look, he saw Rabeya praying. She was praying in a longing voice to the Lord. Hearing Rabeya’s longing prayer, the master’s heart melted. The prayers touched the heart of the master’s cruel heart. He felt that this was not an ordinary servant. There was divine power in it.
The next morning, the master freed Rabeya Basri (RA). Now Rabeya Basri is free. She dedicated her entire life to the worship of the Lord. She became engrossed in meditation. Her entire day and night began to be spent in meditation.
Occasionally, she would go to the greatest ascetic and famous saint of that time, Hazrat Khwaja Hasan Basri (RA). She became a disciple of Khwaja Hasan Basri (RA) and started practicing religion on the path shown by him. She built a temple in a secluded forest and spent the rest of her life there. And she was engaged in chanting and worshipping the name of the Lord.
Throughout his life, various miracles were revealed from him. Almost every saint of that time used to visit Rabia Basri (RA). Hazrat Rabia Basri (RA) was the ideal of a life free from worldly illusions, single-minded love for Allah, solitude, and a life free from worldly illusions.
In his last life, he went to Mecca. That is where his enlightened life ended. The diverse identity of the luminous life of this great ascetic is spread throughout the hearts of the travelers of God’s love. The light of love that he lit will remain eternally in the hearts of all lovers of God.
Date of writing – 09/08/2021
Author – Labib Mahfuj Chisty