Rabi'a The Mystic and Her Fellow-Saints in Islam (Cambridge Library Collection - Religion) - Softcover

Smith, Margaret

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1108015913 ISBN 13: 9781108015912

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2010

Synopsis

Rabi'a, a female Sufi saint, was born in 717 CE and released from slavery to lead a life in pursuit of purity and perfect union with God. Her teachings and the numerous miracles attributed to her have made her an influential and revered figure in Sufi theology. This authoritative 1928 biography of the saint was written by Margaret Smith, who mastered numerous eastern languages, travelled extensively, and published a number of translations of important Arabic texts. Smith's linguistic skill and her immersion in the culture she studied has produced a book still considered an important account of Rabi'a's life. Smith also includes an incisive discussion of the role of women in early Islamic mysticism and an examination of Sufi doctrine, and examines the issues of celibacy and sainthood in Islam. A biography of one exceptional woman written by another.

About this title

Book Description:

Margaret Smith's 1928 biography of eighth-century Sufi saint Rabi'a is an authoritative account of Rabi'a's evolution from slave to influential religious teacher and purported performer of miracles. An examination of the role of women in early Islam, and of Sufi teachings on love, purity and the ascetic life.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1108015913
• ISBN 13: 9781108015912
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 252