The Forty Rules of Love Part 3, Chapter 23 Summary & Analysis

Kimya. Konya, January 1246. Kimya is bashful but works up the courage to talk to Shams again. He seems distracted and talks about a storm coming. Kimya says that she wishes that she could read the Qur’an with deeper insight. Shams says she might one day, if she listens to destiny. He explains that destiny doesn’t mean a person’s life has been predetermined, simply that a person who listens to destiny is listening to the music of the universe. He tells Kimya that in love, boundaries can get blurred, with haram and halal (forbidden and permissible things) not being clear. Kimya warns Shams that people could misinterpret Shams’ messages as heresy, but he believes narrow-minded people are “deaf” no matter what you say. Kimya is now sure she’s in love with Shams.

Shams’ thoughts on destiny relate to the characters both in Sweet Blasphemy and in Ella’s story. Shams believes that having a destiny doesn’t mean that a person’s actions are predetermined, meaning that people still have to accept responsibility for the things they do. Shams is able to think with nuance, noting that the boundary between haram and halal is not always clear, and as Kimya notes, this type of thinking can be dangerous to Shams’ reputation for people come to religion seeking easy answers.

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The Forty Rules of Love: Part 3, Chapter 23 Summary & Analysis