Monday 11 February 2019

The Forty Rules of Love!


‘A gorgeous, jewelled, luxurious book’
Written by the women’s right activist and a public speaker Elif Shafak
 
 
 
About the Author: 

Elif Shafak is a Turkish-British novelist, essayist, academic, public speaker and women’s rights activist. She is an activist on women’s rights, minority rights and freedom of speech. The Forty Rules of Love is one of her best sellers.
 
About the book: 

Sufism is the huge theme of this Book. It consists of a two parallel narratives; One is about the unhappily married Jewish housewife and the other about the wandering dervish Shams of Tabriz, who is a mystic sufi. Forty Rules of Love has always been on my wishlist for very long ever since I read about it in one of the blog relating to the famous sufi poet ‘Rumi’. As the name read, it’s a love story not only revolving around Ella and Aziz, but mainly focusing on the spiritual friendship between Rumi and Shams. I understand that, sufism is a teaching derived from the main teachings of Islam where the basic focus is on spiritual oneness with God and his creations. 

Shams is wonderful character that brought about many priceless messages about love, being grateful and optimistic in life. Messages given by the Shams in the form of poetry/quotes teaches us and inspires us to be kind despite what life throw into our faces. Because giving up and blaming God seems like the easiest thing to do, but still believing in his grace and love is what brings us out of despair. His “lessons” with Rumi throughout the book can be an inspiring experience for many of us.

My favorite thought provoking lines from the book are :

“Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation. If we are the same person before and after we loved, that means we haven’t loved enough.”

"Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighbourhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful!"
 
“Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of a process. What does patience mean? It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn. Impatience means to be so shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome. The lovers of God never run out of patience, for they know that time is needed for the crescent moon to become full.”
 
Conclusion :
 
Forty Rules of Love may turn out to be a love story to many of us reading it, but moreover it is about us connecting others through kindness, gratitude, understanding and most importantly Love. Readers may not like it if they are far beyond reading a philosophical book, however I would say it as a must read during one’s lifetime. 

Go, grab your copy  now!

Buy your book from Amazon here:
 
 

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