The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

This recent light read from Turkish-British Novelist and Essayist Elif Shafak concluded with some heavy learning about life, living and people.

"The Forty Rules of Love" portrays the concepts of love and friendship weaved into Sufism and relation with god explained through a mystic story.

Ella Rubenstein, an American housewife, is seeking meaning and fulfilment. Her self-discovery begins when she is assigned to read a manuscript of a novel titled "Sweet Blasphemy," by Aziz Zahara. As Ella delves into the captivating story of spiritual love between Shams of Tabriz and Rumi (the famous poet), she finds herself drawn to Sufi mysticism and the forty rules that transcend time and culture. Ella's transformation is deeply intertwined with the ancient tale, with differences of 800 years apart, creating a powerful connection between past and present.

This book points towards the orifice in our souls, which aches to heal through the essence of love, compassion and genuine human emotions. The book teaches us to experience past, present, nothingness and everything in one moment.

For me, this reading lies in a remarkable category of literature. I recommend it to readers who want to enter an enchanting tapestry of love, spirituality, and self-discovery.

There is no way to select a few favourite quotes from this book- the whole is comprised of quotes. Every sentence is a gem. Here are a few of the quotes from the book-

“Love cannot be explained. It can only be experienced. Love cannot be explained, yet it explains all.”

“Eternity does not mean eternal time, but simply timelessness.”


“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.”


“East, West, South or North makes little difference. No matter what your destination, just be sure to make every journey, a journey within. If you travel within, you’ll travel the whole wide world and beyond.”

“Most of the problems of the world stem from linguistic mistakes and simple misunderstandings. Don’t ever take words at face value.”