Born in San Francisco in 1871 to Russian Jewish immigrants, Ada married David Martin at the age of 19. After a period of struggle, she began to study various religions and esoteric paths. In 1911, she attended a talk by the Sufi master, Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927), who was then touring the United States for the first time at the Vedanta Society in San Francisco. She knew at once that she had found her path and teacher. She wrote to him immediately and it was confirmed for him in a vision that she would become his first mureed. She then traveled to Seattle when she was initiated and given the name, Rabia.
Thereafter, Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan guided her on both the inner and outer planes, and eventually recognized her as the first Murshida (guide or leader) within the newly formed universalist lineage of Inayati Sufism. He called her "the mother of the Sufi Movement in the United States." She established the first American community of Sufis in the Bay Area, and the first Khankah (spiritual center or community) in Fairfax, California. Among her mureeds were Samuel Lewis (1896-1971) and Vera Corda (1913-2002).
As such, it was through Murshida Rabia Martin that Samuel Lewis initially came into Sufism. He acted as her Khalif from the later 1920's until 1949. Many of the early papers of Murshid SAM came from this period when he was responsible for the teaching of mureeds at the Khankah.
In a letter to Murshid Inayat Khan, she wrote the following:
"Blessed Murshad (an old rendering of the word 'Murshid'): This represents a short biography of my life
My parents were born in Russia and came to California in 1850 and were pioneers. They married in San Francisco and I was born here in 1871. I was reared and educated here and graduated from the public schools. I was always, as a child, deeply fond of older people and wanted ever to converse with them. My folks had a difficult time of it I guess, because when I played with children, I wanted to lead them and they had to follow, or there was no play for me.
My sense of justice - in my world of play - was so marked. They did not understand me and consequently my family felt I was too positive and all sorts of advice was unheeded. Of course, you know I could not accept less than the ideals of my childish heart and somehow as I grew older, I felt quite alone within the family circle.
I married at nineteen. My dear daughter was born a year later; this was real happiness, to train her in the principles of morality, justice and patience, and then the blessed music.
In my 28th year a deep grief came to me and for four years I suffered much. The problem compelled me to search deeper for the questions I asked of God, for the reasons demanded an explanation and, in this storm and tumult of a problem too sad for words, I was led into spiritual teachings and freed myself from pain and heart sorrow and tested these principles and universal laws and stayed here in this form.
After certain realizations came in the secret place of my heart, I gave all to Allah and studied, served, prayed ever to realize His laws, love, mercy, and justice. This period of my life I call the reconciliation and spiritual regeneration, all praises to Allah.
I was not satisfied with the Western teachings, so made an independent study of comparative religions and prayed to Allah to lead me to the source, as thus far it was only drinking from a brook instead of the Ocean of Reality. Lecturers, teachers and advanced students here I met always, but none touched my heart's longing. They all represented more or less the circumference. I longed for the center. Then Allah sent my blessed Murshad, spiritually, and later in form. These mystical and blessed experiences I cannot give to the world. To me they are too sacred. This may be selfishness, [but] I cannot share them. My blessed Murshad's Murshad too - may Allah glorify you both - came to me and it can never be told in words - realizations which belong only to the Rabia not of this world - and so all I care for in this life is to worship Allah - love and serve Him - and Murshad and all Murshads in chain. May Allah keep my heart pure and my spirit humble (Amen).
Humbly - (w.s.:) Rabia (Ada Martin)
Please Note: We have an artist and also a Rabbi Priest in our family. Also, I have almost a passion for the study of philosophy and in New York I found there were others (men) of my family branch who likewise gave a lifetime to this study."
This short biography has been adapted from an article in the archives of the Nekbakht Foundation. Murshida Rabia Martin passed away in San Francisco on August 30, 1947.
Recommended Reading: Yours in the Infinite
After leaving San Francisco, Hazrat Inayat Khan began guiding Murshida Rabia through handwritten letters filled with practices and blessings from wherever his travels took him in the world. We are so fortunate to have some of the correspondence between them and have published them in the book, Yours in the Infinite.