The life of Rabia al-Adawiyya: reflections on feminism and fundamentalism

The life of Rabia al-Adawiyya is the subject of many legends and stories. Rabia was an eighth century mystic who is generally known as one of the founders of Sufism. Her life is still a source of inspiration for many Muslim women. Muslim feminists like Leila Ahmed make references to her, but so do women from ‘fundamentalist’ movements. Although I am not a Muslim, I also find the life of Rabia intriguing, as well as the lives of the Orthodox women that are the subjects of case studies by Chia Longman, Sarah Bracke and Saba Mahmood. Drawing from these lives and particularly the life of Rabia al-Adawiyya, I will discuss the relationship between feminism and fundamentalism in religious contexts.