At the end of my life, with just one breath left, if you come, "I'll sit up & sing."
-Ru-mi
Introduction:
"The Forty Rules of Love", book that is based on forty rules of divine love. As earlier, I mentioned it in my profile info. I'll try to tell you about the Author, Why this is named as "The Forty Rules of Love", Main characters, Parts in which this book is divided, Book as a questions to my answers & My suggestion for this book whether to read it or not, basically my review.
So, lets start..
About Author:
This is book is being written by "Elif Shafat". She had wrote nine novels including this "The Forty Rules of Love". She is also a public speaker. She is based in London with her two children & can be found at www.elifshafak.com . Her famous works include "The Bastard of Istanbul", "The Flea Palace" & many more.
Parts of the book:
This book "The Forty Rules of Love" is divided into five parts. These are,
1. Earth: The things that are solid, absorbed, & still.
2. Water: The things that are fluid, changing, & unpredictable.
3. Wind: The things that shift, evolve, & challenging.
4. Fire: The things that damage, devastate, & destroy.
5. The void: The things that are present through their absence.
So, these are the parts in which this book i.e. "The Forty rules of Love" is divided. & trust me this book is really very amazing.
Why it is named as "The Forty Rules Of Love":
OK this is named as "The forty Rules of Love" because Sham of Tabriz, one of the main character have made 'Forty Rules', which are described in a book at very unique places & heart throbbing moments. The reasons that why these are 'Forty' in number. At one place in a book when Ella send an email to A.Z. Zahra about her age being turned to '40', then in return he sent an email which says:
"When we mourn we mourn for forty days. When a baby is born it take forty says for him to get ready to start life on earth. And when we are in love we need to wait for forty days to be sure of our feelings. The flood of Noah lasted forty days, & while then Islamic mysticism, there are forty degrees b/w man & God. Likewise, there are four basic stages of consciousness & ten degrees in each, making forty levels in total. Jesus went into wilderness for forty days & nights. Muhammad was forty years old when he received the call to become a prophet. Buddha mediated under a linden tree for forty days. Not to mention the forty rules of shams."
This email gives a hint that why the number of rules were forty.
Main Characters:
The interesting thing about this novel i.e. the forty rules of love, is that their is a novel inside a novel. The main novel "The Forty of loves" revolve around two main characters Ella & A.Z. Zahra. The plot revolves around how Ella's life was colorless & how she wrote a email to the author of book, "Sweet Blasphemy" & how they became friends and than lovers.
And the novel inside the main novel "Sweet Blasphemy" revolves around two main characters, Shams of Tabriz & Ru-mi. They both needed a companion, Ru-mi's message for a companion, Their first meeting, how their lives changes due to Shams, Shams' marriage & his murder.
Book (the forty rules of love) as a answer to my questions:
"Things become manifest through opposites. Since God has no opposite, He remains hidden."
I always think about these type of a question. And as a human it came in everyone's mind that, "Why can't we see God?" So this give me an answer.
Also, another one like:
We as a Muslims offer every possible sun nah and farz(فرض), but what if we don't love & care others, so what is the use of all this?
I understand this thing in book too.
& there are many many more useful things I came to know.
Things that should be preferred in a book:
Some big religious names don't took care of normal or a slightly non-muslim people. We feel cringe to even look at them. But in this book, the forty rules of love, Elif Shafak introduced each & every minor character with minute details & positive characteristics like a prostitute, a drunk man about whom we are not allowed to even think about, as a Muslim. Also it is shown through Rumi's character that we shouldn't prove this world that we are a "perfect", but we should be happy by thinking our importance in after & final world.
Conclusion:
I really liked this novel mostly because of Shams of Tabriz (his strong personality & his Forty Rules of Love) & Ella (an independent Woman). It is also very very useful for agnostic one's because after reading this book some of them will also urge to find God. Overall, this book is really beautiful. When it ends, I was like heart broken. I searched for books like these, but couldn't find. It is worth reading. You all should read. So, this was my review.
Thank You!
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