Who was Raabi’ah al-‘Adawiyyah?
Question

                Could you give me a summary of the life of the Muslim Saint Rabi'aa Al-Adawiya and her miracles? Was she a good Muslim at her early years? Why did she become an ascetic?
Praise be to Allah.Raabi’ah al-‘Adawiyyah was an ascetic and humble
      worshipper, as al-Dhahabi said in al-Siyar (8/241). Abu Sa’eed
      ibn al-A’raabi reported that he said:
 With regard to Raabi’ah al-‘Adawiyyah, people
      transmitted a great deal of wisdom from her. Sufyaan, Shu’bah and others
      reported about her accounts which prove that what was said about her
      believing in incarnation and promoting promiscuity is not true.
 Al-Dhahabi said: this is an exaggeration and
      ignorance. Perhaps those who attribute that to her are themselves
      promiscuous and believers in incarnation, and are using her to support
      their own kufr, just as they misuse the hadeeth “I will be hishearing with which he hears.”
 There are no reports of miracles etc. on the part
      of Raabi’ah al-‘Adawiyyah; there are only the reports of her words of
      asceticism and wisdom, such as when she said to Sufyaan al-Thawri: “You
      are only a few days, and when one day passes a part of you has gone. Soon,
      when a part of you have gone all of you will have gone. You know about
      this, so act upon it.”
 Another example of the things she said is: “I
      seek forgiveness from Allaah for the lack of my sincerity when I say, I
      seek the forgiveness of Allaah.”
 ‘Abdah bint Abi Shawwaal, who was one of the
      best female slaves of Allaah and who used to serve Raabi’ah, said:
      “Raabi’ah used to pray all night long, and just before dawn, she would
      take a short nap until dawn came. When she awoke with a start, I would
      hear her say in a terrified manner, ‘O my soul, how long will you sleep?
      How long will you nap? Soon you will sleep a sleep from which you will not
      wake until the Day of Resurrection.’”
 She [‘Abdah] said: this was her habit all her
      life, until she died.
 It was said that she lived for eighty years and
      died in the year 180 AH.