The journey to radical love in Shafak's The Forty Rules Of Love, Hamid's How to Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia, and Mahfouz's Arabian Nights And Days

Abstract

This thesis explores the idea that the influences of Sufism and the poetry of Rumi in contemporary literature challenge perspectives concerning the Islamic representation in the world today by specifically urging for a universal and borderless love between Eastern and Western cultures. Despite being older forms of teaching, the philosophy of Sufism and the poetry of Rumi are still beneficial and relatable to the modern world, essentially urging individuals to find radical love within themselves and, in turn, to find unity with humanity. This radical Love is a transforming force, offering spiritual rebirth, as it surpasses labels, borders, economic globalization, and political corruption as evident in the novels discussed in this thesis. This thesis explores the relationship of Rumi and Sufism to the universe and the individual journey to love by specifically analyzing the journeys of the characters in Elif Shafak's The Forty Rules of Love, Mohsin Hamid's How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, and Naguib Mahfouz's Arabian Nights and Days.