Biography
A'isha al-Ba'uniyya (1402-1475) was a Syrian poet and mystic, an important figure in Arabic literature, one of the few women in medieval literature. Born in Damascus to a high-class family, she grew up among scholars; her father taught her poetry, law and the Koran. At the age of eight, Aisha had become Hafiz, meaning that she knew the Koran by heart.She eas married and had a son and a daughter. In 1513 she was going to Cairo with her son, when the caravan was attacked by robbers who took everything from them, including many of her manuscripts with poems that were lost forever.
In Cairo, she and her son were hosted by the personal secretary of the Mamluk sultan, who helped his son find a job and introduced Aisa to the Cairo literature cycle, where she soon became a prominent member. She studied law in Cairo and gained great prestige and recognition as a lawyer. She lived there for many years, at an old age she returned to Beirut where she died.
Aisa's main work is "The Principles of Sufism" which describes her philosophy based on four principles: repentance, sincerity, remembrance and love.