July 28, 2026

Love For No Reason

O God, if I worship Thee for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell; and if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise; but if I worship Thee for Thine Own sake, grudge me not Thy everlasting Beauty.

Rabia al-Adawiyya was born into poverty in Basra in the early 700s, sold into slavery as a child, and freed years later after her owner saw her praying through the night surrounded by light. She became one of the first great teachers of Sufism, known for reducing worship to its barest, plainest form. Legend says she once walked through the streets of Basra carrying a torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other, saying she wanted to burn Paradise and douse the fires of Hell so people would finally serve God for no reason but love. This prayer is the clearest statement of her teaching: simplicity is not about owning less, it is about wanting one thing instead of many.