Rabi'a

A Muslim saint and Sufi mystic, Rabi’a al-Basri was born around 717 CE in Basra, in present-day Iraq. Enslaved as a young girl, she was eventually freed and pursued a life of prayer. Through her teachings and a number of miracles, she became an important figure in mystical Islam. Rabi’a did not leave any written work behind, so many of the poems attributed to her are of unknown origin. She is believed to have died in her early to mid-80s, around the year 801.