The Forty Rules of Love — Book Review

Recently finished The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. Overall, I really really liked it. It brings together so many things that a 2 paragraphed instagram review simply wouldn’t do it justice. So let’s just get into it, I have lots I want to talk about.

Foremost, this is a fictional novel. Shafak, a PhD in Political Science, has referenced credible sources used for writing the book at the end, and I see them perfectly placed throughout the book. But it’s still a novel. Only, it’s a Sufi-based novel. You should take it as seriously as you would take a well-researched fiction novel focused on space travel or cardiac surgery; appreciate the point of view and dive into more original research if you want to pursue the topic as a part of your life. But by no means follow the novel as an instruction manual.

The name “The Forty Rules of Love”, made me think the novel is going to dive right into Shams Of Tabriz, a wandering Dervish (or Majzoob as we call them in Urdu and Persian) teaching Jalal-ud-din Rumi (a religious scholar of great imminence) his Forty Rules of Divine Love. However, the book starts with a Jewish American woman, Ella, nearing her 40th birthday with the apparent perfect marriage, kids, house and social life. Underneath it all she struggles with a loveless life with no achievements to call her own. She begins reviewing the book of a mysterious Scottish author as part of her first assignment at a literary agency. Her journey through the book and her correspondence with the author drastically change her life. The novel she is reviewing, about the companionship of Shams of Tabriz and Rumi is called “Sweet Blasphemy”, where every chapter starts with the letter B. This is notably a very detailed touch of symbolism, which also extends to every chapter outside ‘Sweet Blasphemy’ as well.

Sweet Blasphemy is divided into five sections; Air, Water, Earth, Fire and The Void. It is through these chapters we walk with Shams of Tabriz while he seeks out his God-promised companion, to whom he shall teach the 40 rules of Divine Love knowing full well as he embarks on this journey that it will cost him his life. The aftermath of the Crusades, the Mongols and the Seljuk wars underscore steady tone of fear and misery the common man faces. During the first half of the book, we see Shams of Tabriz going from Samarkand to Baghdad and finally to Konya, where Rumi lives. During his travel, Shams continues to teach those he thinks worthy or in need of guidance his Forty Rules of Divine Love. This is how the reader learns of the Rules, all within context with Shams explaining them with stories that are well known among the Sufi teachings. It is at these points in the book that I realized Shafak had done her homework. In an early debate with a Sharia (Islamic Law) Judge of Baghdad who openly scorns Sufism and Dervishes while sitting in a Dervish Lodge, Shams speaks some of my favorite lines in the book; “‘the Sharia is like a candle,’ said Shams of Tabriz, ‘It provides us with much valuable light. But let us not forget that a candle helps go from one place to another in the dark. If we forget where we are headed and instead concentrate on the candle, what good is it?’. It is at this point the reader learns that Shams of Tabriz does not filter, and this is what brings him enemies.

Shams of Tabriz continues to teach the people around him, to focus on the end-goal. Divine Love, the love of God. As he enters Konya, he doesn’t rush to meet Rumi, he instead moves around the city to understand how the people of the Great Mawlana’s home town live. Konya has an ugly underbelly. As Shams of Tabriz meets and sees the treatment meted to the outcasts, he reminds each of them to not give up on their journey to God. He embraces the leper, the prostitute and the Muslim drunkard, encouraging each to remember they were made by God, with love and with a promise of forgiveness while they continue to reach out to Him.

When Rumi and Shams of Tabriz finally meet, the friendship is struck with Shams bringing forth all of Rumi’s understanding of spiritual ascension with one very complicated question which appears nothing short of blasphemous on the face of it. Shams of Tabriz and Rumi retreat to Rumi’s sacred library for Forty days, leaving food and drink behind and devoting each day to one of the Forty Rules. During this time and the year that follows, Shams gains enemies in household of Rumi as well as in Konya. Tensions reach their pinnacle at the same time Rumi’s spiritual ascension peaks. The two perform the sema, the dance of the Whirling Dervish with 6 of Rumi’s disciples. The performance is in front of all of Konya and receives great applause. After the performance, Shams leaves Konya and takes almost an year to find him and bring him back.

It is in this return to Konya, that we see Shams marry Rumi’s adopted daughter Kimiya — who has fallen in love with Shams, and eventually both Kimiya and Shams of Tabriz leave behind this world for the hereafter.

Thoughts on Sufi Aspects of the Book:

The Forty Rules, as they are laid out are very soul touching. Putting the book down was not easy. Shams of Tabriz irritation with the Muslim Clergy is a notable debate between Sufis and Scholars to this day. Similarly, Shams’ rebuking of the Ruler’s reward is another Sufi aspect; in Faqiri the Reward is God’s pleasure not worldly rewards. A central theme to Sufism, that no good is done to earn Heaven or escape Hell, instead all goodness and effort on part of the faqir is done to attain the approval and pleasure of God is explained beautifully — and is again something that contrasts with mainstream clergy of monotheist religions.

Thoughts on the Controversial Aspects of the Books:

I had read several reviews of the book, some were very positive but then among the positive notes were questionable points such as ‘embracing homosexuality’. Among negative notes was the Rumi traded his young adopted daughter in marriage to keep Shams in Konya, and she apparently died of a broken heart. In reading the book, particularly in context of Elif Shafak’s own principled stance, I have the following observations;

The homosexual allegations were slander against Rumi and Shams Tabriz, and the book acknowledges this. Readers or reviewers who continue to toe this line as a fact of the novel and even real life, over what it really was, well there are more ways to make a case for the rainbow than to plant it where it doesn’t exist. Some Sufis have had slander of one kind or the other thrown at them. In fact, in my study of the life or different Sufi saints, I have come across a few cases where the Saint even encouraged people to think ill of him. Because then they left him alone to his prayer (zikr) and also, because they were people who could not comprehend the knowledge he was imparting. To the Sufi, the opinion of the people do not hold consequence, since the Sufi does not depend on the people. God sustains the Sufi, and Sufi keeps this path as the sole focus of his or her being. There is a saying by his Holiness Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, “had the trials I have faced fallen upon mountains, the mountains would crumble to ruble”. The Sufi trials are not for the faint of heart, nor should they be measured against the SAT for toughness.

As for the marriage of Kimiya and Shams of Tabriz, while I would like to dive into more research into Shams’ life, per the book it was apparent that Kimiya loved him and married him. On his part, while he wouldn’t consummate the marriage, he treated her as a student and shared his knowledge with her. There was no marital rape, no lusting over a girl young enough to be his daughter. The confusing part, which is why I feel the need to research more, is that Shams consented to the marriage only to regret it on the wedding night. It is not characteristic of Sufi’s to take actions without Divine Order or Guidance. But since I read this as a novel and not an instruction manual or a piece of history, it’s not a point I would label Rumi or Shams of Tabriz as monsters over.

Shah Shams of Tabriz — The Sufi Master

There are several shrines attributed to Shah Shams of Tabriz around the world. Not just in Konya, rather there is one here in Pakistan too, in Multan the City of Saints. That one I have paid my respects to as a young girl. The biggest artistic liberty I feel this novel has taken, is calling Maulana Rumi and Shah Shams of Tabrz ‘companions’. Shah Shams was the Master, Rumi was the student. It is a fact acknowledged in all of Rumi’s poetry and teachings after he meant Shah Shams. In the faqiri order, ‘adab’ or ‘respectful manners’ are of utmost importance. A student will not call a Master a friend, regardless of their closeness or mutual trust. It is not because the Master will be cross or his ego will react with rebuke. Rather, the greater Divine spiritual order which flows in the teachings and guides them both, demands the respect be upheld.

I could honestly write a great deal more, because the novel has truly touched upon several topics. There is still Rumi’s treatment of his Christian Convert wife Kerra, the depiction of women’s education in the Sufi order as depicted in the story, the disposition of his two very different sons Sultan Walad and Aladdin, the brutal security guard Babayrs and the journey of the three outcase characters. But you need to read the book for the details, I can’t just re-write the novel :)

Faqiri / the Sufi way is an ocean and the volumes of literature that exists to explore it though sizeable, is also self-admittedly short. My own personal preference for such literature is to be as close to the original language as possible, for the book itself admits much is lost in translation. I end this review with a quote I found very insightful;