Practical Mysticism in Islam and Christianity: A Comparative Study of Rabia al-Adawiyya and Catherine of Genoa

Mystical experiences are central to major religious traditions, often centered on an ineffable mystery. This article compares the Islamic mystic Rabia al-Adawiyya and the Christian mystic Catherine of Genoa, avoiding both essentialist approaches that only seek universal similarities and constructivist approaches that focus solely on differences. Instead, the comparison highlights both similarities and differences to illustrate an interreligious spirituality that transcends traditions. The study is structured in four parts: an introduction to mystical experiences, overviews of the two mystics' lives, a comparative analysis of their mystical characteristics, and a discussion of how their experiences model interreligious spirituality and friendship.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The mystical experiences in various forms are fundamental to major religious traditions. The idea of “mysticism” brings up the concept of the ineffable mysterium, which is seen as the central theme around which religions are based. The comparative studies of Rabia al-Adawiyya and Catherine of Genoa do not intend, as with phenomenological and essentialist approaches to the study of religion, to only focus on the similarities of the mystics in order to find universal structures and essential meanings. Nor does it seek to concentrate solely on the differences between the mystics as done by constructivist scholars. Instead, the comparative methodology used in this article highlights the similarities and differences between the respective mystics, Rabia and Catherine, and uses these comparisons to draw attention to an example of interreligious spirituality that cuts across religious traditions. To illustrate this point, it helps to compare two mystics: Rabia from the Islamic tradition and Catherine from the Christian tradition. This study is structured in four parts: an introduction to the concept of mystical experiences, a brief overview of the lives of Rabia and Catherine, a comparative analysis of their mystical characteristics, and a discussion of how their experiences can serve as a model for interreligious spirituality and friendship.