Rabe‘a Al-Adawiya

Abd al-Wahed-e Amer relates as follows.
I went with Sofyan-e Thauri to visit Rabe’a when she
was sick, but out of awe for her I could not begin to
address her.
“You say something,” I said to Sofyan.
“If you will say a prayer,” Sofyan said to Rabe’a,
“your pain will be eased.”
“Do you not know who has willed that I should suffer?
Was it not God?” Rabe’a demanded.
“Yes,” Sofyan agreed.
“How is it that you know that,” Rabe’a went on,
“and yet you bid me to request from Him the contrary
of His will? It is not right to oppose one’s
Friend.”
“What thing do you desire, Rabe’a?” Sofyan asked.
“Sofyan, you are a learned man. Why do you speak
like that? ‘What thing do you desire?’ By the glory of
God,” Rabe’a asseverated, “for twelve years now I
have been desiring fresh dates. You know that in Basra
dates are of no consequence. Yet till now I have not
eaten any; for I am His servant, and what business has
a servant to desire? If I wish, and my Lord does not
wish, this would be infidelity. You must want only
what He wishes, to be a true servant of God. If God
himself gives, that is a different matter.”
Sofyan was reduced to silence. Then he said,
“Since one cannot speak about your situation, do
you say something about mine.”
“You are a good man, but for the fact you love the
world,” Rabe’a replied. “You love reciting Traditions.”
This she said, implying that that was a high position.
“Lord God,” cried Sofyan, deeply moved, “be content
with me!”
“Are you not ashamed,” broke in Rabe’a, “to seek
the contentment of One with whom you yourself are
not content?”

~~
Tadhkirat al-Auliya

by Farid al-Din Attar