Mysticism and 'Forty Rules of Love'

The books we read help us shape our lives and change us in how we see life. Our thoughts are molded according to author's imagination but it's necessary for the reader to always be a critic of what he/she reads. Whether you agree or disagree with the message presented in 'The Forty Rules of Love' by Turkish author Elif Shafak, it is one of those books to have a profound impact on the reader whatsoever. 

 'The Forty Rules of Love' is a poetic and riveting novel with two parallel narratives. One takes place in the 21st century depicting the life of an unhappy woman Ella Rubenstein, while the other takes place in the 13th century where the world renowned scholar Rumi encounters a wandering dervish, Shams of Tabriz.

 Sufis in the Islamic world have always been considered heretics with their harrowing interpretation of religion. Although fictional, this book has done a great job in depicting the Sufi teachings and Sufism . This novel is phenomenal and influential in the sense that it's abound with message of Love and those significant esoteric messages, such as in Rumi's sermons, Ella and Aziz's emails, as well as the 'forty rules of Shams'.

 Shams of Tabriz, with his 'forty rules of love', spreads the message of tolerance , universal love, harmony and a gamut of principles with which one can truly be able to love unconditionally and find the inner peace most people are looking for. Shams of Tabriz encounters Rumi, one of the most erudite scholars the world has ever seen, and inspires him to be the poet he was meant to be.

 Some of the messages conveyed in these forty rules are to let go of your ego, be open to the idea of love, be tolerant towards your fellow beings, be open to change, and to live in the present rather than brooding about the past or the future. One of my favorite rules is:

 "The past is an interpretation. The future is an illusion. The world does not move through time as if it were a straight line, proceeding from the past to the future. Instead time moves through and within us, in endless spirals. Eternity does not mean infinite time, but simply timelessness. If you want to experience eternal illumination, put the past and the future out of your mind and remain within the present moment."

 Rule 40 tells us about Love and how a life without love is like a tree without blossoms:

 "A  life without love is of no account. Don’t ask yourself what kind of love you should seek, spiritual or material, divine or mundane, Eastern or Western. Divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water."

 This novel persuades the reader to let go of the avarice, chicanery and ego, and embrace Love. Only then can one find inner peace and solace.

 Here is another rule on how love reciprocates wisdom.

 "It’s easy to love a perfect God, unblemished and infallible that He is. What is far more difficult is to love fellow human being with all their imperfections and defects. Remember, one can only know what one is capable of loving. There is no wisdom without love. Unless we learn to love God’s creation, we can neither truly love nor truly know God."

 I highly recommend this novel to all the readers who'd like to understand the basic tenets of Sufism and above all, to those who feel there is something missing in their life. Maybe this novel can help you tread the difficult times you are going through and open the avenues of love to you.  

Adios!

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