In the modern world, there is a constant evolution of society’s views on the perception of men and women in the world. Such changes are awakening more and more interest in women’s contribution to the development of various fields. Women’s influence on religious beliefs is on the rise as well, because some of them managed to rise “above all legal conception of religious life” (Vaswani 35). Especially interesting are the works of representatives of different centuries, cultures, and religious groups, such as Rabia of Basra and Hadewijch of Brabant. A comparison of poetry of these two poetesses is made in this essay with an attempt to explore their understanding of the concept of love through religious poetry. Both poetesses explored similar topics, but each in her way, which was influenced by their living conditions and the views’ formation. Rabia of Barsa was an 8th-century poetess, philosopher, and mystic, a representative of the Barsi ascetic school. Fragmentary and sometimes semi-legendary information about her life has survived to this day. She was a slave, “but because of the intensity of her devotion she gained freedom” (Yasuda et al. 33). Hadewijch of Brabant was a 13th-century poet and mystic, belonging to the medieval religious beguine group. Her life is known only from her writings; presumably Hadewijch was of noble birth and exceptionally well-educated. Thus, the living conditions, religious and cultural traditions of the two poetesses are entirely different that is reflected in their works. In her poetry, Rabia of Barsa explored the boundless love of God and new religious dimensions. She strove to “the state of contemplation in which is annihilated your ego or self-hood” (Vaswani 35). This is demonstrated in her prayer “O My Lord, If I Worship You”, where the mystic asks God to reject her if she asks for her destiny, but accepts her with a request for union with God. Thus, the concept of love is central to Sufi’s doctrine, the religious group of ascetics to which Rabia belonged (Vaswani 36). By “love,” she understands a unitive life with God, all-consuming, and renounced. Hadewijch of Brabant also explored the concept of love, but from a completely different perspective than Rabia of Basra. She “contributed a transformative element, the predominantly secular genre of courtly love verse” (Hillgardner 55). As a mystic, she strove to comprehend hidden truths, but she did it through the language of secular, not religious love. Thus, in her poem “The Madness of Love,” she describes love as a revelation, just like spiritual enlightenment. As a result, she “potently combined two literary genres of thirteen-century Western Europe, vernacular courtly love poetry and Christian bridal mysticism” (Hillgardner 54). Hadewijch of Barvant managed in a fantastic way to show her contemporaries that not only religion can give absolute spiritual purity and pleasure. The two poetesses lived in different eras, parts of the world, and religious environments, but explored the same concepts. Rabia of Basra sought to renounce her personality and complete unity with God. She perceived love as something that is born only in the arms of God. On the contrary, Hadewijch of Brabant w