Rabia Basriyya Society

The Rabia Basriyya Society – is a Womens Project set up under the charity 'Spiritual Foundation' and is set up to empower women and girls in Leicester.

Who are we?

The Rabia Basriyya Society – is an umbrella Project under the charity 'Spiritual Foundation'. Spiritual foundation was set up by Hazrat Sayed Muhammed Jilani Ashraf to meet the spiritual, health and educational needs of the community. Rabia Basriyya Society is the women's branch of Spiritual Foundation, run by women for women. Rabia Basriyya Society has come about due to Hazrat Sayed Muhammed Jilani Ashrafs vision to set up to empower women and girls in Leicester and worldwide.

The Rabia Basriya team is made up of dedicated volunteers with a range of skills which will benefit the women they help.

The Rabia Basriyya Society will assist Women that have been socially, emotionally and spiritually excluded from their communities /families- This means working with empowering women by helping women to recognise a sense of identity and a sense of belonging.

The Rabia Basriyya Society encourages sisterhood. Although the society is based on Sufi principles , we encourage membership from women of all backgrounds particularly from BME (black, minority ehnic groups)

Giving Women a voice and platform will assist in creating an ethos of sisterhood. The power of reclaiming back the feminine qualities of womanhood and using these qualities to enhance the self and in turn come to the realisation of a Woman's true being.

This process involves unveiling the essence of Womanhood and understanding how to take this essence to for example rebuild confidence This would entail looking at Great Women Such as Rabia Basri, Lady Nafeesa, Khadija tul Kubra, Fatima tu Zahra (may peace always be upon them), to name a few . Implementing what they learnt in to modern day life. Once this process has begun this confidence and empowerment filters through the individual socially, emotionally, spiritually and practically.


How will the Rabia Basri Society achieve this?


• Research into issues that affect women in society.
• Publishing research for the wider community
• Providing social meet and greet events.
• Providing weekly leisure activities.
• Creating Women's Forums to talk about current issues such as domestic violence, forced marriage, people trafficking and many many more.
• Looking at the lives of past Great Women and learning strategies to overcome obstacles, trials and tribulations of life of the west - through delivering workshops and seminars.
• Interfaith dialogue.
• Meditation /Reflection /Inner audit
• Networking with eternal organisations
• Delivering faith based events.
• Social cohesion events etc

Who was Rabia Basriyya?

Rabia al Basriyya also known as Rabia Al Adawiyya was the fourth daughter in her family, born in Basra (Iraq) in the early 8th century. When her father passed away, there was a famine in Basra and circumstances forced Rabia away from her sisters. With no money, she was sold to a master away from her family. Her master was ruthless and over worked her and made her toil and as a result lived a hard life.

But this did not make her lose hope or faith in her Creator. Rabia's patience, love and faith in her Creator did not waver. She worked endlessly during the day but spent her nights in worship. Once when she was asking talking to her Lord in her prayers, her master over heard her and was so moved by what he heard, he realised he was making a mistake by enslaving her. He freed her immediately!

When freed, Rabia Basriyya may peace always be upon her, left for the desert where she spent her life as a Sufi mystic. She wrote many poems on Divine Love.

To do this day she rules the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Her inner strength and patience in the face of adversity. Her struggles in attaining self consciousness and closeness to God. Her poetry was the essence of her heart felt thoughts. That even this day she affected the hearts and minds of so many.

Her devotion to self discovery was her personal spiritual journey. Her inner strength was the product of surviving through the trials and tribulations of life through exhibiting the quality of patience. She has been an example to all women and will remain so.

Her character was exemplary and admired by all. Her words of wisdom enlightened both men and women. Rabia taught that the true lover, whose consciousness is unwavering and centred on the Beloved, is unattached to conditions such as pleasure or pain, but in the ceaseless rapture of Divine Love.

Quote -

"The real work is in the heart.
Wake up your heart.
Because when the heart is completely awake,
then it needs no friend"
(Rabia Basri)

Why should I join?
• to be part of an ethos of sisterhood
• to recognise the power of womanhood.
• to meet with like minded sisters whatever the background.
• to assist in social change for the better and tackle issues such as domestic violence, forced marriage etc.
• to support one another.
• to go on visits /trips
• attend seminars /workshops
• to volunteer your skills and time for the purpose of unity.

If you would like more information or to become a member or even volunteer please email on sadafakhtar@spiritualfoundation.org. uk
info@spiritualfoundation.org. uk