The Way of Love

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Synopsis A beautifully written novel based on the life of the poet Rumi. This is a gripping fictional account of the life of Jalludin al-Rumi the most well known of the Sufi mystics. His poems on love are frequently quoted and in the last few years Andrew Harvey made a new translation of his poems and in the US Deepak Chopra has published a selection of Rumi's love poetry. There is no definitive biography of Rumi, but the facts of his life are generally agreed upon. Nigel Watts has taken these facts and written a powerful account of this great poet's life, particularly focusing on his extraordinary encounter with the legendary Sufi figure -- Shams al Tabriz. Shams as an ascetic who was reputed to be able to perform miraculouis feats. Rumi never recovered from the impact of meeting 'The Sun' of Tabriz. Rumi had met his beloved not in sexual but in spiritual terms and the love that her felt was completely consuming and allowed him to experience a profound mystical state of ecstasy . But this love exacted a price and Rumi experienced extreme despair when parted from his beloved by the power of public opinion.This is the story of the power and pain of a love that transcended the ordinary love of two people. From the Back Cover 'The Way of love' is a gripping fictional account of the life of Sufi mystic Jalal-uddin Rumi, one of the world's most loved poets and teachers.Although there is no definitive biography of 'Rumi', the basic events of his life are generally agreed upon. He was born in what is now Afghanistan in 1207, the son and grandson of respected Muslim scholars. He settled in Konya, the capital of Anatolia, and died there in 1273. The Mevlevi school of Sufism – famed for their whirling dance – was founded soon after his death. Perhaps less well known is the extraordinary relationship that inspired his poetry and teaching.Rumi was 37, already a respected imam with a following of thousands, when a wandering dervish called Shams of Tabriz exploded into his life. Rumi immediately fell under the spell of this provocative, unorthodox spirit. To the alarm of his disciples, he suddenly closed the religious college where he taught, shut the doors of his house, and began what he called his apprenticeship of the heart.'The Way of Love' charts this extraordinary and controversial friendship from their first meeting through a period of intense adoration to the tragic aftermath. Rumi's life was never the same after meeting Shams. By turns ecstatic and harrowing, his voyage of discovery teaches us in turn the true meaning of devotion. See all Product description