Aguilar, 2008
Westerners discovered romantic love in the love treatises of the 11th century, written by the most representative figures of Andalusian culture. In the East, feelings of love were bound to rituals shaped by tradition. Today, we live immersed in a technological society that proposes a different way of loving. Is it passion that unites us despite religion, or customs that make us alike? What does humanity’s cultural heritage tell us about passion and desire? How is love experienced in Islam?

In this book, Fatema Mernissi sets in motion a mirror held up to the street to capture the essence of life, which is none other than love itself. With fresh and approachable prose, she analyzes each of its phases: origin, signs, the game of seduction, beauty, and marriage, while highlighting the most notable expressions of love throughout history, drawing on references from the Islamic world that have become universal. This is a journey through the whirlwind of emotions in today’s Muslim countries, accompanied by the fragrances of Sufi tradition.