Futuwwa
is a Quranic term that is particularly hard to translate into English. Normally translated as 'chivalry,' it describes a nobility and strength of character that each Muslim should aim to demonstrate. It is a term that "cries out," in Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa’s words, "for practice, for action," and historically it has been used to describe a form of noble warrior-hood.[1] It may also be described as the practice of higher ethical values. Crucially, however, it represents a fearless regard for the truth, as Habib Ali al-Jifri explains:
"When the Prophet was in prostration some of the people that wanted to hurt him would come and throw entrails on his back; and Fatima would come—and she was about seven or eight years old at the time—and argue with them and remove the filth from his back. So she had her portion of futuwwa too. A chivalrous girl of eight would stand in front of these strong men, argue with them and remove what they had done to her father. But she wasn’t defending herself; she was defending the truth." Futuwwa is thus, al-Jifri continues, "a strength that is given, possessing insights, which reacts in order to give victory to truth."[2]
[1] Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa speaking at a talk entitled "The fight of our lives: Rediscovering the way of futuwwa, Islamic chivalry." Available on-line.
[2] Habib Ali al-Jifri speaking at a talk entitled "The fight of our lives: Rediscovering the way of futuwwa, Islamic chivalry." Available on-line.
