Ayat-ayat Cinta

Under normal circumstance, I seldom read Malay novel. The love stories are usually too good to be true or the hero is overacting, hopeless romantic kind of guy which I found, maaf ya, really daunting. There are of course some which are different like Dedaun Hijau Di Angin Lalu by Manaf Hamzah which I read when I was 14 and can still vividly remember the story line. I read it in one night under the gleam of a corridor light of my dormitory. That was what you have to pay for potong line for I really can’t wait my turn. I cried reading it, several times.

Back to Ayat-ayat Cinta, why I read this novel?. TV3 aired Ayat-ayat Cinta the movie last Raya and friends been talking louder about it since then. I haven’t read the book and I missed the movie. I was like, zero knowledge on something big, something of what people been talking and discussing. It hits me hard when out of nothing Chenta ask me ‘Have you read the book? No?’.

Don’t worries, I wont spoil you with the synopsis, (ke semua org dah baca?).

AAC is not an ordinary love/romantic novel. Written by Habiburrahman El Shirazy, a novelist from Indonesia, and as well as a scholar from Al Azhar University, Cairo, Ayat-ayat Cinta is a romantic Islamic novel. For some reason I couldn’t understand myself, I didn’t google ‘AAC book review’ like what I usually did before reading/buying. And for that I’m really grateful, as the beauty of this novel is found and grown on every page I read.

at the very 2nd last page...

And given the story’s central theme is on love, you don’t really get much of that until you read half of the book. Be patience as despite Habiburrahman did a good job in describing Cairo and introducing the characters, the early part is (to me) rather dragging.

This novel somehow touches my heart deeply, inspires and allows me to sit and think about my own story of love. What kind of love do we glorify most? Honor most? How far do we stand to the test? The main characters have to make their call and sacrifice. Love hurts, doesn’t it from time to time.

Ah, love…

desir pasir di padang tandus
segersang pemikiran hati
terkisah ku di antara
cinta yang rumit
bila keyakinanku datang
kasih bukan sekadar cinta
pengorbanan cinta yang agung
ku pertaruhkan
maafkan bila ku tak sempurna
cinta ini tak mungkin ku cegah
ayat-ayat cinta bercerita
cintaku padamu
bila bahagia mulai menyentuh
seakan ku bisa hidup lebih lama
namun harus ku tinggalkan cinta
ketika ku bersujud
ketika ku bersujud

Ayat-Ayat Cinta – Melly/Rossa

To those who are in love please spare your time to read this novel. It explicates guidelines in relationship in a way that you don’t even realize it.

"Biar cinta itu halal dan diberkati. Biar cinta itu kekal dari dunia hingga akhirat."

p/s I did watch the movie, they attempts to tackle various issues, and while it goes for that, it holds back, leave some significant scenes, hence not being able to deliver its punches to the full. I guarantee you; the novel is 10 times better than the movie.