Brief Summary
This video presents 40 rules of love, drawing from Sufi wisdom and spirituality. These rules offer guidance on various aspects of life, including self-perception, the pursuit of truth, the nature of intellect and love, the importance of language and silence, and the role of patience and gratitude. They emphasize the interconnectedness of all things, the significance of inner transformation, and the ultimate goal of realizing the Divine within oneself.
- Self-perception and reflection of God.
- Love as a transformative force.
- Importance of inner transformation.
The first rule states that our perception of God directly mirrors our self-perception. If we predominantly associate God with fear and blame, it indicates an abundance of these emotions within us. Conversely, if we perceive God as loving and compassionate, it reflects our own loving and compassionate nature.
The second rule emphasizes that the path to truth is a journey of the heart, not the head. It advises making the heart the primary guide, overcoming doubts with heartfelt understanding, and recognizing that the ego leads to the knowledge of God.
The third rule suggests that God can be studied through everything and everyone in the universe, as God is not confined to specific places of worship. If one seeks to know God's abode, it can only be found in the heart of a true lover.
The fourth rule contrasts intellect and love, stating that intellect creates complications and avoids risks, while love dissolves complexities and risks everything. Intellect is cautious, whereas love embraces ecstasy. Love can break down and find treasures in ruins, signifying that a broken heart can hold hidden treasures.
The fifth rule asserts that many global problems arise from linguistic errors and misunderstandings. It advises against taking words at face value and suggests that in the realm of love, conventional language becomes obsolete, and that which cannot be expressed in words can only be understood through silence.
The sixth rule distinguishes between loneliness and solitude, noting that loneliness can lead to delusion, while solitude is preferable as it involves being alone without feeling lonely. Ultimately, it is best to find someone who serves as a mirror, reflecting oneself and the presence of God within.
The seventh rule advises against despair, regardless of life's difficulties, assuring that God will create new paths even when all doors seem closed. It emphasizes the importance of thankfulness, not only for blessings but also for what has been denied.
The eighth rule clarifies that patience is not passive endurance but looking at the end of a process, seeing the rose in the thorn and the dawn in the night. Impatience is shortsightedness. Lovers of God never lose patience, knowing that time is needed for the crescent moon to become full.
The ninth rule suggests that direction is not as important as the inner journey. Every journey should be a journey within. By traveling within, one can travel the whole world and beyond.
The tenth rule draws a parallel between childbirth and personal growth, stating that hardship is necessary for a new self to be born, just as clay needs intense heat to become strong. Love is perfected through and after adversity.
The eleventh rule states that the quest for love changes a person. Anyone who seeks love matures along the way. The moment one starts looking for love, inner and outer transformation begins.
The twelfth rule warns against fake gurus and false teachers, who are abundant. True spiritual masters do not seek attention or obedience but help individuals appreciate their inner selves. True mentors are transparent, allowing the light of God to pass through them.
The thirteenth rule advises against resisting change, encouraging individuals to let life live through them. It questions the assumption that the familiar side of life is better than the unknown.
The fourteenth rule asserts that God is actively completing our work, both outwardly and inwardly. Every human being is a work in progress, moving towards perfection. God deals with each person separately, recognizing humanity as a fine art where every detail is important.
The fifteenth rule states that while it's easy to love a perfect God, it is more difficult to love imperfect human beings. One can only know what one is capable of loving. Without learning to love God's creation, one cannot truly love or know God.
The sixteenth rule defines real faith as that which resides inside, while the rest simply washes off. The only dirt that cannot be cleansed with water is hatred and bigotry. While the body can be purified through abstinence and fasting, only love can purify the heart.
The seventeenth rule states that the entire universe is contained within a single human being. Everything one sees, including what one dislikes, exists within oneself in varying degrees. The devil is not an external force but an ordinary voice from within.
The eighteenth rule advises that to change how others treat you, you must first change how you treat yourself. Once you achieve self-love, be thankful for every thorn others throw at you, as it signifies that roses will soon follow.
The nineteenth rule advises against worrying about where the road will lead, instead focusing on the first step, which is the hardest. Once that step is taken, let everything follow its natural course. Don't go with the flow; be the flow.
The twentieth rule states that we were all created in God's image, yet each person is unique. No two people are the same. Disrespecting differences and imposing thoughts on others is tantamount to disrespecting God's holy scheme.
The twenty-first rule suggests that when a true lover of God enters a tavern, it becomes a chamber of prayer, but when a wine bibber enters the same chamber, it becomes a tavern. It is our hearts that make the difference, not our outer appearance. Sufis do not judge others by their looks but open a third eye to see the inner realm.
The twenty-second rule describes life as a temporary loan and the world as a sketchy imitation of reality. Only children mistake a toy for the real thing. Avoid extremities to maintain inner balance. Sufis remain mild and moderate.
The twenty-third rule emphasizes the unique place of human beings in God's creation, stating that each person is designed to be God's delegate on Earth. It calls on individuals to discover the Divine spirit within and live by it.
The twenty-fourth rule asserts that hell and heaven are present in the here and now. Every time we fall in love, we ascend to Heaven; every time we hate, envy, or fight, we descend into Hell.
The twenty-fifth rule explains that each reader comprehends the Holy Quran on a different level, based on their understanding. There are four levels of insight: the outer meaning, the inner level, the inner of the inner, and a fourth level so deep it cannot be put into words.
The twenty-sixth rule describes the universe as one being, with everything interconnected through an invisible web of stories. It advises doing no harm, practicing compassion, and avoiding gossip. Words do not vanish but are stored in space and will return in due time. One man's pain hurts all, and one man's joy makes everyone smile.
The twenty-seventh rule states that whatever you speak, good or evil, will return to you. If someone harbors ill thoughts about you, responding in kind will worsen the situation. Instead, for 40 days and nights, think and say nice things about that person to change the energy.
The twenty-eighth rule explains that the past is an interpretation, and the future is an illusion. Time moves through us in endless spirals, not in a straight line. Eternity is timelessness. To experience eternal illumination, put the past and future out of your mind and remain in the present.
The twenty-ninth rule clarifies that destiny does not mean life is predetermined. To attribute everything to fate and not contribute to the music of the universe is ignorance. Destiny is the level where you play your tune; how well you play it is in your hands.
The thirtieth rule describes a true Sufi as one who patiently endures unjust accusations and attacks without uttering a bad word. A Sufi never apportions blame. There can be no opponents or rivals when there is no self, and no one to blame when there is only one.
The thirty-first rule advises softening inside to strengthen faith. A rock-solid faith requires a heart as soft as a feather. Illness, accidents, loss, or fright teach us to be less selfish and judgmental, and more compassionate and generous.
The thirty-second rule asserts that nothing should stand between you and God, including religious leaders or even your own faith. Believe in your values but never impose them on others. Breaking hearts renders religious duty useless. Stay away from idolatry and let God be your only guide.
The thirty-third rule suggests aiming for the supreme stage of nothingness, while others strive to achieve and become someone. Live life as light and empty as the number zero. Like a pot, it is not the decorations but the emptiness inside that holds us straight.
The thirty-fourth rule clarifies that submission does not mean weakness or passivity but leads to true power. Those who submit to the Divine Essence of life will live in tranquility and peace, even during turbulence.
The thirty-fifth rule states that opposites take us a step forward. All opposites in the universe exist within each person. Believers need to meet the unbeliever within, and vice versa, until one reaches the stage of insan-i kamil, the perfect human being. Faith requires its seeming opposite, disbelief.
The thirty-sixth rule explains that the world is built on reciprocity. Neither kindness nor evil goes unreciprocated. If someone is plotting against you, remember that God is the biggest planner. Believe that whatever God does, He does beautifully.
The thirty-seventh rule describes God as a meticulous clock maker, so precise that everything happens in its own time, neither early nor late. The clock works accurately for everyone, with a time to love and a time to die.
The thirty-eighth rule advises that it is never too late to ask if you are ready to change your life and yourself. If a single day is the same as the day before, it is a pity. With each breath, one should be renewed. The only way to be born into a new life is to die before death.
The thirty-ninth rule states that while the part changes, the whole remains the same. For every thief who departs, a new one is born, and every decent person who passes away is replaced. Nothing remains the same, yet nothing ever really changes.
The fortieth rule asserts that a life without love is of no account. Don't ask what kind of love to seek, as divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels or definitions; it is pure and simple. Love is the Water of Life, and a lover is a soul of fire. The universe turns differently when fire loves water.
Transcript
Full transcript of “Forty Rules of Love - Shams of Tabriz | Ellif Shafaq (Complete)”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:02 rule number one how we see God is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves if God brings to mind mostly fear and blame it means there is too much fear and blame W up inside us if we see God as full of love and compassion so are we rule number two the path to the truth is a labor of the heart heart not of the head make your heart your primary guide not your mind meet Challenge and ultimately Prevail over your knps with your heart knowing your ego will lead you to the knowledge of God rule number three you can study God
0:50 through everything and everyone in the universe because God is Not confined in a mosque synagogue or church but if you are still in need of knowing where exactly his Abode is there is only one place to look for him in the heart of a true lover rule number four intellect and love are made of different materials intellect ties people in knots and risks nothing but love dissolves all Tangles and risks everything intellect is always cautious and advice is beware too much ecstasy whereas love says oh never mind take the pl intellect does not easily break down whereas love can effortlessly reduce
1:35 itself to Rubble but Treasures are hidden among ruins a broken heart hides Treasures rule number five most problems of the world stems from linguistic mistakes and simple misunderstanding don't ever take words at face value when you step into the zone of love language as we know it becomes obsolete that which cannot be put into words can only be grasped through silence rule number six loneliness and Solitude are two different things when you are lonely it is easy to delude yourself into believing that you are on the right path Solitude is better for us
2:21 as it means being alone without feeling lonely but eventually it is the best to find a person who will be your mirror remember only in another person's heart can you truly see yourself and the presence of God within you rule number seven whatever happens in your life no matter how troubling things might seem do not enter the neighborhood of Despair even when all doors remain closed God will open up A New Path only for you be thankful it is easy to be thankful when all is well a Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but also for all that he has been
3:07 denied rule number eight patience does not mean to passively endure it means to look at the end of a process what does Patience mean it means to look at the thorn and see the rose to look at the night and see the dawn impatience means to be shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome the lovers of God never run out of patience for they know that time is needed for the Crescent Moon to become full rule number nine east or west south or north makes little difference no matter what your destination is just be sure to make every Journey a journey within if you travel within you'll
3:54 travel the whole wide world and Beyond ru number 10 the Midwife knows that when there is no pain the mother cannot give birth likewise for a new self to be born hardship is necessary just as clay needs to go through intense heat to become strong love can only be perfected through and after adversity rule number 11 The Quest For Love Changes you there is no Seeker among those who search for love who has not matured on the way the moment you start looking for love you start to change from the inside and outside rule number 12 there are more
4:41 fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible Universe don't confuse power-driven self-centered people with true mentors a genuine spiritual Master will not direct your attention to himself or herself self and will not expect absolute obedience or utter admiration from you but instead will help you to appreciate and admire your inner self true mentors are as transparent as glass they let the light of God pass through them rule number 13 try not to resist the changes which come your way instead
5:28 let life live through you you and do not worry that your life is turning upside down how do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to [Music] come rule number 14 God is busy with the completion of your work both outwardly and inwardly he is fully occupied with you every human being is a work in progress that is slowly but in ex L moving towards Perfection we are each an unfinished work of art both waiting and striving to be completed God deals with each of us separately because humanity is fine art of skilled penmanship where every single
6:14 dot is equally important for the entire picture rule number 15 it's easy to love a perfect God unblemished and infallible that he is what is far more difficult is to love fellow human being with all their imperfections and defects remember one can only know what one is capable of loving there is no wisdom without love unless we learn to love God's creation we can neither truly love nor truly know God rule number 16 real faith is the one inside the rest
7:00 simply washes off there is only one type of dirt that cannot be cleansed with pure water and that is the stain of hatred and bigotry contaminating the soul you can purify your body through abstinence and fasting but only love will purify your [Music] heart rule number 17 the whole universe is contained within a a single human being you everything that you see around including the things that you might not be fond of and even the people you despise or abhor is present within you in varying degrees therefore do not look for
7:46 shaitan outside yourself the devil is not an extraordinary force that attacks from without if you set to know yourself fully facing it with honesty and hardness you would see that it is an ordinary voice from [Applause] [Music] within rule number 18 if you want to change the ways others treat you you should first change the way you treat yourself fully and sincerely otherwise there is no way you can be loved however once you achieve that stage be thankful for every Thorn that others
8:32 might throw at you it is a sign that you will soon be showered in roses rule number 19 fret not where the road will take you instead concentrate on the first step that is the hardest part and that is what you are responsible for once you take that step let everything do what it naturally does and the rest will will follow don't go with the flow be the flow rule number 20 we were all created in His image and yet we were each created differently and unique no two people are the same no hearts beat to the same Rhythm if God had wanted
9:19 everyone to be the same he would have made it so therefore disrespecting differences and imposing your thoughts on others is tantamount to disrespecting God 's holy scheme rule number 21 when a true lover of God goes into a Tavern The Tavern becomes his chamber of prayer but when a wine Biber goes into the same chamber it becomes his Tavern in everything we do it is our hearts that makes the difference not our outer appearance sufis do not judge other people on how they look or who they are when a Sufi stares at someone he keeps both eyes closed and instead he opens a third eye the eye that sees the inner
10:05 realm rule number 22 life is a temporary loan and this world is nothing but a sketchy imitation of reality only children would mistake a toy for the real thing and yet human beings either become infatuated with the toy or disrespectfully break it and throw it aside in this life stay away from all kinds of extremities for they will destroy your inner balance sufis do not go to extremis a Sufi always remains mild and moderate rule number 23 the human being has a unique Place among God's creation God says I breathed into him of my spirit each and every one of us without exception is designed to
10:52 be God's delegate on Earth ask yourself just how often do you behave like a delegate if you ever do so remember it falls upon each of us to discover the Divine spirit inside and live by it rule number 24 hell is in the here and now so is heaven quit worrying about hell or dreaming about heaven as they are both present inside this very moment every time we fall in love we Ascend to Heaven every time we hate Envy or fight someone we tumble straight into the depths of Hell rule number 25 each and every reader comprehends the
11:39 Holy Quran on a different level of Tandem with the depth of his understanding there are four levels of insight the first level is the outer meaning and it is the one that the majority of the people are content with next is the botony the inner level third is the inner of the inner and the fourth level is so deep it cannot be put into words and is therefore bound to remain Indescribable rule number 26 the universe is one being everything and everyone is interconnected through an invisible web of stories whether we are aware of it or not we are all in a silent conversation Do no harm practice
12:26 compassion and do not gossip behind anyone's back not even a seemingly innocent remark the words that come out of our mouths do not vanish but are perpetually stored in Infinite Space and they will come back to us in due time one man's pain will hurt us all one man's Joy will make everyone smile Rule Number 27 whatever you speak good or evil will somehow come back to you therefore if there is someone who Harbors ill thoughts about you saying similarly bad things about him will only make matters worse you will be locked in a vicious circle of malevolent energy instead for 40 days and nights
13:13 say and think nice things about that person everything will be different at the end of 40 days because you will be different inside rule number 28 the past is an interpretation the future is an illusion the world does not move through time as if it were a straight line proceeding from the past to the Future instead time moves through and within us in Endless spirals eternity does not mean infinite time but simply timelessness if you want to experience Eternal illumination put the past and the future out of your mind and remain within the present moment rule number 29 destiny does not
13:59 mean that your life has been strictly predetermined therefore to live everything to fate and to not actively contribute to the music of the universe is a sign of sheer ignorance the music of the universe is all pervading and it is composed on 40 different levels your destiny is the level where you play your tune you might not change your instrument but how well to play it is entirely in your hands rule number 303 the true Sufi is such that even when he is unjustly accused attacked and condemned from all sides he patiently endures uttering not a single bad word about any of his critics a Sufi never abortions blame How can there be
14:45 opponents or rivals or even others when there is no self in the first place How can there be anyone to blame when there is only one rule number 31 if you want to strengthen your faith you you will need to soften inside for your faith to be Rock Solid your heart needs to be as soft as a feather through an illness accident loss or fright one way or another we are all faced with incidents that teach us how to become less selfish and judgmental and more compassionate and generous some of us learn the lesson and manage to become milder yet some others end up becoming even harsher than before rule number 32 nothing should stand between you and God
15:32 no imams priests Rabbi or any other custodians of morals or religious leadership not spiritual Masters and not even your faith believe in your values and your rules but never Lord them over others if you keep breaking other people's hearts whatever religious Duty you perform is no good stay away from all sorts of idolatry for they will blur your vision let God and Only God Be Your guide learn the truth my friend but be careful not to make a fetish out of your [Music] truth rule number 33 while everyone in this world strives to get somewhere and become someone only
16:17 to leave it all behind after death you should aim for the Supreme stage of nothingness live this life as light and empty as the number zero we are no different from a pot it is not the decorations outside but the emptiness inside that holds us straight it is not what we aspire to achieve but the consciousness of nothingness is what keeps us going rule number 34 submission does not mean being weak or passive it leads to neither fatalism nor capitulation just the opposite true power resides in submission it is a power that comes from within those who submit to the Divine Essence of life
17:04 will live in unperturbed tranquility and peace even when the whole wide world goes through turbulence after turbulence rule number 35 in this world it is not similarities or regularities that take us a step forward but blunt opposites and all the Opposites in the universe are present within each and every one of us therefore the believer needs to meet the unbeliever residing within and the non-believer should get to know the silent faithful one until the day one reaches the stage of insan caral the perfect human being faith is a gradual process and one that necessitates its seeming opposite
17:51 disbelief rule number 36 this world is erected upon the principle of reciprocity neither neither a drop of kindness nor a speck of evil will remain unreciprocated nor the plots deceptions or tricks of other people if somebody is planning or setting a trap remember so is God he is the biggest planner not even a leaf stirs outside God's knowledge simply and fully believe in that whatever God does he does it beautifully rule number 37 God is a meticulous clock maker so precise is his order that everything on Earth happens in its own time neither a minute late nor a minute early and the
18:39 Clock Works accurately for everyone without exception for each there is a time to love and a time to die rule number 38 it is never too late to ask yourself am I ready to change the life I am living am I ready to change Within even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before it surely is a Pity at every moment and with each new breath one should be renewed again and again there is only one way to be born into a new life to die before death rule number 39 while the part changes the whole always Remains the Same for every Thief
19:26 who departs this world a new one is born and every decent person who passes away is replaced by a new one in this way not only does nothing remain the same but also nothing ever really changes rule number 40 a life without love is of no account don't ask yourself what kind of love you should seek spiritual or material Divine or mundane Eastern or Western divisions only lead to more divisions love has no labels no definitions it is what it is pure and simple love is the Water of Life and a lover is a soul of fire the universe turns differently when
20:12 fire loves water [Music]
