nted her with a new house. Rabia had no sooner entered it than,
seeing paintings on the wall, she became absorbed in contemplating them.
Recovering herself, she quitted the house, and refused to re-enter it,
saying, "I fear lest my heart may become attached to this house to such
a degree that I neglect preparation for the other world."

One day Abdul Wahid and Sofian Tsavri went to see Rabia in her illness.
They were so touched by the sight of her weakness that for some moments
they could not speak a word. At last Sofian said, "O Rabia, pray that
the Lord may lighten thy sufferings." "O Sofian," she answered, "who has
sent me these sufferings?" "The Most High," he said. "Very well," she
replied, "if it is his will that this trial come upon me, how can I,
ignoring His will, ask Him to remove it?" "Rabia," said Sofian, "I am
not capable of talking to thee about thy own affairs; talk to me about
mine." "Well," answered Rabia, "if thou hadst not an inclination to this
low world, thou wouldst be a man without fault." "Then," relates Sofian,
"I cried with tears, 'My God, canst Thou be satisfied with me?'" "O
Sofian," said Rabia, "dost thou not blush at saying to the Lord, 'Canst
Thou be satisfied with me?' without having done a single thing to please
him?"

Malik Dinar recounts the following: "I went to see Rabia, and found her
drinking water out of a broken pitcher. She was lying stretched on an
old mat, with a brick for her pillow. I was pierced to the heart at the
sight, and said, "O Rabia, I have rich friends; if you will let me, I
will go and ask them for something for you." "You have spoken ill,
Malik," she replied; "it is the Lord who, to them as to me, gives daily
bread. He Who provides for the needs of the rich, shall He not provide
for the necessities of the poor? If He wills that it should be thus with
us, we shall gladly submit to His will.'"

On one occasion when Malik Dinar, Hasan Basri and Shaqiq were with her,
the conversation turned on sincerity of heart towards God. Hasan Basri
said, "He has not sincere love to God who does not bear with constancy
the afflictions which the Lord sends him." "That remark savours of
self-conceit," said Rabia. Shaqiq observed, "He is not sincere who does
not render thanks for afflictions." "There is a higher degree of
sincerity than that," said Rabia. Malik Dinar suggested, "He is not
sincere who does not find delight in the afflictions which the Lord
sends." "That is not the