Untying the Knots of Love: The Qur'an, Love Poetry, and Akkad's The <em>Message</em>

Abstract

This essay argues that the universal message of the Qur'an is best captured through the concept of "love." The essay begins with a discussion of Moustapha Akkad's famous film The Message, which depicts the early history of Islam. It argues that while the film is highly successful in presenting the traditional accounts of early Islam, it is less so in areas of Islam's underlying teachings, especially regarding the religion's more mystical message expressed through the Qur'an and forms of Islamic spirituality such as Sufism. I contend that the love poetry of such influential spiritual figures as Rumi (d. 1273) and Hafez (d. 1390) articulates the Qur'anic message of love by connecting it to the ultimate realization of tawḥīd, which for these sages implies union with the Divine Beloved Whose presence permeates the cosmos. It is further argued that if tawḥīd is about the relationship between the One and the many, then talking about tawḥīd in terms of love allows one to shift the focus away from the dos and don'ts of the Shariah or theological hair-splitting to the plight of the human condition, which is often characterized by pain and suffering because people lack what they desire. The experience of true love enables the soul to purify itself and grow spiritually. This in turn paves the way for actualizing the soul's latent spiritual potentials that are necessary to realize ultimate happiness.