Who is Rabia al-Adawiyyah?

Rabia al-Adawiyyah Square, where the ousted Mohammad Morsi’s supporters converge to demand his reinstatement, was named after a girl who was the fourth daughter in her family and therefore named Rabia, meaning "fourth".

Born decades ago in Iraq’s al-Basra hailing from the “Uday” descent, Rabia was born to poor parents who died of hunger when she was a young child, resulting in homelessness and permanent separation from her three siblings.  She soon was sold into slavery.

However, she refused to yield to her bitter reality, clutching instead at her faith.

Rabia was the one who first set forth the doctrine of Divine Loveand is widely considered to be the most prominent Sufi poets.

Refusing to get married, Rabiah embraced arts as she was renowned for playing flute and writing poems.

One of the largest mosques in eastern Cairo was named after Rabia al-Adawiyyah who died in her eighties and was laid to rest in Jerusalem.