Abstract

The central basis for a human to love another is rooted in the integral nature of God itself, Allahu Muhibba "God is Love." Love of God, being a divine concept, sees no duality of Being, which entails that, there is no male or female, only Being, one who has committed and devoted oneself towards the path of ultimate light of love. This paper calls for attention to a little-explored theme of immense significance in mysticism where women have also played a significant role in its development. Throughout the centuries, for many reasons, women have often been not able to fully represent themselves, in comparison to men, in carrying forward the torch of knowledge, but, they have been actively participating in the endeavor. Some of them devoted themselves to the spirit of asceticism living away from the society, for example, Rabi'a al-Adawiya and Mirabai, and on the other hand, some of them chose the role of active social life, becoming benefactress and fostering the circles of worship and study, for example, Mother Teresa. This paper discusses the role of feminine mystics in the development of the mystical tradition in reference to Rabi'a al- Adawiya, Mirabai and Mother Teresa in the light of 'Divine Love' as this is the essence of their ascetic contribution to the tradition.