Kitab al-Futuwwa: Book of Chivalry by al Sulami

كِتَابُ الْفُتُوَّةِ

Kitāb al-Futuwwa

The Book of Futuwwa

Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Sulamī

About this reading text. The five parts below reproduce the text in 493 aligned passages: vocalized Arabic, transliteration, and a modern English translation. A short continuation missing from the principal online transcription follows passage 234 and is supplied from another edition.

The Arabic follows the first Dār al-Rāzī edition (Amman, 1422 AH / 2002 CE), edited by Iḥsān Dhannūn al-Thāmirī and Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh al-Qadaḥāt. Transcription gaps and apparent errors are marked where they affect the reading. Vocalization and transliteration were machine assisted and checked selectively; consult the printed edition before using them for scholarly quotation.

[الْجُزْءِ الْأَوَّلِ مِنْ كِتَابِ الْفُتُوَّةِ]

[al-juzʾi al-ʾawwali min kitābi al-futuwwati]

Part One of the Book of Futuwwa

مِمَّا جَمَعَهُ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ السُّلَمِيُّ

mimmā jamaʿahu al-shaykhu ʾabū ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni muḥammadu bnu al-ḥusayni al-sulamiyyu

Compiled by Shaykh Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Sulamī

قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ رُوحَهُ الْعَزِيزَ

qaddasa Allāhu rūḥahu al-ʿazīza

May God sanctify his noble soul.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَعَلَيْهِ نَتَوَكَّلُ

bismi Allāhi al-Raḥmāni al-raḥīmi waʿalayhi natawakkalu

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. In Him we place our trust.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ مِنْهَاجَ الْفُتُوَّةِ وَاضِحَ الْمَلَاحِبِ، يُؤَوَّلُ وَيُرْشِدُ إِلَى كُلِّ حَسَنٍ وَاجِبٍ، وَنَزَّهَهَا عَنِ الْفَوَاحِشِ وَالْمَعَايِبِ، وَأَرْقَاهَا إِلَى أَعْلَى الْمَرَاتِبِ، وَارْتَضَى لَهَا مِنْ أَنْبِيَائِهِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَأَصْفِيَائِهِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ، كُلُّ مَنْ كَتَبَ اسْمَهُ عَلَى صَفَاءِ لَوْحِ الصِّدْقِ، وَبَانَ لَهُ طَرِيقُ الْحَقِّ، فَقَامَ بِوَاجِبِهِ، وَدَامَ جَالِسًا عَلَى مَرَاتِبِهِ.

al-ḥamdu li-llāhi alladhī jaʿala minhāja al-futuwwati wāḍiḥa al-malāḥibi, yuʾawwalu wayurshidu ʾilā kulli ḥasanin wājibin, wanazzahahā ʿani al-fawāḥishi wa-l-maʿāyibi, waʾarqāhā ʾilā ʾaʿlā al-marātibi, wārtaḍā lahā min ʾanbiyāʾihi al-mursalīna, waʾaṣfiyāʾihi al-muqarrabīna, kullu man kataba asmahu ʿalā ṣafāʾi lawḥi al-ṣidqi, wabāna lahu ṭarīqu al-ḥaqqi, faqāma biwājibihi, wadāma jālisan ʿalā marātibihi.

Praise be to God, who made the path of futuwwa clear, leading and guiding to every good that is due; who kept it free of indecency and faults, raised it to the highest ranks, and chose for it, among His messenger-prophets and those especially close to Him, all whose names are inscribed on the pure tablet of truth. The way of truth became clear to them, and they fulfilled its demands and remained steadfast at their stations.

فَأَوَّلُ مَنْ أَجَابَ إِلَى دَعْوَةِ الْفُتُوَّةِ، وَحُبًّا مَكَرَّمَاتِ الْمَرْوَةِ، آدَمُ بَدِيعُ الْفِطْرَةِ، رَفِيعُ الْأَسِرَّةِ، الْمُشْتَقُّ مِنْ أَدِيمِ الأَرْضِ اسْمُهُ، الثَّابِتُ فِي مَحَلِّ الإِرَادَةِ رَسْمُهُ، السَّاكِنُ فِي دَارِ الْحِشْمَةِ، الْمُؤَيَّدُ بِالْأَنْوَارِ وَالْعِصْمَةِ، الْمُتَوِّجُّ بِتَاجِ الْكَرَامَةِ، الْحَالُ بِدَارِ السَّلَامَةِ.

faʾawwalu man ʾajāba ʾilā daʿwati al-futuwwati, waḥubban makarramāti al-marwati, ʾādamu badīʿu al-fiṭrati, rafīʿu al-ʾasirrati, al-mushtaqqu min ʾadīmi al-ʾarḍi asmuhu, al-thābitu fī maḥalli al-ʾirādati rasmuhu, al-sākinu fī dāri al-ḥishmati, al-muʾayyadu bi-l-ʾanwāri wa-l-ʿiṣmati, al-mutawwijju bitāji al-karāmati, al-ḥālu bidāri al-salāmati.

The first to answer the call of futuwwa and cherish the noble qualities of honor was Adam: wondrous in his creation and lofty in standing, his name derived from the surface of the earth, his form established where the divine will decreed, dwelling in the abode of reverence, strengthened by light and protection, crowned with honor and settled in the abode of safety.

وَقَبِلَ بِهَا هَابِيلُ لِمَا طَرَدَ عَنْهُ قَابِيلُ، وَدَامَ بِحَقِّهَا شِيثٌ، وَنَزَّهَهَا عَنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ خَبِيثٍ. وَرَفَعَ بِهَا إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الْعَلِيِّ إِدْرِيسَ، فَنَجَا مِنْ كَيْدِ إِبْلِيسَ. وَبِحُبِّهَا كَثُرَتْ نِيَاحَةُ نُوحٍ، وَكَانَ نُورُهَا عَلَيْهِ يَلُوحُ. وَتُسَمَّى بِهَا عَادَ، فَمَا رَجَعَ إِلَى دَنَسٍ وَلَا عَادٍ. وَحُسْنُ لُهُودٍ بِهَا وَفَاءُ الْعُهُودِ. وَنَجَا بِهَا صَالِحٌ مِنَ الْقَبَائِحِ. وَلَقَّبَ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْخَلِيلُ،

waqabila bihā hābīlu limā ṭarada ʿanhu qābīlu, wadāma biḥaqqihā shīthun, wanazzahahā ʿan kulli ʾamrin khabīthin. warafaʿa bihā ʾilā al-makāni al-ʿaliyyi ʾidrīsa, fanajā min kaydi ʾiblīsa. wabiḥubbihā kathurat niyāḥatu nūḥin, wakāna nūruhā ʿalayhi yalūḥu. watusammā bihā ʿāda, famā rajaʿa ʾilā danasin walā ʿādin. waḥusnu luhūdin bihā wafāʾu al-ʿuhūdi. wanajā bihā ṣāliḥun mina al-qabāʾiḥi. walaqqaba bihā ʾibrāhīmu al-khalīlu,

Abel accepted it when Cain was driven away from him. Seth remained true to it and kept it free of every evil. Through it Enoch was raised to a high place and escaped the schemes of Iblīs. Love of it deepened Noah’s lament, while its light shone upon him. ʿĀd was named through it and never returned to defilement. Through it Hūd kept his promises well, and Ṣāliḥ escaped disgrace. Abraham, the Friend of God, was distinguished by it,

فَكَسَرَ رُؤُوسَ الأَصْنَامِ وَالتَّمَاثِيلِ. وَفُدِيَ بِهَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، بِأَمْرِ الْمَلِكِ الْجَلِيلِ، وَرَقَى بِهَا لُوطٌ إِلَى مَقَامٍ لَيْسَ بَعْدَهُ هُبُوطٌ، وَكَانَ بِهَا إِسْحَاقُ، قَائِمًا إِلَى يَوْمِ التَّلاقِ، وَنَهَضَ بِأَسْبَابِهَا يَعْقُوبَ، وَكَشَفَ بِهَا ضُرَّ أَيُّوبَ.

fakasara ruʾūsa al-ʾaṣnāmi wa-l-tamāthīli. wafudiya bihā ʾismāʿīlu, biʾamri al-maliki al-jalīli, waraqā bihā lūṭun ʾilā maqāmin laysa baʿdahu hubūṭun, wakāna bihā ʾisḥāqu, qāʾiman ʾilā yawmi al-talāqi, wanahaḍa biʾasbābihā yaʿqūba, wakashafa bihā ḍurra ʾayyūba.

and broke the heads of the idols and statues. Through it Ishmael was ransomed by the command of the majestic King. Through it Lot rose to a station from which there is no fall, Isaac remained steadfast until the Day of Meeting, Jacob set its means in motion, and Job’s affliction was lifted.

سَلَكَ بِهَا يُوسُفُ الصِّدِّيقُ أَكْرَمَ طَرِيقٍ، وَدَامَ لَهُ بِهَا التَّوْفِيقَ. وَانْقَادَ ذُو الْكِفْلِ إِلَى رُتْبَتِهَا الْعَلْيَاءَ، وَقَامَ بِأُمُورِهَا الْمَرْضِيَّةِ الْحَسْنَاءِ. وَحَازَ قَصَبَاتِهَا شُعَيْبٌ، فَنَزَّهَ عَنْ كُلِّ رَيْبٍ وَعَيْبٍ، رَفَلٍ لَهَا مُوسَى إِرْفَالًا، وَأَجَابَ هَارُونُ فَأَحْسَنَ مَقَالًا، شَرَفَ بِهَا أَهْلَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ، فَفَازُوا بِدَارِ النَّعِيمِ. عُمَرَ بِهَا قَلْبَ دَاوُدَ، وَلَذَّ لَهُ بِهَا الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ.

salaka bihā yūsufu al-ṣiddīqu ʾakrama ṭarīqin, wadāma lahu bihā al-tawfīqa. wānqāda dhū al-kifli ʾilā rutbatihā al-ʿalyāʾa, waqāma biʾumūrihā al-marḍiyyati al-ḥasnāʾi. waḥāza qaṣabātihā shuʿaybun, fanazzaha ʿan kulli raybin waʿaybin, rafalin lahā mūsā ʾirfālan, waʾajāba hārūnu faʾaḥsana maqālan, sharafa bihā ʾahla al-kahfi wa-l-raqīmi, fafāzūā bidāri al-naʿīmi. ʿumara bihā qalba dāwuda, waladhdha lahu bihā al-rukūʿa wa-l-sujūda.

Through it Joseph the truthful took the noblest road, and success stayed with him. Dhū al-Kifl submitted to its exalted rank and upheld its beautiful, pleasing demands. Shuʿayb won its highest honors and was kept free of doubt and fault. Moses walked in it with dignity, and Aaron answered with fitting words. Through it the People of the Cave and the Inscription were honored and reached the abode of bliss. It filled David’s heart with life, and through it he found joy in bowing and prostration.

وَوَرِثَهَا مِنْهُ سُلَيْمَانُ، وَسَخَّرَ لَهُ بِهَا الإِنْسَ وَالْجَانَّ. وَصَحَّتْ لِيُونُسَ شُرُوطُهَا، فَوَفَّى. وَوَرَدَ بِهَا زَكَرِيَّا مَوْرِدَ الصَّفَا. وَصَدَّقَ بِهَا يَحْيَى فَنَجَا مِنَ الْغَمِّ، وَعَظُمَ بِهَا لِمَا هُمْ، فَمَا اهْتَمَّ، وَبِالأَلَمِ مَا أَلَمَّ. وَجَلا بِهَا الْعَسْعَسَ عِيسَى بِالنُّورِ الصَّرِيحِ، وَلَقَّبَ بِهَا الرُّوحَ وَالْمَسِيحَ. وَفَتَحَ اللَّهُ بِهَا لِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا،

wawarithahā minhu sulaymānu, wasakhkhara lahu bihā al-ʾinsa wa-l-jānna. waṣaḥḥat liyūnusa shurūṭuhā, fawaffā. wawarada bihā zakariyyā mawrida al-ṣafā. waṣaddaqa bihā yaḥyā fanajā mina al-ghammi, waʿaẓuma bihā limā hum, famā ahtamma, wabiālʾalami mā ʾalamma. wajalā bihā al-ʿasʿasa ʿīsā bi-l-nūri al-ṣarīḥi, walaqqaba bihā al-rūḥa wa-l-masīḥa. wafataḥa Allāhu bihā limuḥammadin ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi waʾālihi fatḥan mubīnan,

Solomon inherited it from him, and through it people and jinn were placed at his service. Jonah fulfilled its conditions. Through it Zechariah reached a place of purity. John proved true to it and was saved from grief; through it he was exalted, untouched by anxiety or pain. Through it Jesus dispelled the darkness with clear light and was called the Spirit and the Messiah. And through it God granted Muḥammad—may God bless him and his family—a manifest victory,

فَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهَا أَخَاهُ وَابْنُ عَمِّهِ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيًّا أَمِينًا.

fajaʿala ʿalayhā ʾakhāhu wābnu ʿammihi ʾamīra al-muʾminīna ʿaliyyan ʾamīnan.

and appointed his brother and cousin, the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī, as its trustee.

اللَّهُمَّ فَوَفِّقْنَا لِلْقِيَامِ بِحُقُوقِ هَذِهِ الصُّحْبَةِ، وَأَعِدَّ عَلَيْنَا بَرَكَاتِ هَذِهِ النِّسْبَةِ، وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْحَقَائِقِ، وَاسْلُكْنَا بِهَا أَحْمَدَ الطَّرَائِقَ، فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا. وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ أَبَدًا، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمِلْكِ،

al-lahumma fawaffiqnā lilqiyāmi biḥuqūqi hādhihii al-ṣuḥbati, waʾaʿidda ʿalaynā barakāti hādhihii al-nisbati, wājʿalnā min ʾahli hādhihii al-ḥaqāʾiqi, wāsluknā bihā ʾaḥmada al-ṭarāʾiqa, faman kāna yarjū liqāʾa rabbihi falyaʿmal ʿamal ṣāliḥan. walā yushrik biʿibādati rabbihi ʾaḥadan, wa-l-ḥamdu li-llāhi ʿalā niʿamihi ʾabadan, walā ḥawla walā quwwata ʾilā bi-llāhi al-ʿaliyyi al-ʿaẓīmi alladhī lam yattakhidh waladan, walam yakun lahu sharīkun fī al-milki,

O God, enable us to meet the obligations of this companionship, let the blessings of this bond come to us again, make us among those who know these truths, and lead us by it along the finest paths. Whoever hopes to meet his Lord should do righteous work and associate no one in the worship of his Lord. Praise be to God for His blessings always. There is no power or strength except through God, the Most High, the Magnificent, who has taken no son and has no partner in dominion,

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنْ الذُّلِّ، وَكَبَّرَهُ تَكْبِيرًا.

walam yakun lahu waliyyun min al-dhulli, wakabbarahu takbīran.

nor any protector against humiliation. Proclaim His greatness without reserve.

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَبْدَى آثَارَ فَضْلِهِ عَلَى خَوَاصِّ عِبَادِهِ، فَهَدَاهُمْ إِلَى مُوَافَقَتِهِ، وَبَعْدَهُمْ عَنْ مُخَالَفَتِهِ، فَأَخْبَرَ عَنْ أَحْوَالِهِمْ فِي مَقَامِهِمْ، بِمَا زَيَّنَ بِهِ خَلِيلُهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَهِيَ الْفُتُوَّةُ. فَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ} . سَمَّاهُ فَتًى لِأَنَّهُ خَلَّى لَهُ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ، وَوَهَبَ الْكُلَّ لِمَنْ لَهُ الْكُلُّ،

wa-l-ḥamdu li-llāhi alladhī ʾabdā ʾāthāra faḍlihi ʿalā khawāṣṣi ʿibādihi, fahadāhum ʾilā muwāfaqatihi, wabaʿdahum ʿan mukhālafatihi, faʾakhbara ʿan ʾaḥwālihim fī maqāmihim, bimā zayyana bihi khalīluhu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, wahiya al-futuwwatu. faqāla taʿālā: {qālūā samiʿnā fatan yadhkuruhum yuqālu lahu ʾibrāhīmu} . sammāhu fatan liʾannahu khallā lahu fī nafsihi waʾahlihi wamālihi wawaladihi, wawahaba al-kulla liman lahu al-kullu,

Praise be to God, who showed signs of His favor to His chosen servants, guided them to accord with Him, and kept them from opposing Him. He spoke of their spiritual state through the quality with which He adorned His Friend—may God bless him and grant him peace—namely futuwwa. The Exalted said: ‘They said, We heard a young man speak of them; he is called Abraham.’ He called him a young man because Abraham gave over himself, his family, his wealth, and his child to God, giving everything to the One to whom everything belongs,

وَخَلَّى مِنَ الْكَوْنِ وَمَا فِيهِ لَمَا تَسَمَّى بِالْفُتُوَّةِ، وَسُمِّيَ بِهِ، وَأَخْبَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ تَعَالَى عَنْ خَوَاصِّ أَوْلِيَائِهِ بِهَذَا الاسْمِ. فَقَالَ: {إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ} ، بِلا وَاسِطَةٍ وَلَا اسْتِدْلالٍ، بَلْ آمَنُوا بِهِ لَهُ، فَأُكْرَمُوا بِزِيَادَةِ هُدًى حَتَّى قَامُوا إِلَى بِسَاطِ الْقُرَبِ، { [فَ] قَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ} ، فَأَلْبَسَهُمُ الْحَقَّ خَلْعَهُ، مِنْ خَلْعَةٍ وَآوَاهُمْ إِلَى كَرِيمٍ رِعَايَتِهِ،

wakhallā mina al-kawni wamā fīhi lamā tasammā bi-l-futuwwati, wasummiya bihi, waʾakhbara baʿda dhālika taʿālā ʿan khawāṣṣi ʾawliyāʾihi bihadhā al-asmi. faqāla: {ʾinnahum fityatun ʾāmanūā birabbihim} , bilā wāsiṭatin walā astidlālin, bal ʾāmanūā bihi lahu, faʾukramūā biziyādati hudan ḥattā qāmūā ʾilā bisāṭi al-qurabi, { [fa] qālūā rabbunā rabbu al-samawāti wa-l-ʾarḍi} , faʾalbasahumu al-ḥaqqa khalʿahu, min khalʿatin waʾāwāhum ʾilā karīmin riʿāyatihi,

and emptied his heart of the world and all it contains when he came to bear the name of futuwwa. God then described His chosen friends by the same name: ‘They were young men who believed in their Lord.’ They believed without intermediary or argument, but for His own sake. He honored them with increased guidance until they stood at the threshold of nearness and said, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth.’ The Real clothed them in robes of honor and sheltered them in His generous care,

وَصَرَفَهُمْ فِي لَطَائِفِ تَقْلِيبِهِ، فَقَالَ: {وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمَنِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ} . كَذَا مَنْ لَزِمَ طَرِيقَ الْفُتُوَّةِ كَانَ فِي رِعَايَةِ الْحَقِّ، وَلِحَيَاتِهِ وَتَوْلِيَتِهِ وَحِيَاطَتِهِ.

waṣarafahum fī laṭāʾifi taqlībihi, faqāla: {wanuqallibuhum dhāta al-yamani wadhāta al-shimāli} . kadhā man lazima ṭarīqa al-futuwwati kāna fī riʿāyati al-ḥaqqi, waliḥayātihi watawliyatihi waḥiyāṭatihi.

turning them gently as He willed. He said: ‘We turn them to the right and to the left.’ In the same way, whoever follows the path of futuwwa remains under the Real’s care, guardianship, and protection.

سَأَلْتَ -أَكْرَمَكَ اللَّهُ لِمَرْضَاتِهِ- عَنِ الْفُتُوَّةِ. فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْفُتُوَّةَ هِيَ الْمُوَافَقَةُ وَحُسْنُ الطَّاعَةِ، وَتَرْكُ كُلِّ مَذْمُومٍ، وَمُلَازَمَةُ مَكَارِمِ الأَخْلَاقِ وَمَحَاسِنِهَا، ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا وَسِرًّا وَعَلَنًا، وَكُلُّ حَالٍ مِنَ الأَحْوَالِ، وَوَقْتٌ مِنَ الأَوْقَاتِ يُطَالِبُكَ بِنَوْعٍ مِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ فَلَا يَخْلُو حَالٌ مِنَ الأَحْوَالِ عَنِ الْفُتُوَّةِ. فُتُوَّةٌ تَسْتَعْمِلُهَا مَعَ رَبِّكَ تَعَالَى،

saʾalta -ʾakramaka Allāhu limarḍātihi- ʿani al-futuwwati. fāʿlam ʾanna al-futuwwata hiya al-muwāfaqatu waḥusnu al-ṭāʿati, watarku kulli madhmūmin, wamulāzamatu makārimi al-ʾakhlāqi wamaḥāsinihā, ẓāhiran wabāṭinan wasirran waʿalanan, wakullu ḥālin mina al-ʾaḥwāli, wawaqtun mina al-ʾawqāti yuṭālibuka binawʿin mina al-futuwwati falā yakhlū ḥālun mina al-ʾaḥwāli ʿani al-futuwwati. futuwwatun tastaʿmiluhā maʿa rabbika taʿālā,

You asked—may God honor you with what pleases Him—about futuwwa. Know that it means being in accord with God, obeying well, leaving everything blameworthy, and keeping to noble and beautiful conduct, outwardly and inwardly, in private and in public. Every state and every moment calls for its own kind of futuwwa; no state is without it. There is futuwwa to practice toward your Lord, exalted is He,

وَفُتُوَّةٌ تَسْتَعْمِلُهَا مَعَ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَفُتُوَّةٌ مَعَ الصَّحَابَةِ، وَفُتُوَّةٌ مَعَ السَّلَفِ الصَّالِحِينَ، وَفُتُوَّةٌ مَعَ مَشَايِخِكَ، وَفُتُوَّةٌ مَعَ إِخْوَانِكَ، وَفُتُوَّةٌ مَعَ أَهْلِكَ وَوَلَدِكَ وَأَقَارِبِكَ، وَفُتُوَّةٌ مَعَ مَلَكَيْكَ كِرَامُ الْكَاتِبِينَ. وَأَنَا مُبِينٌ أَطْرَافًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الاخْتِصَارِ مِنْ سُنَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَآثَارِ السَّلَفِ وَآدَابِهِمْ وَشَمَائِلِهِمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَسْتَعِينَ بِاللهِ فِي ذَلِكَ،

wafutuwwatun tastaʿmiluhā maʿa nabiyyika ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, wafutuwwatun maʿa al-ṣaḥābati, wafutuwwatun maʿa al-salafi al-ṣāliḥīna, wafutuwwatun maʿa mashāyikhika, wafutuwwatun maʿa ʾikhwānika, wafutuwwatun maʿa ʾahlika wawaladika waʾaqāribika, wafutuwwatun maʿa malakayka kirāmu al-kātibīna. waʾanā mubīnun ʾaṭrāfan min dhālika ʿalā al-akhtiṣāri min sunani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, waʾāthāri al-salafi waʾādābihim washamāʾilihim baʿda ʾan ʾastaʿīna bi-llāhi fī dhālika,

and futuwwa toward your Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—toward the Companions, the righteous predecessors, your teachers, your brothers and friends, your household, children, and relatives, and your two noble recording angels. I will explain some aspects of this briefly, drawing on the Prophet’s practice and the reports, conduct, and qualities of the predecessors, after seeking God’s help in this

وَفِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِي، وَهُوَ حَسْبِي وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ.

wafī jamīʿi ʾumūrī, wahuwa ḥasbī waniʿma al-wakīlu.

and in all my affairs. He is sufficient for me and the best one to trust.

فَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْمُلاطَفَةُ مَعَ الإِخْوَانِ، وَالْقِيَامُ بِحَوَائِجِهِمْ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ ابْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَحْمُودٍ، ثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الأَزْهَرِ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمِصْرِيُّ، ثَنَا يَعْلَى بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ، ثَنَا يَزِيدُ الرَّقَاشِيُّ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

famina al-futuwwati al-mulāṭafatu maʿa al-ʾikhwāni, wa-l-qiyāmu biḥawāʾijihim. ʾakhbaranā ʿabdu al-Raḥmāni ibnu muḥammadi bni maḥmūdin, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni yaḥyā, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-ʾazhari, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu ibnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-miṣriyyu, ḥaddathanā yaʿlā bnu maymūnin, ḥaddathanā yazīdu al-raqāshiyyu ʿan ʾanasi bni mālikin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama:

Part of futuwwa is gentleness with one’s brothers and attending to their needs. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd informed us; Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn al-Azhar narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Miṣrī narrated to us; Yaʿlā ibn Maymūn narrated to us; Yazīd al-Raqqāshī narrated to us, from Anas ibn Mālik—may God be pleased with him—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said:

((مَنْ أَلْطَفَ مُؤْمِنًا أَوْ قَامَ لَهُ بِحَاجَةٍ مِنْ حَوَائِجِ الدُّنْيَا، صَغُرَ ذَلِكَ أَوْ كَبُرَ، كَانَ حَقًّا عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يَخْدُمَهُ خَادِمًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ)) .

((man ʾalṭafa muʾminan ʾaw qāma lahu biḥājatin min ḥawāʾiji al-dunyā, ṣaghura dhālika ʾaw kabura, kāna ḥaqqan ʿalā Allāhi ʾan yakhdumahu khādiman yawma al-qiyāmati)) .

‘Whoever treats a believer with kindness or attends to any worldly need of his, whether small or great, has a claim upon God to assign him a servant on the Day of Resurrection.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُقَابَلَةُ الإِسَاءَةِ بِالإِحْسَانِ، وَتَرْكُ الْمُكَافَأَةِ عَلَى الْقَبِيحِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَبِيحٍ الْجَوْهَرِيُّ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ شِيرُوَيْهِ، ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا قَبِيصَةُ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: ((قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِذَا مَرَرْتَ بِرَجُلٍ فَلَمْ يُضِفْنِي،

wamina al-futuwwati muqābalatu al-ʾisāʾati bi-l-ʾiḥsāni, watarku al-mukāfaʾati ʿalā al-qabīḥi, ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi bni muḥammadi bni ṣabīḥin al-jawhariyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu muḥammadi bni ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni bni shīruwayhi, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu bnu ʾibrāhīma al-ḥanẓaliyyu, ʾakhbaranā qabīṣatu ʿan sufyāna ʿan ʾabī ʾisḥāqa ʿan ʾabī al-ʾaḥwaṣi ʿan ʾabīhi, qāla: ((qultu: yā rasūla Allāhi, ʾidhā mararta birajulin falam yuḍifnī,

Part of futuwwa is to meet ill treatment with kindness and refrain from repaying an ugly act in kind. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣubayḥ al-Jawharī informed us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Shīrūyah narrated to us; Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī narrated to us; Qabīṣah informed us, from Sufyān, from Abū Isḥāq, from Abū al-Aḥwaṣ, from his father, who said: ‘I asked, Messenger of God, if I pass by a man and he does not offer me hospitality,

فَمَرَّ بِي أَفْعَلُ بِهِ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ: لَا)) .

famarra bī ʾafʿalu bihi mithla dhālika? qāla: lā)) .

then he passes by me, should I treat him the same way?’ He answered, ‘No.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَرْكُ طَلَبِ عَثَرَاتِ الإِخْوَانِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ رَجَا الْبَزَارِيُّ. ثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُمَيْرِ بْنِ حَوْصٍا، ثَنَا أَبُو عُمَيْرٍ عِيسَى بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، ثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ ثَوْرِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ رَاشِدٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((إِنَّكَ إِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ عَثَرَاتِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، أَفْسَدْتَهُمْ أَوْ كِدْتُ أَنْ تُفْسِدَهُمْ)) .

wamina al-futuwwati tarku ṭalabi ʿatharāti al-ʾikhwāni. ʾakhbaranā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni rajā al-bazāriyyu. ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu ʿumayri bni ḥawṣinā, ḥaddathanā ʾabū ʿumayrin ʿīsā bnu muḥammadin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu yūsufa, ḥaddathanā sufyānu ʿan thawri bni yazīda ʿan rāshidin ʿan muʿāwiyata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((ʾinnaka ʾini attabaʿta ʿatharāti al-muslimīna, ʾafsadtahum ʾaw kidtu ʾan tufsidahum)) .

Part of futuwwa is not to seek out the faults of one’s brothers. Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Rajāʾ al-Bazzārī informed us; Aḥmad ibn ʿUmayr ibn Ḥawṣā narrated to us; Abū ʿUmayr ʿĪsā ibn Muḥammad narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf narrated to us; Sufyān narrated to us, from Thawr ibn Yazīd, from Rāshid, from Muʿāwiyah—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘If you pursue the faults of Muslims, you will corrupt them, or come close to corrupting them.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حُضُورُ دَارِ مَنْ يَثِقُ بِهِ مِنَ الإِخْوَانِ مِنْ غَيْرِ دَعْوَةٍ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الثَّقَفِيُّ، ثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، ثَنَا أَبِي، ثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: ((بَيْنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا جَالِسَانِ، إِذْ جَاءَهُمَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ هَاهُنَا؟

wamina al-futuwwati ḥuḍūru dāri man yathiqu bihi mina al-ʾikhwāni min ghayri daʿwatin. ʾakhbaranā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu muḥammadi bni ʿaliyyi bni ziyādin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʾisḥāqa al-thaqafiyyu, ḥaddathanā saʿīdu bnu yaḥyā, ḥaddathanā ʾabī, ḥaddathanā yazīdu bnu kaysāna ʿan ʾabī ḥāzimin ʿan ʾabī hurayrata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu, qāla: ((baynā ʾabū bakrin waʿumaru raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhumā jālisāni, ʾidh jāʾahumā al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama faqāla: mā ʾajlasakum hāhunā?

Part of futuwwa is to visit the home of a trusted brother without an invitation. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Ziyād informed us; Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq al-Thaqafī narrated to us; Saʿīd ibn Yaḥyā narrated to us; my father narrated to us; Yazīd ibn Kaysān narrated to us, from Abū Ḥāzim, from Abū Hurayrah—may God be pleased with him—who said: ‘Abū Bakr and ʿUmar—may God be pleased with them both—were sitting together when the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—came to them and asked, Why are you sitting here?’

قَالُوا: وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ، مَا أَخْرَجْنَا إِلا الْجُوعَ. قَالَ: اذْهَبُوا إِلَى بَيْتِ فُلانٍ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ)) .. وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ.

qālūā: wālladhī baʿathaka bi-l-ḥaqqi, mā ʾakhrajnā ʾilā al-jūʿa. qāla: adhhabūā ʾilā bayti fulānin rajulin mina al-ʾanṣāri)) .. wadhakara al-ḥadītha.

They replied, ‘By the One who sent you with the truth, nothing brought us out but hunger.’ He said, ‘Go to the home of a certain man of the Anṣār.’ The rest of the report followed.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَرْكُ الْعَيْبِ عَلَى طَعَامٍ يُقْدَمُ إِلَيْهِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَبِيحٍ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ شِيرُوَيْهِ، ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، ثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: ((مَا عَابَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طَعَامًا قَطُّ، كَانَ إِذَا اشْتَهَاهُ أَكَلَهُ، وَإِلا تَرَكَهُ)) .

wamina al-futuwwati tarku al-ʿaybi ʿalā ṭaʿāmin yuqdamu ʾilayhi. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi bni muḥammadi bni ṣabīḥin, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu shīruwayhi, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu al-ḥanẓaliyyu, ḥaddathanā jarīrun ʿani al-ʾaʿmashi, ʿan ʾabī ḥāzimin ʿan ʾabī hurayrata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: ((mā ʿāba rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama ṭaʿāman qaṭṭu, kāna ʾidhā ashtahāhu ʾakalahu, waʾilā tarakahu)) .

Part of futuwwa is to find no fault with food served to you. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣubayḥ informed us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Shīrūyah narrated to us; Isḥāq al-Ḥanẓalī narrated to us; Jarīr narrated to us, from al-Aʿmash, from Abū Ḥāzim, from Abū Hurayrah—may God be pleased with them—who said: ‘The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—never criticized any food. If he wanted it, he ate it; otherwise he left it.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِعْمَالُ مَكَارِمِ الأَخْلاقِ إِذْ هِيَ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّصْرُ آبَاذِي، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ الْجِسْرِيِّ بِمِصْرَ، ثَنَا أَبِي، ثَنَا طَلْقُ بْنُ السَّمْحِ، ثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ مَرِضَ فَعَادَهُ بَعْضُ إِخْوَانِهِ، فَقَالَ لِخَادِمَتِهِ سَلِّمِي لإِخْوَانِنَا وَلَوْ كَسْرًا،

wamina al-futuwwati astiʿmālu makārimi al-ʾakhlāqi ʾidh hiya min ʾaʿmāli ʾahli al-jannati. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-qāsimi ʾibrāhīmu bnu muḥammadin al-naṣru ʾābādhī, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-rabīʿi ʿan sulaymāna al-jisriyyi bimiṣra, ḥaddathanā ʾabī, ḥaddathanā ṭalqu bnu al-samḥi, ḥaddathanā yaḥyā bnu ʾayyūba ʿan ḥumaydin, ʿan ʾanasin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu ʾannahu mariḍa faʿādahu baʿḍu ʾikhwānihi, faqāla likhādimatihi sallimī lʾikhwāninā walaw kasran,

Part of futuwwa is to practice noble qualities, for these are among the works of the people of Paradise. Abū al-Qāsim Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad al-Naṣrābādhī informed us; Muḥammad ibn al-Rabīʿ narrated to us, from Sulaymān al-Jisrī in Egypt; his father narrated to us; Ṭalq ibn al-Samḥ narrated to us; Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb narrated to us, from Ḥumayd, from Anas—may God be pleased with him. Anas fell ill, and some of his brothers visited him. He said to his servant, ‘Offer our brothers something, even if only pieces of bread,

فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وَسَلم يَقُولُ: ((إِنَّ مَكَارِمَ الأَخْلاقِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ)) .

faʾinnī samiʿtu rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿlyhi wasalm yaqūlu: ((ʾinna makārima al-ʾakhlāqi min ʾaʿmāli ʾahli al-jannati)) .

for I heard the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—say: Noble qualities of character are among the works of the people of Paradise.’

[ذْكُرْ بَيَانَ بَعْض مكَارم الأَخلَاق مِنْ السُّنَّةِ]

[dhkur bayāna baʿḍ mkārm al-ʾakhlāq min al-sunnati]

On some noble qualities of character found in the Prophetic practice

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ الْحَافِظُ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَيُّوبَ الْعَسْقَلانِيُّ، ثَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، ثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ بَكْرٍ، عَنْ عَبَّادٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ مُوسَى، وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: ((إِنَّ [مْنَ] مَكَارِمَ الأَخْلاقِ التَّزَاوُرُ فِي اللَّهِ وَحَقٌّ عَلَى الْمَزُورِ أَنْ يُقَرَبَ إِلَى أَخِيهِ مَا تَيَسَّرَ عِنْدَهُ،

ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu muḥammadi bni yaʿqūba al-ḥāfiẓu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu ʾayyūba al-ʿasqalāniyyu, ḥaddathanā hāshimu bnu muḥammadin al-ʾanṣāriyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿamrū bnu bakrin, ʿan ʿabbādin, ʿan ʾayyūba bni mūsā, waʾismāʿīla bni ʾumayyata ʿan nāfiʿin ʿani ibni ʿumara raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhumā, ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, qāla: ((ʾinna [mna] makārima al-ʾakhlāqi al-tazāwuru fī Allāhi waḥaqqun ʿalā al-mazūri ʾan yuqaraba ʾilā ʾakhīhi mā tayassara ʿindahu,

Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Ḥāfiẓ informed us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ayyūb al-ʿAsqalānī narrated to us; Hāshim ibn Muḥammad al-Anṣārī narrated to us; ʿAmr ibn Bakr narrated to us, from ʿAbbād, from Ayyūb ibn Mūsā and Ismāʿīl ibn Umayyah, from Nāfiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar—may God be pleased with them both—from the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—who said: ‘Among the noble qualities of character is visiting one another for God’s sake. It is the duty of the person visited to offer his brother whatever he can,

وَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا جُرْعَةً مِنْ مَاءٍ، وَإِنْ احْتَشَمَ أَنْ يُقَرِّبَ إِلَى أَخِيهِ مَا تَيَسَّرَ، لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي مَقْتِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى يَوْمَهُ وَلَيْلَتَهُ)) .

waʾin lam yajid ʿindahu ʾillā jurʿatan min māʾin, waʾin aḥtashama ʾan yuqarriba ʾilā ʾakhīhi mā tayassara, lam yazal fī maqti Allāhi taʿālā yawmahu walaylatahu)) .

even if all he has is a sip of water. If he is too embarrassed to offer what he has, he remains under God’s displeasure throughout his day and night.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ التَّآلُفُ مَعَ الإِخْوَانِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ الْحَجَّاجِيُّ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ الْمَدَائِنِيُّ بِالْمِصِّيصَةِ، ثَنَا أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ هَاشِمُ بْنُ يَعْلَى ثَنَا عُمَرُ وَابْنُ بَكْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((الْمُؤْمِنُ إِلْفٌ مَأْلُوفٌ، وَلَا خَيْرَ فِيمَنْ لَا يَأْلَفُ وَلَا يُؤَلِّفُ، وَخَيْرُ النَّاسِ أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ)) .

wamina al-futuwwati al-taʾālufu maʿa al-ʾikhwāni. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu muḥammadi bni yaʿqūba al-ḥajjājiyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu ṣāliḥin al-madāʾiniyyu bi-l-miṣṣīṣati, ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-dardāʾi hāshimu bnu yaʿlā ḥaddathanā ʿumaru wābnu bakrin ʿani ibni jurayjin ʿan ʿaṭāʾin ʿan jābirin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((al-muʾminu ʾilfun maʾlūfun, walā khayra fīman lā yaʾlafu walā yuʾallifu, wakhayru al-nāsi ʾanfaʿuhum lilnnāsi)) .

Part of futuwwa is to cultivate friendship with one’s brothers. Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Ḥajjājī informed us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ al-Madāʾinī narrated to us in al-Maṣṣīṣah; Abū al-Dardāʾ Hāshim ibn Yaʿlā narrated to us; ʿUmar and Ibn Bakr narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, from ʿAṭāʾ, from Jābir—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘A believer is friendly and wins the friendship of others. There is no good in a person who neither befriends nor is befriended. The best people are those who benefit others most.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ السَّخَاوَةُ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ صَبِيحٍ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ الأَرْغَيَانِيُّ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، ثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ، ثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((الْجَنَّةُ دَارُ الأَسْخِيَاءِ)) .

wamina al-futuwwati al-sakhāwatu. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-ḥusayni bnu ṣabīḥin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-musayyabi al-ʾarghayāniyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu al-Raḥmāni bnu al-ḥārithi, ḥaddathanā baqiyyatu bnu al-walīdi, ḥaddathanā al-ʾawzāʿiyyu ʿani al-zuhriyyi ʿan ʿāʾishata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qālat: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((al-jannatu dāru al-ʾaskhiyāʾi)) .

Part of futuwwa is generosity. Abū al-Ḥusayn ibn Ṣubayḥ informed us; Muḥammad ibn al-Musayyib al-Arghiyānī narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥārith narrated to us; Baqiyyah ibn al-Walīd narrated to us; al-Awzāʿī narrated to us, from al-Zuhrī, from ʿĀʾishah—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘Paradise is the home of the generous.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الْوُدِّ الْقَدِيمِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ الْفَقِيهُ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ بِهَا، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ الرَّازِيُّ، ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ يُونُسَ، ثَنَا حُسَيْنُ ابْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ النَّوْفَلِيُّ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْغِفَارِيُّ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَخِي مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، قَالَتْ:

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-wuddi al-qadīmi. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu maḥmūdin al-faqīhu al-marwaziyyu bihā, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʿumayrin al-rāziyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu bnu ʾibrāhīma bni yūnusa, ḥaddathanā ḥusaynu ibnu marzūqin al-nawfaliyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu ʾibrāhīma al-ghifāriyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu ʾabī bakri bni ʾakhī muḥammadi bni al-munkadiri, ʿan ṣafwāna bni sulaymin ʿan ʿaṭāʾin, ʿan ʿāʾishata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā, qālat:

Part of futuwwa is to keep faith with an old friendship. Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd, the jurist of Marw, informed us there; Muḥammad ibn ʿUmayr al-Rāzī narrated to us; Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Yūnus narrated to us; Ḥusayn ibn Marzūq al-Nawfalī narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ghifārī narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr, nephew of Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir, narrated to us, from Ṣafwān ibn Sulaym, from ʿAṭāʾ, from ʿĀʾishah—may God be pleased with her—who said:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ حِفْظَ الْوُدِّ الْقَدِيمِ)) . أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحَافِظُ، ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمَوْصِلِيُّ، ثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْخَوَّاصُّ الْمَوْصِلِيُّ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بِهَذَا.

qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((ʾinna Allāha yuḥibbu ḥifẓa al-wuddi al-qadīmi)) . ʾakhbaranā ʾabū ʿaliyyin al-ḥāfiẓu, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu bnu ʾibrāhīma al-mawṣiliyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿaliyyu bnu al-ḥusayni al-khawwāṣṣu al-mawṣiliyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu ʾibrāhīma bihadhā.

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘God loves the preservation of old affection.’ Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥāfiẓ informed us: Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm al-Mawṣilī told us: ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Khawwāṣ al-Mawṣilī told us: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ibrāhīm related the same report to us.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَتَعَمَّدَ الرَّجُلُ إِخْوَانَهُ وَجِيرَانَهُ. أَخْبَرَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ ابْنُ يَحْيَى، ثَنَا حَبْشُونُ بْنُ مُوسَى الْخَلالُ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَسَّانٍ، ثَنَا قَبِيصَةُ، ثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَبِي بَشِيرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي الْمُسَاوِرِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا يُنْحَلُّ ابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ وَيَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yataʿammada al-rajulu ʾikhwānahu wajīrānahu. ʾakhbaranā ʾibrāhīmu bnu muḥammadin ibnu yaḥyā, ḥaddathanā ḥabshūnu bnu mūsā al-khalālu, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ḥassānin, ḥaddathanā qabīṣatu, ḥaddathanā sufyānu ʿan ʿabdi al-maliki bni ʾabī bashīrin, ʿan ʿabdi Allāhi bni ʾabī al-musāwiri raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: samiʿtu ibna ʿabbāsin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhumā yunḥallu ibna al-zubayri wayaqūlu: samiʿtu rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama yaqūlu:

Part of futuwwa is to attend to one’s brothers and neighbors. Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā informed us; Ḥabashūn ibn Mūsā al-Khallāl narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn Ḥassān narrated to us; Qabīṣah narrated to us; Sufyān narrated to us, from ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Abī Bashīr, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī al-Musāwir—may God be pleased with them—who said: I heard Ibn ʿAbbās—may God be pleased with them both—speaking of Ibn al-Zubayr and saying: I heard the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—say:

((لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي يَشْبَعُ وَجَارُهُ جَائِعٌ إلَى جَنْبِهِ)) .

((laysa al-muʾminu alladhī yashbaʿu wajāruhu jāʾiʿun ʾilā janbihi)) .

‘A person who eats his fill while his neighbor beside him goes hungry is no true believer.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِعْمَالُ الأَدَبِ وَقْتَ الأَكْلِ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْبَزَارِيُّ، ثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَكَرِيَّا الْبَصْرِيُّ، ثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الدَّبَّاغُ، ثَنَا ابْنُ عُلاثَةَ، ثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((لَا يَتَّبِعَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بَصَرَهُ لُقْمَةَ أَخِيهِ)) .

wamina al-futuwwati astiʿmālu al-ʾadabi waqta al-ʾakli, ʾakhbaranā ʾibrāhīmu bnu ʾaḥmada al-bazāriyyu, ḥaddathanā al-ḥusaynu bnu ʿaliyyi bni zakariyyā al-baṣriyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿuthmānu bnu ʿamrinw al-dabbāghu, ḥaddathanā ibnu ʿulāthata, ḥaddathanā al-ʾawzāʿiyyu, ʿan yaḥyā bni ʾabī kathīrin, ʿan jaʿfarin ʿan ʾabī hurayrata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((lā yattabiʿanna ʾaḥadukum baṣarahu luqmata ʾakhīhi)) .

Part of futuwwa is to observe good manners while eating. Ibrāhīm ibn Aḥmad al-Bazzārī informed us; al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Zakariyyā al-Baṣrī narrated to us; ʿUthmān ibn ʿAmr al-Dabbāgh narrated to us; Ibn ʿUlāthah narrated to us; al-Awzāʿī narrated to us, from Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from Jaʿfar, from Abū Hurayrah—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘None of you should follow your brother’s morsel with your eyes.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْمُدَارَاةُ مَعَ الإِخْوَانِ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ مَعْصِيَةً. أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْخِلالِيُّ، ثَنَا أَبُو بَدْرٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ خَالِدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ، ثَنَا مَخْلَدٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُدَ النَّخَعِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي الْجُوَيْرِيَةِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((رَأْسُ الْعَقْلِ بَعْدَ الإِيمَانِ بِاللَّهِ مُدَارَاةُ النَّاسِ فِي غَيْرِ تَرْكِ الْحَقِّ)) .

wamina al-futuwwati al-mudārātu maʿa al-ʾikhwāni mā lam takun maʿṣiyatan. ʾakhbaranā ʾismāʿīlu bnu ʾaḥmada al-khilāliyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾabū badrin ʾaḥmadu bnu khālidi bni ʿabdi al-maliki, ḥaddathanā makhladun yaʿnī ibna yazīda, ʿan ʾabī dāwuda al-nakhaʿiyyi, ʿan ʾabī al-juwayriyati, ʿani ibni ʿabbāsin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((raʾsu al-ʿaqli baʿda al-ʾīmāni bi-llāhi mudārātu al-nāsi fī ghayri tarki al-ḥaqqi)) .

Part of futuwwa is to deal tactfully with one’s brothers, so long as this involves no disobedience. Ismāʿīl ibn Aḥmad al-Khallālī informed us; Abū Badr Aḥmad ibn Khālid ibn ʿAbd al-Malik narrated to us; Makhlad—that is, Ibn Yazīd—narrated to us, from Abū Dāwūd al-Nakhaʿī, from Abū al-Juwayriyyah, from Ibn ʿAbbās—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘The chief mark of good sense after faith in God is dealing tactfully with people without giving up what is right.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْمُسَاعَدَةُ مَعَ الإِخْوَانِ وَمُوَافَقَتُهُمْ. أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْخِلالِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ، ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ، ثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ، ثَنَا أَبِي عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: ((صَنَعَ رَجُلٌ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طَعَامًا، فَدَعَاهُ وَأَصْحَابُهُ، لَمَّا وَضَعَ الطَّعَامَ،

wamina al-futuwwati al-musāʿadatu maʿa al-ʾikhwāni wamuwāfaqatuhum. ʾakhbaranā ʾismāʿīlu bnu ʾaḥmada al-khilāliyyu, ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu al-ḥusayni bni qutaybata, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu bnu ʾibrāhīma bni suwaydin, ḥaddathanā ʾismāʿīlu bnu ʾabī ʾuwaysin, ḥaddathanā ʾabī ʿan muḥammadi bni al-munkadiri, ʿan ʾabī saʿīdin al-khudriyyi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: ((ṣanaʿa rajulun lirasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama ṭaʿāman, fadaʿāhu waʾaṣḥābuhu, lammā waḍaʿa al-ṭaʿāma,

Part of futuwwa is to help one’s brothers and agree with them. Ismāʿīl ibn Aḥmad al-Khallālī informed us; Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn Qutaybah informed us; Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Suwayd narrated to us; Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Uways narrated to us; my father narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir, from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī—may God be pleased with them—who said: ‘A man prepared food for the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—and invited him and his Companions. When the food was set down,

قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ: إِنِّي صَائِمٌ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((دَعَاكُمْ أَخُوكُمْ وَتَكَلَّفْ لَكُمْ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: افْطِرْ وَصُمْ يَوْمًا مَكَانَهُ إِنْ شِئْتَ)) .

qāla rajulun mina al-qawmi: ʾinnī ṣāʾimun. faqāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((daʿākum ʾakhūkum watakallaf lakum. thumma qāla: afṭir waṣum yawman makānahu ʾin shiʾta)) .

one of the men said, I am fasting. The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, Your brother invited you and went to trouble for you. Then he said, Break your fast, and fast another day in its place if you wish.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَبْدَأَ فِي رِفْقِهِ بِأَصْحَابِهِ دُونَ خَاصَّتِهِ. أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْخِلالِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا حَامِدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، ثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ ابْنَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَأَلَتْهُ خَادِمًا، فَقَالَ: ((.. ..

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yabdaʾa fī rifqihi biʾaṣḥābihi dūna khāṣṣatihi. ʾakhbaranā ʾismāʿīlu bnu ʾaḥmada al-khilāliyyu, ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu al-ḥusayni bni qutaybata, ʾakhbaranā ḥāmidu bnu yaḥyā, ḥaddathanā sufyānu, ʿan ʿaṭāʾi bni al-sāʾibi, ʿan ʾabīhi, ʿan ʿaliyyin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu ʾanna fāṭimata abnata rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama saʾalathu khādiman, faqāla: ((.. ..

Part of futuwwa is to begin by showing kindness to one’s companions before attending to one’s own close circle. Ismāʿīl ibn Aḥmad al-Khallālī informed us; Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn Qutaybah informed us; Ḥāmid ibn Yaḥyā informed us; Sufyān narrated to us, from ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, from his father, from ʿAlī—may God be pleased with him. Fāṭimah, the daughter of the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—asked the Prophet for a servant, and he replied:

لَا أُعْطِيك خَادِمًا وَأَدَعُ أَهْلَ الصُّفَّةِ تَطْوِي بُطُونَهُمْ مِنْ الْجُوعِ)) .

lā ʾuʿṭīk khādiman waʾadaʿu ʾahla al-ṣuffati taṭwī buṭūnahum min al-jūʿi)) .

‘I will not give you a servant while leaving the People of the Ṣuffah hungry.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يُمْكِنَ إِخْوَانُهُ أَنْ يَحْكُمُوا فِي مَالِهِ كَحُكْمِهِمْ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زَكَرِيَّا، ثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْحَافِظُ، وَمَكِّيُّ بْنُ عَبْدَانَ قَالا: ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الذُّهْلِيُّ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، ثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يُقْضَى فِي مَالِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ كَمَا يَقْضِي فِي مَالِ نَفْسِهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yumkina ʾikhwānuhu ʾan yaḥkumūā fī mālihi kaḥukmihim fī ʾamwālihim. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi bni zakariyyā, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu al-ḥusayni al-ḥāfiẓu, wamakkiyyu bnu ʿabdāna qālā: ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu yaḥyā al-dhuhliyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu al-razzāqi, ḥaddathanā maʿmarun, ʿani al-zuhriyyi, ʿani ibni al-musayyabi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum ʾanna rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama kāna yuqḍā fī māli ʾabī bakrin kamā yaqḍī fī māli nafsihi.

Part of futuwwa is to let one’s brothers use one’s wealth as freely as their own. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zakariyyā informed us; Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Ḥāfiẓ and Makkī ibn ʿAbdān both said: Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Dhuhlī narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated to us; Maʿmar narrated to us, from al-Zuhrī, from Ibn al-Musayyab—may God be pleased with them—that the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—disposed of Abū Bakr’s property as he did his own.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَحَبَّةُ الْقُرَى وَالضِّيَافَةِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ قُرَيْشٍ، ثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، ثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ أَنَّ أَبَا الْخَيْرِ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((بِئْسَ الْقَوْمُ قَوْمٌ لَا يَنْزِلُونَ الضَّيْفَ)) . وَبِإِسْنَادِهِ قَالَ:

wamina al-futuwwati maḥabbatu al-qurā wa-l-ḍiyāfati. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi bni muḥammadi bni qurayshin, ḥaddathanā al-ḥusaynu bnu sufyāna, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu rumḥin, ḥaddathanā ibnu lahīʿata, ʿan yazīda bni ʾabī ḥabībin ʾanna ʾabā al-khayri ḥaddathahu ʿan ʿuqbata bni ʿāmirin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((biʾsa al-qawmu qawmun lā yanzilūna al-ḍayfa)) . wabiʾisnādihi qāla:

Part of futuwwa is to love feeding and hosting guests. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Quraysh informed us; al-Ḥusayn ibn Sufyān narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn Rumḥ narrated to us; Ibn Lahīʿah narrated to us, from Yazīd ibn Abī Ḥabīb, who reported that Abū al-Khayr related to him, from ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘How wretched are people who do not welcome a guest.’ And by the same chain he said:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَليْهِ وَسَلَّم: ((لَا خَيْرَ فِيمَنْ لَا يُضِيفُ)) .

qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalyhi wasallam: ((lā khayra fīman lā yuḍīfu)) .

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘There is no good in one who does not receive guests.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَعْظِيمُ الإِخْوَانِ وَالْحَرَكَةِ لَهُمْ. أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمِيكَالِيُّ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ سَعْدٍ الْعَسْكَرِيُّ، ثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الرَّاسِبِيُّ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الْعُرْيَانِيُّ، ثَنَا أَبُو الأَسْوَدِ مُجَاهِدُ بْنُ فَرْقَدٍ الأَطْرَابُلُّسِيُّ، ثَنَا وَاثِلَةُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ الْقُرَشِيُّ، قَالَ: ((دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ الْمَسْجِدَ وَالنَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَحْدَهُ فَتَحَرَّكَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ،

wamina al-futuwwati taʿẓīmu al-ʾikhwāni wa-l-ḥarakati lahum. ʾakhbaranā ʾismāʿīlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-mīkāliyyu, waʿaliyyu bnu saʿdin al-ʿaskariyyu, ḥaddathanā jaʿfaru bnu al-faḍli al-rāsibiyyu, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu yūsufa al-ʿuryāniyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-ʾaswadi mujāhidu bnu farqadin al-ʾaṭrābullusiyyu, ḥaddathanā wāthilatu bnu al-khaṭṭābi al-qurashiyyu, qāla: ((dakhala rajulun al-masjida wa-l-nabiyya ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama waḥdahu fataḥarraka lahu al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama,

Part of futuwwa is to honor one’s brothers and make room for them. Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Mīkālī and ʿAlī ibn Saʿd al-ʿAskarī informed us; Jaʿfar ibn al-Faḍl al-Rāsibī narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-ʿUryānī narrated to us; Abū al-Aswad Mujāhid ibn Farqad al-Ṭarābulusī narrated to us; Wāthilah ibn al-Khaṭṭāb al-Qurashī narrated to us. He said: ‘A man entered the mosque when the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—was alone, and the Prophet moved over for him,

فَقِيلَ لَهُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، الْمَكَانُ وَاسِعٌ. فَقَالَ: إِنَّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ حَقًّا)) .

faqīla lahu: yā rasūla Allāhi, al-makānu wāsiʿun. faqāla: ʾinna lilmuʾmini ḥaqqan)) .

Someone said to him, ‘Messenger of God, there is plenty of room.’ He replied, ‘A believer has a right [to be given a place].’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِقَامَةُ الأَحْوَالِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَمْرٍو مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مَطَرٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَبْدِهِ، قَالا: ثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، ثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، ثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الزِّيَادِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ سُفْيَانُ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الثَّقَفِيُّ: ((يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، قُلْ لِي فِي الإِسْلامِ قَوْلا لَا أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَكَ. قَالَ: قُلْ:

wamina al-futuwwati astiqāmatu al-ʾaḥwāli. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū ʿamrinw muḥammadu bnu jaʿfari bni maṭarin, wamuḥammadu bnu ʾibrāhīma bni ʿabdihi, qālā: ḥaddathanā ʾibrāhīmu bnu ʿaliyyin, ḥaddathanā yaḥyā bnu yaḥyā, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu al-Raḥmāni bnu ʾabī al-ziyādi, ʿan ʾabīhi, ʿan ʿurwata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla sufyānu ibnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-thaqafiyyu: ((yā rasūla Allāhi, qul lī fī al-ʾislāmi qawlā lā ʾasʾalu ʿanhu ʾaḥadan baʿdaka. qāla: qul:

Part of futuwwa is to remain upright in one’s conduct. Abū ʿAmr Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn Maṭar and Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbdih informed us; they said: Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAlī narrated to us; Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī al-Ziyād narrated to us, from his father, from ʿUrwah—may God be pleased with them—who said: Sufyān ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Thaqafī asked, ‘Messenger of God, tell me something about Islam after which I need ask no one else.’ He answered: ‘Say,

آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ)) .

ʾāmantu bi-llāhi thumma astaqim)) .

I believe in God, and then remain steadfast.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ سَخَاوَةُ النَّفْسِ. وَسَلامَةُ الصَّدْرِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الدِّيُّونَجِيُّ، ثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ: وَجَدْتُ فِي إِجَازَةِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ ابْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ لَيْلَى، ثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ رَجَاءٍ، عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْمِزِّيِّ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((إِنَّ أَبْدَالَ أُمَّتِي لَمْ يَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِأَعْمَالٍ،

wamina al-futuwwati sakhāwatu al-nafsi. wasalāmatu al-ṣadri. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū bakrin al-diyyūnajiyyu, ḥaddathanā al-ḥusaynu bnu sufyāna, qāla: wajadtu fī ʾijāzati ʿuthmāna bni saʿīdin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʿimrāna ibnu ʾabī bakrin laylā, ḥaddathanā sulaymānu bnu rajāʾin, ʿan ṣāliḥin al-mizziyyi, ʿani al-ḥasani, ʿan ʾabī saʿīdin al-khudriyyi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((ʾinna ʾabdāla ʾummatī lam yadkhulūā al-jannata biʾaʿmālin,

Part of futuwwa is generosity of spirit and a heart free from resentment. Abū Bakr al-Diyūnajī informed us; al-Ḥusayn ibn Sufyān narrated to us, saying: I found in the authorization of ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd that Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Abī Bakr Laylā narrated to us; Sulaymān ibn Rajāʾ narrated to us, from Ṣāliḥ al-Mizzī, from al-Ḥasan, from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘The abdāl of my community did not enter Paradise by their deeds,

وَلَكِنْ دَخَلُوهَا بِرَحْمَةِ اللهِ، وَسَخَاوَةِ الأَنْفُسِ، وَسَلامَةِ الصَّدْرِ)) .

walakin dakhalūhā biraḥmati Allāhi, wasakhāwati al-ʾanfusi, wasalāmati al-ṣadri)) .

but entered it through God’s mercy, generosity of spirit, and hearts free from resentment.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الشَّفَقَةُ عَلَى الإِخْوَانِ وَالْمُوَاسَاةُ مَعَهُمْ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَمْرٍو مُحَمَّدُ ابْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَمْدَانَ، ثَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى السَّخْتِيَانِيُّ، ثَنَا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، ثَنَا أَبُو الأَشْهَبِ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: بَيْنَا نَحْنُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي سَفَرٍ، إِذْ جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ عَلَى رَاحِلَةٍ لَهُ، قَالَ: فَجَعَلَ يَضْرِبُ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالا،

wamina al-futuwwati al-shafaqatu ʿalā al-ʾikhwāni wa-l-muwāsātu maʿahum. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū ʿamrinw muḥammadu ibnu ʾaḥmada bni ḥamdāna, ḥaddathanā ʿimrānu bnu mūsā al-sakhtiyāniyyu, ḥaddathanā shaybānu bnu ʾabī shaybata, ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-ʾashhabi, ʿan ʾabī naḍrata, ʿan ʾabī saʿīdin al-khudriyyi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: baynā naḥnu maʿa rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama fī safarin, ʾidh jāʾahu rajulun ʿalā rāḥilatin lahu, qāla: fajaʿala yaḍribu yamīnan washimālā,

Part of futuwwa is compassion toward one’s brothers and sharing with them. Abū ʿAmr Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥamdān informed us; ʿImrān ibn Mūsā al-Sakhtiyānī narrated to us; Shaybān ibn Abī Shaybah narrated to us; Abū al-Ashhab narrated to us, from Abū Naḍrah, from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī—may God be pleased with them—who said: While we were traveling with the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—a man arrived on his mount and began looking to right and left.

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ علَيه وَسَلَّم: ((مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ فَضْلُ ظُهْرٍ فَلْيُعُدْ بِهِ عَلَى مَنْ لَا ظُهْرَ لَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ فَضْلَ زَادٍ فَلْيُعُدْ بِهِ عَلَى مَنْ لَا زَادَ لَهُ. قَالَ: فَذَكَرَ مِنْ أَصْنَافِ الْمَالِ مَا ذُكَرَ حَتَّى رَأَيْنَا أَنَّهُ لَا حَقَّ لأَحَدٍ مِنَّا فِي فَضْلٍ)) .

faqāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿlayh wasallam: ((man kāna lahu faḍlu ẓuhrin falyuʿud bihi ʿalā man lā ẓuhra lahu, waman kāna faḍla zādin falyuʿud bihi ʿalā man lā zāda lahu. qāla: fadhakara min ʾaṣnāfi al-māli mā dhukara ḥattā raʾaynā ʾannahu lā ḥaqqa lʾaḥadin minnā fī faḍlin)) .

The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘Whoever has a spare mount should share it with someone who has none; whoever has extra provisions should share them with someone who has none.’ The narrator added: He went on to mention other kinds of property, until we felt that none of us had a claim to keep any surplus.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ التَّحَبُّبُ، وَالتَّزَاوُرُ فِي اللَّهِ، وَالتَّوَاصُلِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ابْنُ صَبِيحٍ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ شِيرُوَيْهِ، ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، ثَنَا النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ، ثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ عَطَاءٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي إِدْرِيسَ الْخَوْلانِيِّ، قَالَ فِي حَدِيثٍ ذَكَرَهُ: فَلَقِيتُ عُبَادَةَ بْنَ الصَّامِتِ، فَقَالَ:

wamina al-futuwwati al-taḥabbubu, wa-l-tazāwuru fī Allāhi, wa-l-tawāṣuli. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi ibnu ṣabīḥin, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu shīruwayhi, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu al-ḥanẓaliyyu, ḥaddathanā al-naḍru bnu shumaylin, ḥaddathanā shuʿbatu, ʿan yaʿlā bni ʿaṭāʾin, qāla: samiʿtu al-walīda bna ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni yuḥaddithu ʿan ʾabī ʾidrīsa al-khawlāniyyi, qāla fī ḥadīthin dhakarahu: falaqītu ʿubādata bna al-ṣāmiti, faqāla:

Part of futuwwa is to show affection, visit one another for God’s sake, and maintain ties. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣubayḥ informed us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Shīrūyah narrated to us; Isḥāq al-Ḥanẓalī narrated to us; al-Naḍr ibn Shumayl narrated to us; Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Yaʿlā ibn ʿAṭāʾ, who said: I heard al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān report from Abū Idrīs al-Khawlānī, who said in a report: I met ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, and he said:

لَا أُحَدِّثُكَ إِلا مَا سَمِعْتُ اللَّهَ ذِكَرَهُ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((حَقَّتْ مَحَبَّتِي لِلْمُتَحَابِّينَ فِي، وَحَقَّتْ مَحَبَّتِي لِلْمُتَبَادِلِينَ فِي، وَحَقَّتْ مَحَبَّتِي لِلْمُتَزَاوِرِينَ فِي وَحَقْتْ مَحَبَّتِي لِلْمُتَوَاصِلِينَ فِي)) .

lā ʾuḥaddithuka ʾilā mā samiʿtu Allāha dhikarahu ʿalā lisāni nabiyyihi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((ḥaqqat maḥabbatī lilmutaḥābbīna fī, waḥaqqat maḥabbatī lilmutabādilīna fī, waḥaqqat maḥabbatī lilmutazāwirīna fī waḥaqt maḥabbatī lilmutawāṣilīna fī)) .

‘I will tell you only what I heard God say through His Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace: My love is assured for those who love one another for My sake; My love is assured for those who give to one another for My sake; My love is assured for those who visit one another for My sake; and My love is assured for those who keep ties for My sake.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَحَبَّةُ الْغُرَبَاءِ، وَحُسْنُ تَعُدُّهُمْ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ابْنُ زِيَادٍ، ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ، ثَنَا أَبُو شُعَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((أَحَبُّ شَيْءٍ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى الْغُرَبَاءُ. قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ هُمْ؟ قَالَ:

wamina al-futuwwati maḥabbatu al-ghurabāʾi, waḥusnu taʿudduhum. ʾakhbaranā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu muḥammadi bni ʿaliyyin ibnu ziyādin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʾisḥāqa bni khuzaymata, ḥaddathanā ʾabū shuʿaybin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu muslimin, ʿan muḥammadi bni ʿabdi Allāhi bni ʾawsin, ʿan sulaymāna bni hurmuza, ʿan ʿabdi Allāhi bni ʿamrinw, ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((ʾaḥabbu shayʾin ʾilā Allāhi taʿālā al-ghurabāʾu. qālūā: yā rasūla Allāhi man hum? qāla:

Part of futuwwa is to love strangers and care for them well. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Ziyād informed us; Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Khuzaymah narrated to us; Abū Shuʿayb narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn Muslim narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aws, from Sulaymān ibn Hurmuz, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, from the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—who said: ‘The strangers are dearest to God.’ They asked, ‘Messenger of God, who are they?’ He replied:

الْفَرَّارُونَ بِدِينِهِمْ، يُحْشَرُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِلَى عِيسَى بْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ)) .

al-farrārūna bidīnihim, yuḥsharūna yawma al-qiyāmati ʾilā ʿīsā bni maryama ʿalayhi al-salāmu)) .

‘Those who flee to protect their faith. On the Day of Resurrection they will be gathered with Jesus son of Mary—peace be upon him.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ صِدْقُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَأَدَاءُ الأَمَانَةِ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ السُّمْرِيُّ، ثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، ثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ حُجَيْرَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: ((أَرْبَعٌ إِذَا كُنَّ فِيكَ، فَمَا عَلَيْكَ،

wamina al-futuwwati ṣidqu al-ḥadīthi, waʾadāʾu al-ʾamānati. ʾakhbaranā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu muḥammadin al-sumriyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu muḥammadi bni ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu bnu ʾibrāhīma, ʾakhbaranā yaḥyā bnu yaḥyā, ʾakhbaranā ibnu lahīʿata, ʿani al-ḥārithi bni zaydin, ʿani ibni ḥujayrata, ʿan ʿabdi Allāhi bni ʿamrinw raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, qāla: ((ʾarbaʿun ʾidhā kunna fīka, famā ʿalayka,

Part of futuwwa is truthfulness in speech and the faithful discharge of a trust. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Samarī informed us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān narrated to us; Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us; Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā informed us; Ibn Lahīʿah informed us, from al-Ḥārith ibn Zayd, from Ibn Ḥujayrah, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr—may God be pleased with them—from the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—who said: ‘If four qualities are yours, worldly losses need not trouble you:

فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، حِفْظُ الأَمَانَةِ، وَصِدْقُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَحُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ، وَعِفَّةُ طُعْمَةٌ)) .

faʾinnaka mina al-dunyā, ḥifẓu al-ʾamānati, waṣidqu al-ḥadīthi, waḥusnu al-khuluqi, waʿiffatu ṭuʿmatun)) .

keeping a trust, speaking truthfully, good character, and restraint in what you eat and how you obtain it.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ إِصْلاحُ السِّرِّ قَبْلَ التَّزَيِّي بِزِيِّ الصَّالِحِينَ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الشَّيْبَانِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْبَاشَانِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْجُوَيْبَارِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا سَلْمُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، قَالَ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: ((لَا تَلْبَسُوا الصُّوفَ إِلا وَقُلُوبُكُمْ نَقِيَّةً،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾiṣlāḥu al-sirri qabla al-tazayyī biziyyi al-ṣāliḥīna. ʾakhbaranā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu ʾaḥmada ibnu jaʿfarin al-shaybāniyyu, ʾakhbaranā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni ʿaliyyin al-bāshāniyyu, ʾakhbaranā ʾaḥmadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-juwaybāriyyu, ʾakhbaranā salmu bnu sālimin, ʿan ʿabbādi bni kathīrin, ʿan māliki bni dīnārin, ʿani al-ḥasani, qāla: balaghanī ʾanna rasūla Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, qāla: ((lā talbasūā al-ṣūfa ʾilā waqulūbukum naqiyyatan,

Part of futuwwa is to put one’s inner life in order before adopting the clothing of the righteous. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn Jaʿfar al-Shaybānī informed us; Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Bāshānī informed us; Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Juwaybārī informed us; Salm ibn Sālim informed us, from ʿAbbād ibn Kathīr, from Mālik ibn Dīnār, from al-Ḥasan, who said: It reached me that the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘Do not wear wool unless your hearts are pure,

فَإِنَّ مَنْ لَبِسَ الصُّوفَ عَلَى دَغْلٍ وَغِشٍّ قَلَاهُ جَبَّارَ السَّمَاءِ)) .

faʾinna man labisa al-ṣūfa ʿalā daghlin waghishshin qalāhu jabbāra al-samāʾi)) .

for anyone who wears wool while harboring deceit and ill will is detested by the Almighty Lord of heaven.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حُسْنُ الْقِرَاءِ. وَإِكْرَامُ الضَّيْفِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الثَّقَفِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، عَنْ [أَبِي] حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ، فَلْيُحْسِنْ قِرَاءَ ضَيْفِهِ)) .

wamina al-futuwwati ḥusnu al-qirāʾi. waʾikrāmu al-ḍayfi. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu al-faḍli bni muḥammadi ibnu ʾisḥāqa, ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʾisḥāqa al-thaqafiyyu, ʾakhbaranā ʾisḥāqu al-ḥanẓaliyyu, ʿan [ʾabī] ḥāzimin, ʿan ʾabī hurayrata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((man kāna yuʾminu bi-llāhi wa-l-yawmi al-ʾākhiri, falyuḥsin qirāʾa ḍayfihi)) .

Part of futuwwa is to feed guests well and honor them. Muḥammad ibn al-Faḍl ibn Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq informed us; Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq al-Thaqafī informed us; Isḥāq al-Ḥanẓalī informed us, from [Abū] Ḥāzim, from Abū Hurayrah—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘Whoever believes in God and the Last Day should offer his guest good hospitality.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الأَكْلُ بَعْدَ أَكْلِ الأَصْحَابِ [.. .. ..] . أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الأَصَمُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الدُّورِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مَعِينٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بَيَّاعُ الْهَرَوِيِّ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: ((كَانَ رَسُولُ الَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيه وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَكَلَ مَعَ قَوْمٍ، كَانَ آخِرُهُمْ أَكْلا)) .

wamina al-futuwwati al-ʾaklu baʿda ʾakli al-ʾaṣḥābi [.. .. ..] . ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu yaʿqūba al-ʾaṣammu, ʾakhbaranā al-ʿabbāsu bnu muḥammadin al-dūriyyu, ʾakhbaranā yaḥyā bnu maʿīnin, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu al-Raḥmāni bayyāʿu al-harawiyyi, ʿan jaʿfari bni muḥammadin, ʿan ʾabīhi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: ((kāna rasūlu al-hi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayh wasallama ʾidhā ʾakala maʿa qawmin, kāna ʾākhiruhum ʾaklā)) .

Part of futuwwa is to eat after one’s companions have eaten [gap in the source]. Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Aṣamm informed us: al-ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad al-Dūrī informed us: Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn informed us: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, the cloth seller of Herat, told us, from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad, from his father, may God be pleased with them, who said, ‘When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, ate with a group, he was the last to eat.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَرَى أَنَّ الْبَاقِيَ مِنْ مَالِهِ مَا بَذَلَهُ، لَا مَا أَمْسَكَهُ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ابْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الثَّقَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عِيسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُرَحْبِيلَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَتْ: ((أُهْدِيَتُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَاةً، فَقَسَمَهَا. فَقُلْتُ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yarā ʾanna al-bāqiya min mālihi mā badhalahu, lā mā ʾamsakahu. ʾakhbaranā ʿabdu Allāhi ibnu muḥammadi bni ʿaliyyin, ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-ʿabbāsi al-thaqafiyyu, ḥaddathanā al-ḥusaynu bnu ʿīsā, ʾakhbaranā ibnu al-mubāraki, ʾakhbaranā sufyānu, ʿan ʾabī ʾisḥāqa al-hamdāniyyi, ʿan ʿamriw bni shuraḥbīla ʿan ʿāʾishata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qālat: ((ʾuhdiyatu lirasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama shātan, faqasamahā. faqultu:

Part of futuwwa is to understand that what remains of one’s wealth is what one gives away, rather than what one keeps. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī informed us: Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Thaqafī informed us: al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿĪsā told us: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us: Sufyān informed us, from Abū Isḥāq al-Hamdānī, from ʿAmr ibn Shuraḥbīl, from ʿĀʾisha, may God be pleased with her, who said, ‘A sheep was given to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. He distributed it, and I said:

لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهَا إِلَاّ عُنُقُهَا. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: قَدْ بَقِيَ كُلُّهَا إِلَاّ عُنُقُهَا)) .

lam yabqa minhā ʾilā ʿunuquhā. faqāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: qad baqiya kulluhā ʾilā ʿunuquhā)) .

‘Only its neck is left.’ The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, replied, ‘On the contrary, it all remains except its neck.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الإِفْطَارُ عَلَى سُرُورِ الإِخْوَانِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ قُرَيْشٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدُ بْنُ قَطَنٍ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ رُشَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((مَنْ دَخَلَ عَلَى أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ، وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُفْطِرَ، فَلْيُفْطِرْ)) . وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-ʾifṭāru ʿalā surūri al-ʾikhwāni. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi bni muḥammadi bni qurayshin, ḥaddathanā musaddadu bnu qaṭanin, ḥaddathanā dāwudu bnu rushaydin, ḥaddathanā baqiyyatu, ʿan muḥammadi bni ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni, ḥaddathanī ʿubaydu Allāhi ʿan nāfiʿin ʿani ibni ʿumara raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((man dakhala ʿalā ʾakhīhi al-muslimi, wahuwa ṣāʾimun, faʾarāda ʾan yufṭira, falyufṭir)) . wadhakara al-ḥadītha.

Part of futuwwa is to break one’s fast to give one’s brothers pleasure. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Quraysh informed us; Musaddad ibn Qaṭan narrated to us; Dāwūd ibn Rashīd narrated to us; Baqiyyah narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān; ʿUbayd Allāh related to me, from Nāfiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar—may God be pleased with them—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘Whoever enters the home of his Muslim brother while fasting, and wishes to break his fast, may do so.’ The rest of the report followed.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حُسْنُ الْعَشَرَةِ، وَالْمُلاعَبَةُ مَعَ الإِخْوَانِ، وَالْبِشَرُ مَعَهُمْ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْخِرَقِيُّ بِبَغْدَادَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ بْنِ بُرِيْهِ، حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ مِهْرَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِجَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ: جَعَلْتُ فِدَاكَ، هَلْ كَانَتْ فِي النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دُعَابَةٌ وَمُدَاعَبَةٌ؟ فَقَالَ:

wamina al-futuwwati ḥusnu al-ʿasharati, wa-l-mulāʿabatu maʿa al-ʾikhwāni, wa-l-bisharu maʿahum. ʾakhbaranā ʿabdu al-ʿazīzi bnu jaʿfari bni muḥammadin al-khiraqiyyu bibaghdāda, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu hārūna bni burīhi, ḥaddathanā ʿīsā bnu mihrāna, ḥaddathanā al-ḥasanu bnu al-ḥusayni, ḥaddathanā al-ḥusaynu bnu zaydin, qāla: qultu lijaʿfari bni muḥammadin: jaʿaltu fidāka, hal kānat fī al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama duʿābatun wamudāʿabatun? faqāla:

Part of futuwwa is to keep good company, joke gently with one’s brothers, and meet them with a cheerful face. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Khiraqī informed us in Baghdad; Muḥammad ibn Hārūn ibn Burayh narrated to us; ʿĪsā ibn Mihrān narrated to us; al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥusayn narrated to us; al-Ḥusayn ibn Zayd narrated to us. He said: I asked Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad, ‘May I be your ransom, did the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—ever joke and engage in playful conversation?’ He replied:

لَقَدْ وَصَفَهُ اللَّهُ بِخَلْقٍ عَظِيمٍ فِي الْمُدَاعَبَةِ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَعَثَ أَنْبِيَاءَهُ، فَكَانَتْ فِيهِمْ كَزَّازَةٌ. وَبَعَثَ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالرَّأْفَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ، وَكَانَ مِنْ رَأْفَتِهِ بِأُمَّتِهِ، مُدَاعَبَتُهُ لَهُمْ، لِكَيْلا يَبْلُغَ بِأَحَدٍ مِنْهُمُ التَّعْظِيمَ حَتَّى لَا يَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي مُحَمَّدٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِيٍّ [عَنْ أَبِيهِ الْحُسَيْنِ] عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِيٍّ رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، قَالَ:

laqad waṣafahu Allāhu bikhalqin ʿaẓīmin fī al-mudāʿabati, ʾinna Allāha baʿatha ʾanbiyāʾahu, fakānat fīhim kazzāzatun. wabaʿatha muḥammadan ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama bi-l-raʾfati wa-l-raḥmati, wakāna min raʾfatihi biʾummatihi, mudāʿabatuhu lahum, likaylā yablugha biʾaḥadin minhumu al-taʿẓīma ḥattā lā yanẓura ʾilayhi. thumma qāla: ḥaddathanī ʾabī muḥammadun, ʿan ʾabīhi ʿaliyyin [ʿan ʾabīhi al-ḥusayni] ʿan ʾabīhi ʿaliyyin riḍwānu Allāhi ʿalayhim, qāla:

‘God described his character as magnificent, including his playful manner. God sent His prophets, and some sternness was found among them; He sent Muḥammad—may God bless him and grant him peace—with kindness and mercy. Part of his kindness to his community was joking with them, so that reverence for him would not grow so great that they could not look at him.’ Then he said: My father Muḥammad related to me, from his father ʿAlī [from his father al-Ḥusayn], from his father ʿAlī—may God be pleased with them—who said:

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِيُبَشِّرَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ إِذَا رَآهُ مَغْمُومًا بِالْمُدَاعَبَةِ. وَكَانَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ((إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبْغِضُ الْمُعْبَسَ فِي وُجُوهِ إِخْوَانِهِ)) .

kāna rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama liyubashshira al-rajulu min ʾaṣḥābihi ʾidhā raʾāhu maghmūman bi-l-mudāʿabati. wakāna ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama yaqūlu: ((ʾinna Allāha yubghiḍu al-muʿbasa fī wujūhi ʾikhwānihi)) .

When the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—saw a Companion looking distressed, he would cheer him with gentle banter. He used to say, ‘God dislikes the person who frowns in the faces of his brothers.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يُطَالِعَ الْعَبْدُ نَفْسَهُ، وَلَا أَفْعَالَهَا، وَلَا يَطْلُبَ عَلَى فِعْلِهِ عِوَضًا. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سُئِلَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ أَقْرَبِ شَيْءٍ إِلَى مَقْتِ اللَّهِ. فَقَالَ: رُؤْيَةُ النَّفْسِ وَأَفْعَالُهَا، وَأَشَدُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مُطَالَبَةُ الأَعْوَاضِ عَلَى أَفْعَالِهَا.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yuṭāliʿa al-ʿabdu nafsahu, walā ʾafʿālahā, walā yaṭluba ʿalā fiʿlihi ʿiwaḍan. samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-rāziyya yaqūlu: suʾila ʾabū al-ʿabbāsi bnu ʿaṭāʾin ʿan ʾaqrabi shayʾin ʾilā maqti Allāhi. faqāla: ruʾyatu al-nafsi waʾafʿāluhā, waʾashaddu min dhālika muṭālabatu al-ʾaʿwāḍi ʿalā ʾafʿālihā.

Part of futuwwa is for a servant to stop admiring himself and his deeds, and to seek no reward for them. I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Rāzī say: Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAṭāʾ was asked what comes closest to incurring God’s displeasure. He answered, ‘Seeing oneself and one’s deeds as important; worse still is demanding compensation for them.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُلَازَمَةُ التَّوْبَةِ وَتَصْحِيحُهَا بِصِحَّةِ الْعَزْمِ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْعَوْدِ إلَى مَا مِنْهُ تَابَ. سَمِعْتُ مَنْصُورَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْهَرَوِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْمُزَيِّنَ يَقُولُ: صِحَّةُ التَّوْبَةِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْيَاءَ: النَّدَمُ عَلَى مَا مَضَى، وَصِحَّةُ الْعَزْمِ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْعَوْدِ إِلَى مَا مِنْهُ تَابَ، وَوَجَلَّ الْقَلْبُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، لأنَّهُ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ عَلَى يَقِينٍ.

wamin al-futuwwati mulāzamatu al-tawbati wataṣḥīḥuhā biṣiḥḥati al-ʿazmi ʿalā tarki al-ʿawdi ʾilā mā minhu tāba. samiʿtu manṣūra bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-harawiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥasani al-muzayyina yaqūlu: ṣiḥḥatu al-tawbati thalāthatu ʾashyāʾa: al-nadamu ʿalā mā maḍā, waṣiḥḥatu al-ʿazmi ʿalā tarki al-ʿawdi ʾilā mā minhu tāba, wawajalla al-qalbu ʿalā dhālika, lʾnnahu min dhunūbihi ʿalā yaqīnin.

Part of futuwwa is to persevere in repentance and make it genuine by firmly resolving not to return to what one has renounced. I heard Manṣūr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Harawī say: I heard Abū al-Ḥasan al-Muzayyin say, ‘Sound repentance has three parts: regret for the past, a firm resolve not to repeat the sin, and a heart that remains fearful about it, for one’s sins are certain.’

وَمِمَّا أَحْدَثَ مِنَ التَّوْبَةِ عَلَى وَجَلٍّ لَا يَدْرِي أَمَقْبُولٌ مِنْهُ أَمْ مَضْرُوبٌ بِهِ وَجْهُهُ.

wamimmā ʾaḥdatha mina al-tawbati ʿalā wajallin lā yadrī ʾamaqbūlun minhu ʾam maḍrūbun bihi wajhuhu.

Even after repenting, one remains apprehensive, not knowing whether the repentance has been accepted or thrown back in one’s face.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِجْلابُ مَحَبَّةِ اللَّهِ بِالتَّحَبُّبِ إِلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْوَاحِدِ ابْنَ بَكْرٍ الْوَرْثَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْقَنَّادَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُوسَى الدَّيْبَلِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا يَزِيدَ الْبِسْطَامِيَّ وَ [قَدَ] سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ، فَقَالَ: دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ أَتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ. فَقَالَ: تُحِبُّ أَوْلِيَاءُ اللَّهِ. وَتَتَحَبَّبُ إِلَيْهِمْ لِيُحِبُّوكَ،

wamina al-futuwwati astijlābu maḥabbati Allāhi bi-l-taḥabbubi ʾilā ʾawliyāʾihi. samiʿtu ʿabda al-wāḥidi ibna bakrin al-warthāniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-qannāda yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā mūsā al-daybaliyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā yazīda al-bisṭāmiyya wa [qada] saʾalahu rajulun, faqāla: dullanī ʿalā ʿamalin ʾataqarrabu bihi ʾilā Allāhi. faqāla: tuḥibbu ʾawliyāʾu Allāhi. watataḥabbabu ʾilayhim liyuḥibbūka,

Part of futuwwa is to seek God’s love by winning the affection of His friends. I heard ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Bakr al-Warthānī say: I heard al-Qannād say: I heard Abū Mūsā al-Daybalī say: I heard Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī when a man asked him, ‘Show me a deed that will draw me near to God.’ He answered, ‘Love God’s friends, and show them affection so that they love you,

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَنْظُرُ فِي قُلُوبِ أَوْلِيَائِهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى اسْمِكَ فِي قَلْبِ وَلِيٍّ مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِهِ، فَيُحِبُّكَ وَيَغْفِرَ لَكَ.

faʾinna Allāha yanẓuru fī qulūbi ʾawliyāʾihi fī kulli yawmin walaylatin sabʿīna marratan falaʿallahu ʾan yanẓura ʾilā asmika fī qalbi waliyyin min ʾawliyāʾihi, fayuḥibbuka wayaghfira laka.

For God looks into the hearts of His friends seventy times each day and night. Perhaps He will see your name in the heart of one of His friends, and love and forgive you.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا تُعَاتِبَ إِخْوَانَكَ عِنْدَ زَلاتِهِمْ. وَأَنْ تَتُوبَ عَنْهُمْ إِذَا أَذْنَبُوا. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْفَرَجِ الصَّائِغَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ سَهْلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ الرَّازِيُّ، سَمِعْتُ عَلِىَّ بْنَ صَالِحٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ مُوسَى الدَّيْبَلِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: قَدِمَ يُوسُفُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ عَلِيٌّ أَبِي يَزِيدَ الْبِسْطَامِيُّ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ، فَسَأَلَهُ: مَعَ مَنْ تَأْمُرُنِي أَنْ أَصْحَبَ؟ فَقَالَ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā tuʿātiba ʾikhwānaka ʿinda zalātihim. waʾan tatūba ʿanhum ʾidhā ʾadhnabūā. samiʿtu ʾabā al-faraji al-ṣāʾigha yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥusayna bna sahlin, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu ʿimrāna al-rāziyyu, samiʿtu ʿalia bna ṣāliḥin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿimrāna bna mūsā al-daybaliyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabī yaqūlu: qadima yūsufu bnu al-ḥusayni ʿaliyyun ʾabī yazīda al-bisṭāmiyyu raḥimahumu Allāhu, fasaʾalahu: maʿa man taʾmurunī ʾan ʾaṣḥaba? faqāla:

Part of futuwwa is not to reproach your brothers for their lapses, and to repent on their behalf when they sin. I heard Abū al-Faraj al-Ṣāʾigh say: I heard al-Ḥusayn ibn Sahl; Aḥmad ibn ʿImrān al-Rāzī narrated to us; I heard ʿAlī ibn Ṣāliḥ say: I heard ʿImrān ibn Mūsā al-Daybalī say: I heard my father say: Yūsuf ibn al-Ḥusayn came to Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī—may God have mercy on them—and asked him, ‘Whose company do you advise me to keep?’ He replied:

مَنْ إِذَا مَرِضْتُ عَادَكَ، وَإِذَا أَذْنَبْتَ تَابَ عَنْكَ. وَأَنْشَدُ فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى:

man ʾidhā mariḍtu ʿādaka, waʾidhā ʾadhnabta tāba ʿanka. waʾanshadu fī hādhā al-maʿnā:

‘Someone who visits you when you fall ill and repents on your behalf when you sin.’ He then recited a verse with this meaning:

إِذَا مَرِضْنَا أَتَيْنَاكُمْ نَعُودُكُمْ ... وَتُذْنِبُونَ، فَنَأْتِيكُمْ، فَتَعْتَذِرُوا

ʾidhā mariḍnā ʾataynākum naʿūdukum ... watudhnibūna, fanaʾtīkum, fataʿtadhirūā

When we are ill, we come to visit you; when you sin, we come to you, and you offer your apology.

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَقْعُدَ الْعَبْدُ عَنِ الْكَسْبِ إِلَاّ بَعْدَ صِحَّةِ عُقْدَةِ التَّوَكُّلِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُثْمَانَ الآدَمِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ إبْرَاهِيمَ الْخَوَاصَّ يَقُولُ: لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلصُّوفِيِّ أَنْ يَتَعَرَّضَ لِلْقُعُودِ عَنِ الْكَسْبِ إِلَاّ أَنْ يَكُونَ رَجُلاً مَطْلُوبًا بِتَرْكِهِ، قَدْ وَقَعَتْ بِهِ حَالَةٌ مِنْ الأَحْوَالِ اقْتَطَعَتْهُ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِ كَسْبِهِ، وَقَدْ أَعْتَبَهُ الْحَالُ عَنِ الْمَكَاسِبِ،

wamin al-futuwwati ʾan lā yaqʿuda al-ʿabdu ʿani al-kasbi ʾilā baʿda ṣiḥḥati ʿuqdati al-tawakkuli. samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā ʿuthmāna al-ʾādamiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾibrāhīma al-khawāṣṣa yaqūlu: lā yanbaghī lilṣṣūfiyyi ʾan yataʿarraḍa lilquʿūdi ʿani al-kasbi ʾilā ʾan yakūna rajul maṭlūban bitarkihi, qad waqaʿat bihi ḥālatun min al-ʾaḥwāli aqtaṭaʿathu ʿan mawāḍiʿi kasbihi, waqad ʾaʿtabahu al-ḥālu ʿani al-makāsibi,

Part of futuwwa is not to give up earning a living until one’s commitment to trust in God is sound. I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard Abū ʿUthmān al-Ādamī say: I heard Ibrāhīm al-Khawwāṣ say, ‘A Sufi should not set out to stop earning a living unless he is truly called to leave it: a spiritual state has overtaken him, drawn him away from his means of livelihood, and released him from the pursuit of earnings,

فأَمَّا إِذَا كَانَتْ الْحَاجَاتُ مِنْهُ قَائِمَةً، وَلَمْ يَقَعْ لَهُ عَرُوفٌ تَحُولُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ التَّكَلُّفِ، فَالْعَمَلُ أَوْلَى بِهِ، وَالْكَسْبُ أُحِلُّ لَهُ وَأَبْلَغُ، لأنَّ الْقُعُودَ لِمَنْ خَرَجَ عَنِ الْمَعَارِفِ وَالتَّشَرُّفِ وَالْعَادَاتِ.

fʾammā ʾidhā kānat al-ḥājātu minhu qāʾimatan, walam yaqaʿ lahu ʿarūfun taḥūlu baynahu wabayna al-takallufi, fa-l-ʿamalu ʾawlā bihi, wa-l-kasbu ʾuḥillu lahu waʾablaghu, lʾnna al-quʿūda liman kharaja ʿani al-maʿārifi wa-l-tasharrufi wa-l-ʿādāti.

But if he still has needs and nothing has come to free him from the effort of meeting them, work is more fitting for him, and earning his living is more lawful and more beneficial. Sitting idle belongs to someone who has gone beyond ordinary concerns for recognition, standing, and habit.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَصْحِيحُ اعْتِقَادِهِ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ رَبِّهِ فِيمَا أَلْزَمَ مِنْ الأَحْوَالِ وَالآدَابِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ خَيْرَ النَّسَّاجِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا حَمْزَةَ يَقُولُ: إنِّي لأَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ اللَّهِ أَنْ أَدْخُلَ الْبَادِيَةَ، وَأَنَا شَبْعَانٌ، وَقَدْ أَعْتَقِدُ التَّوَكُّلَ لِئَلا يَكُونَ شِبَعِي زَادًا أَتَزَوَّدُهُ.

wamin al-futuwwati taṣḥīḥu aʿtiqādihi fīmā baynahu wabayna rabbihi fīmā ʾalzama min al-ʾaḥwāli wa-l-ʾādābi. samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu khayra al-nassāji yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā ḥamzata yaqūlu: ʾinnī lʾastaḥyī mina Allāhi ʾan ʾadkhula al-bādiyata, waʾanā shabʿānun, waqad ʾaʿtaqidu al-tawakkula liʾalā yakūna shibaʿī zādan ʾatazawwaduhu.

Part of futuwwa is to make one’s commitment to God genuine in the states and manners one has taken upon oneself. I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard Khayr al-Nassāj say: I heard Abū Ḥamzah say, ‘I would be ashamed before God to enter the wilderness with a full stomach while professing trust in Him, lest my fullness be provisions I have deliberately carried.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَعْظِيمُ حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ شَاذَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُوسَى التَّاهِرَتِيَّ يَقُولُ: وَقَعَ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ فَلَّسَ فِي بِئْرِ قَذِرَةٍ، فَاكْتَرَى عَلَيْهِ بِثَلاثَةَ عَشَرَ دِينَارًا حَتَّى أَخْرَجَهُ. فَقِيلَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: كَانَ عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ مَكْتُوبًا، فَاحْتَرَمْتُهُ لِذَلِكَ.

wamina al-futuwwati taʿẓīmu ḥurumāti Allāhi. samiʿtu muḥammada bna shādhāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿaliyya bna mūsā al-tāhiratiyya yaqūlu: waqaʿa min ʿabdi Allāhi bni marwāna fallasa fī biʾri qadhiratin, fāktarā ʿalayhi bithalāthata ʿashara dīnāran ḥattā ʾakhrajahu. faqīla lahu fī dhālika, faqāla: kāna ʿalayhi asmu Allāhi maktūban, fāḥtaramtuhu lidhalika.

Part of futuwwa is to honor what God has made sacred. I heard Muḥammad ibn Shādhān say: I heard ʿAlī ibn Mūsā al-Tāhartī say: A small coin belonging to ʿAbd Allāh ibn Marwān fell into a filthy well. He paid thirteen dinars to have it recovered. Asked why, he said, ‘God’s name was inscribed on it, so I treated it with respect.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ تُعَامِلَ النَّاسَ عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا تُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعَامِلُوكَ بِهِ وَهُوَ مَا رُوِيَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ((وَأُحِبُّ لِلنَّاسِ مَا تُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِكَ، تَكُنْ مُؤْمِنًا)) ، وَفِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ: وَآتِ لِلنَّاسِ مَا تُحِبُّ أَنْ يُؤْتَى إِلَيْكَ)) . سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدٍ الصُّوفِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ يَزْدَانِيَارَ وَ [قَدَ] قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: أَوْصِنِّي. فَقَالَ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan tuʿāmila al-nāsa ʿalā ḥasabi mā tuḥibbu ʾan yuʿāmilūka bihi wahuwa mā ruwiya ʾanna al-nabiyya ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama qāla: ((waʾuḥibbu lilnnāsi mā tuḥibbu linafsika, takun muʾminan)) , wafī ḥadīthin ʾākhara: waʾāti lilnnāsi mā tuḥibbu ʾan yuʾtā ʾilayka)) . samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu saʿīdin al-ṣūfiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna yazdāniyāra wa [qada] qāla lahu rajulun: ʾawṣinnī. faqāla:

Part of futuwwa is to treat people as you would like them to treat you. The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—is reported to have said, ‘Love for others what you love for yourself, and you will be a believer.’ Another report says, ‘Give others what you would wish to receive.’ I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard Saʿīd al-Ṣūfī say: I heard Ibn Yazdāniyār when a man asked him, ‘Give me counsel.’ He replied:

اقْضِ مِنَ النَّاسِ حَسْبَ مَا يُقْضِى لَهُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ.

aqḍi mina al-nāsi ḥasba mā yuqḍiā lahum min nafsika.

‘In dealing with people, give them the same fair measure you would ask from them for yourself.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْهِجْرَةُ إِلَى اللَّهِ بِالسِّرِّ وَالْقَلْبِ، وَأَصْلُهُ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ {فَآمَنَ لَهُ لُوطٌ وَقَالَ إِنِّي مُهَاجِرٌ إِلَى رَبِّي} . سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الطَّيِّبِ الشِّيرَازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الطُّمُسْتَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: مَنْ صَحِبَ مِنَّا الْكِتَابَ وَالسُّنَّةَ، وَعَرَفَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ، وَعَنِ الْحَقِّ وَالدُّنْيَا، وَهَاجَرَ إِلَى اللَّهِ بُسْرَهُ وَقَلْبَهُ، فَلْيَلْزَمِ الصِّدْقُ فِي هِجْرَتِهِ، فَقَدْ بَلَغَ الْمَبْلَغَ فِي الْفُتُوَّةِ،

wamina al-futuwwati al-hijratu ʾilā Allāhi bi-l-sirri wa-l-qalbi, waʾaṣluhu qawlu Allāhi ʿazza wajalla {faʾāmana lahu lūṭun waqāla ʾinnī muhājirun ʾilā rabbī} . samiʿtu ʾabā al-ṭayyibi al-shīrāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-ṭumustāniyya yaqūlu: man ṣaḥiba minnā al-kitāba wa-l-sunnata, waʿarafa ʿan nafsihi, waʿani al-ḥaqqi wa-l-dunyā, wahājara ʾilā Allāhi busrahu waqalbahu, falyalzami al-ṣidqu fī hijratihi, faqad balagha al-mablagha fī al-futuwwati,

Part of futuwwa is to migrate toward God with one’s inmost self and heart. Its basis is God’s saying: ‘Lot believed in him and said, I am migrating to my Lord.’ I heard Abū al-Ṭayyib al-Shīrāzī say: I heard Abū Bakr al-Ṭamastānī say, ‘Whoever among us keeps the Book and the Prophetic practice as companions, recognizes his own self, the Real, and the world, and migrates to God inwardly and with his heart must remain truthful in that migration. He has reached a high station in futuwwa,

إِلا أَنْ يَنْقُضَهُ بِالرُّجُوعِ إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِمَّا هَاجَرَ مِنْهُ. قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ)) .

ʾilā ʾan yanquḍahu bi-l-rujūʿi ʾilā shayʾin mimmā hājara minhu. qāla: qāla rasūlu Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama: ((fahijratuhu ʾilā mā hājara ʾilayhi)) .

unless he undoes it by returning to something he migrated away from.’ He added that the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘His migration is to that for which he migrated.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الصُّحْبَةُ مَعَ اللهِ، أَوْ مَعَ رَسُولِهِ، أَوْ مَعَ أَوْلِيَائِهِ. وَقَالَ أَبُو عُثْمَانَ الْحِيرِيُّ: مَنْ صَحَّتْ صُحْبَتُهُ مَعَ اللَّهِ، لَزِمَ قِرَاءَةُ كِتَابِهِ بِالتَّدَبُّرِ، وَآثَرَ كَلامَ اللَّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ كَلامٍ، وَاتَّبَعَ آدَابَهُ وَأَوَامِرَهُ، وَمَا خُوطِبَ بِهِ. وَمَنْ صَحَّتْ صُحْبَتُهُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ، اتَّبَعَ أَخْلاقَهُ وَسُنَنَهُ وَآدَابَهُ وَشَمَائِلَهُ، وَجَعَلَ السُّنَنَ أَمَامَهُ فِيمَا يَأْتِي وَيَذَرُ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-ṣuḥbatu maʿa Allāhi, ʾaw maʿa rasūlihi, ʾaw maʿa ʾawliyāʾihi. waqāla ʾabū ʿuthmāna al-ḥīriyyu: man ṣaḥḥat ṣuḥbatuhu maʿa Allāhi, lazima qirāʾatu kitābihi bi-l-tadabburi, waʾāthara kalāma Allāhi ʿalā kulli kalāmin, wāttabaʿa ʾādābahu waʾawāmirahu, wamā khūṭiba bihi. waman ṣaḥḥat ṣuḥbatuhu maʿa rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, attabaʿa ʾakhlāqahu wasunanahu waʾādābahu washamāʾilahu, wajaʿala al-sunana ʾamāmahu fīmā yaʾtī wayadharu.

Part of futuwwa is keeping good company with God, His Messenger, and His friends. Abū ʿUthmān al-Ḥīrī said, ‘Whoever truly keeps company with God reads His Book attentively, prefers God’s word to all other speech, and follows His teachings and commands. Whoever truly keeps company with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, follows his character, customary practice, manners, and ways of life, taking the Prophetic example as the guide to what he does and avoids.

وَمَنْ صَحَّتْ صُحِبَتُهُ مَعَ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ، اتَّبَعَ سِيرَتَهُمْ وَطَرِيقَتَهُمْ، وَتَأَدَّبَ بِآدَابِهِمْ، وَلَزِمَ سُنَنُهُمْ. وَمَنْ سَقَطَ عَنْ هَذِهِ الدَّرَجَةِ فَهُوَ مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ.

waman ṣaḥḥat ṣuḥibatuhu maʿa ʾawliyāʾi Allāhi, attabaʿa sīratahum waṭarīqatahum, wataʾaddaba biʾādābihim, walazima sunanuhum. waman saqaṭa ʿan hādhihii al-darajati fahuwa mina al-hālikīna.

Whoever truly keeps company with God’s friends follows their way of life, learns their manners, and adheres to their practices. Whoever falls short of this station is among those who perish.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُطَالَبَةُ الْعَبْدِ نَفْسَهُ بِالصِّدْقِ. لِيَشْغَلَهُ ذَلِكَ عَنِ الْفَرَاغِ إلَى أَحْوَالِ الْخَلْقِ أَجْمَعَ. حُكِيَ لِي عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الطُّمُسْتَانِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: كُلُّ مَنْ اسْتَعْمَلَ الصِّدْقَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ، شَغْلَهُ صِدْقُهُ مَعَ اللَّهِ عَنِ الْفَرَاغِ إلَى خَلْقِ اللَّهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati muṭālabatu al-ʿabdi nafsahu bi-l-ṣidqi. liyashghalahu dhālika ʿani al-farāghi ʾilā ʾaḥwāli al-khalqi ʾajmaʿa. ḥukiya lī ʿan ʾabī bakrin al-ṭumustāniyyi ʾannahu qāla: kullu man astaʿmala al-ṣidqa baynahu wabayna Allāhi, shaghlahu ṣidquhu maʿa Allāhi ʿani al-farāghi ʾilā khalqi Allāhi.

Part of futuwwa is to demand truthfulness of oneself, so that this work leaves no leisure to scrutinize the spiritual states of others. I was told that Abū Bakr al-Ṭamastānī said, ‘Whoever practices truthfulness with God is kept so occupied by it that he has no leisure to concern himself with God’s creatures.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الثِّقَةِ بِضَمَانِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي الرِّزْقِ. سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زَكَرِيَّا يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ شَيْبَانَ يَقُولُ: قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: مَنْ اهْتَمَّ لِرِزْقِهِ بَعْدَ ضَمَانِ اللَّهِ لَهُ، لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ قَدْرٌ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-thiqati biḍamāni Allāhi taʿālā fī al-rizqi. samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna muḥammadi bni zakariyyā yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿaliyya bna ʾibrāhīma yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾibrāhīma bna shaybāna yaqūlu: qāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi: man ahtamma lirizqihi baʿda ḍamāni Allāhi lahu, lam yakun lahu ʿinda Allāhi qadrun.

Part of futuwwa is to trust God’s promise of provision. I heard Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyā say: I heard ʿAlī ibn Ibrāhīm say: I heard Ibrāhīm ibn Shaybān say: Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh said, ‘Whoever worries about provision after God has guaranteed it has no standing with God.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُوَافَقَةُ الإِخْوَانِ عَلَى الْجُمْلَةِ وَتَرْكُ الْخِلافِ عَلَيْهِمْ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّسَوِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ عَطَاءٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ يَقُولُ: قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إبْرَاهِيمَ الصُّورِيُّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمُسَيَّبَ بْنَ وَاضِحٍ يَقُولُ: كُلُّ أَخٍ قُلْت لَهُ قُمْ، قَالَ إِلَى أَيْنَ، فَلَيْسَ لَكَ بِأَخٍ.

wamin al-futuwwati muwāfaqatu al-ʾikhwāni ʿalā al-jumlati watarku al-khilāfi ʿalayhim. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ʿabbāsi ʾaḥmada bna muḥammadin al-nasawiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna ʿaṭāʾin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿaliyya bna jaʿfarin yaqūlu: qāla ʾaḥmadu bnu ʾibrāhīma al-ṣūriyyu qāla: samiʿtu al-musayyaba bna wāḍiḥin yaqūlu: kullu ʾakhin qult lahu qum, qāla ʾilā ʾayna, falaysa laka biʾakhin.

Part of futuwwa is to go along with one’s friends in general and avoid needless disagreement. I heard Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Nasawī say: I heard Aḥmad ibn ʿAṭāʾ say: I heard ʿAlī ibn Jaʿfar say: Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ṣūrī said: I heard al-Musayyab ibn Wāḍiḥ say, ‘If you tell a friend “Get up,” and he asks “Where to?”, he is no friend of yours.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يُخَالِفَ حَبِيبَكَ فِي مَحْبُوبٍ وَمَكْرُوهٍ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْوَاحِدِ بْنَ بَكْرٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ النَّاقِدَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ الصَّلْتِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ بِشْرَ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ يَقُولُ: لَيْسَ مِنَ الْمُرُوءَةِ أَنْ تُحِبَّ مَا يُبْغِضُهُ حَبِيبُكَ. وَأَنْشَدْتُ فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى (شِعْرَ) :

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yukhālifa ḥabībaka fī maḥbūbin wamakrūhin. samiʿtu ʿabda al-wāḥidi bna bakrin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna ʾaḥmada al-nāqida yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna al-ṣalti yaqūlu: samiʿtu bishra bna al-ḥārithi yaqūlu: laysa mina al-murūʾati ʾan tuḥibba mā yubghiḍuhu ḥabībuka. waʾanshadtu fī hādhā al-maʿnā (shiʿra) :

Part of futuwwa is not to oppose someone you love in what they love or dislike. I heard ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Bakr say: I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad al-Nāqid say: I heard Aḥmad ibn al-Ṣalt say: I heard Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith say, ‘It is unworthy of honorable conduct to love what your beloved hates.’ A verse on this theme was recited to me:

أَشْبَهْت أَعْدَائِي فَصِرْت أَحِبُّهُمْ ... إِذَا كَانَ حَظِي مِنْك حَظًى مِنْهُمْ

ʾashbaht ʾaʿdāʾī faṣirt ʾaḥibbuhum ... ʾidhā kāna ḥaẓī mink ḥaẓan minhum

You came to resemble my enemies, and so I came to love them: my lot with you was the same as my lot with them.

وَأَهَنْتنِي فَأَهَنْت نَفْسِي صَاغِرَةً ... مَا مَنْ يَهُونُ عَلَيْك مِمّنْ أَكْرَمُ

waʾahantnī faʾahant nafsī ṣāghiratan ... mā man yahūnu ʿalayk mimmn ʾakramu

You humbled me, and I bowed my own head in submission; no one you disdain is someone I would honor.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الأَدَبِ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَالسُّؤَالِ وَالْمُنَاجَاةِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ عُثْمَانَ الْعَبَّاسِيَّ يَقُولُ: حَجَجْتُ ثَمَانِينَ حَجَّةً عَلَى قَدَمِي فِي الْفَقْرِ، فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَطُوفُ، إِذْ جَرَى عَلَى لِسَانِي فِي الطَّوَافِ أَنْ قُلْتُ: حَبِيبِي.

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-ʾadabi fī al-duʿāʾi wa-l-suʾāli wa-l-munājāti. samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu saʿīda bna ʿuthmāna al-ʿabbāsiyya yaqūlu: ḥajajtu thamānīna ḥajjatan ʿalā qadamī fī al-faqri, fabaynā ʾanā ʾaṭūfu, ʾidh jarā ʿalā lisānī fī al-ṭawāfi ʾan qultu: ḥabībī.

Part of futuwwa is to show due reverence in prayer, requests, and intimate address to God. I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh say: I heard Saʿīd ibn ʿUthmān al-ʿAbbāsī say, ‘I performed eighty pilgrimages on foot while poor. Once, as I walked around the Kaaba, the words “My beloved” escaped my lips.’

فَإِذَا هَاتِفَ يُهْتَفُ يَقُولُ: لَيْسَ تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِسْكِينًا حَتَّى تُدْعَى الْمَحَبَّةُ، فَغُشِيَ عَلَيٌّ. فَأَفَقْتُ وَأَنْ أَقُولَ: مِسْكِينُكَ. مِسْكِينُكَ. مِسْكِينُكَ.

faʾidhā hātifa yuhtafu yaqūlu: laysa tarḍā ʾan takūna miskīnan ḥattā tudʿā al-maḥabbatu, faghushiya ʿalayyun. faʾafaqtu waʾan ʾaqūla: miskīnuka. miskīnuka. miskīnuka.

Then a voice called out: ‘Are you not content to be a poor man? Must you also lay claim to love?’ I fainted. When I came to, I kept saying, ‘Your poor servant. Your poor servant. Your poor servant.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْقِيَامُ بِمَنَافِعِ الْخَلْقِ مَعَ حِفْظِ آدَابِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ ابْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يُوسُفَ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ذَا النُّونِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنهم يَقُولُ: شِعَارُ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ خِصَالٌ ثَلَاثٍ: تَفْرِيجُ كُرَبِ الْحَيَوَانَينَ، وَنَشْرُ آلَاءِ اللَّهِ فِي مَجَالِسِ الذَّاكِرِينَ، وَالدَّلَالَةُ عَلَى اللهِ بِلِسَانِ الْعَارِفِينَ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-qiyāmu bimanāfiʿi al-khalqi maʿa ḥifẓi ʾādābi al-ʿubūdiyyati. samiʿtu muḥammada ibna ʿabdi Allāhi al-ʿazīzi yaqūlu: samiʿtu yūsufa bna al-ḥusayni yaqūlu: samiʿtu dhā al-nūni raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhm yaqūlu: shiʿāru ʾahli al-maʿrifati khiṣālun thalāthin: tafrīju kurabi al-ḥayawānayna, wanashru ʾālāʾi Allāhi fī majālisi al-dhākirīna, wa-l-dalālatu ʿalā Allāhi bilisāni al-ʿārifīna.

Part of futuwwa is to serve the needs of living beings while observing the manners of servanthood. I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz say: I heard Yūsuf ibn al-Ḥusayn say: I heard Dhū al-Nūn—may God be pleased with them—say, ‘The people of spiritual knowledge have three distinguishing qualities: they ease the distress of living beings, speak of God’s gifts in gatherings of remembrance, and direct others to God in the language of those who know Him.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُحَاسَبَةُ النَّفْسِ وَالْعِلْمِ بِهَا، وَالأَسَفِ عَلَى مَا فَاتَهُ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ عَلَى الْمُخَالَفَةِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ الْكَتَّانِيُّ: حُكِيَ لِي عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الرِّقَّةِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مُحَاسِبًا لِنَفْسِهِ، فَنَظَرَ يَوْمًا، فَإِذَا هُوَ ابْنُ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً، فَحَسِبَ أَيَّامَهَا، فَإِذَا فِي أَحَدٍ وَعِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ يَوْمٍ وَخَمْسُمِائَةِ يَوْمٍ. قَالَ: فَصَرَخَ صَرْخَةً [وَ] خَرٍّ مَغْشِيًّا عَلَيْهِ،

wamina al-futuwwati muḥāsabatu al-nafsi wa-l-ʿilmi bihā, wa-l-ʾasafi ʿalā mā fātahu min ʿumurihi ʿalā al-mukhālafati. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥasani al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna ʿaliyyin yaqūlu: qāla al-kattāniyyu: ḥukiya lī ʿan rajulin min ʾahli al-riqqati ʾannahu kāna muḥāsiban linafsihi, fanaẓara yawman, faʾidhā huwa ibnu sittīna sanatan, faḥasiba ʾayyāmahā, faʾidhā fī ʾaḥadin waʿishrīna ʾalfa yawmin wakhamsumiāʾati yawmin. qāla: faṣarakha ṣarkhatan [wa] kharrin maghshiyyan ʿalayhi,

Part of futuwwa is to examine and know oneself, and to grieve over the years lost in disobedience. I heard Abū al-Ḥasan al-Fārisī say: I heard Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī say: al-Kattānī said, ‘I was told of a man of al-Raqqah who regularly called himself to account. One day he found that he was sixty years old. He counted his days and arrived at twenty-one thousand five hundred. He cried out [and] fell unconscious,

وَقَالَ: يَا وَيْلَتَاهُ.. ..أَلْقَى رَبِّي بِأَحَدٍ وَعِشْرِينَ أَلْفٍ وَخَمْسَمِائَةِ ذَنْبٍ؟ عَلَى أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي الْيَوْمِ ذَنْبٌ وَاحِدٌ، فَكَيْفَ وَلِيَ فِي كُلِّ [يَوْمَ] عَشَرَةُ آلافِ ذَنْبٍ؟!. قَالَ: فَغُشِيَ عَلَيْهِ ثَانِيًا، فَحَرَّكُوهُ، فَإِذَا هُوَ مَيِّتٌ.

waqāla: yā waylatāhu.. ..ʾalqā rabbī biʾaḥadin waʿishrīna ʾalfin wakhamsamiāʾati dhanbin? ʿalā ʾan yakūna fī al-yawmi dhanbun wāḥidun, fakayfa waliya fī kulli [yawma] ʿasharatu ʾālāfi dhanbin?!. qāla: faghushiya ʿalayhi thāniyan, faḥarrakūhu, faʾidhā huwa mayyitun.

saying, Woe is me! Will I meet my Lord with twenty-one thousand five hundred sins, even if I committed only one each day? What if I committed ten thousand sins in every [day]? He fainted a second time. They tried to rouse him, but he was dead.’

يَتْلُوهُ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ:

yatlūhu ʾin shāʾa Allāhu:

To be continued, God willing:

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الْوَرَعِ ظَاهِرًا أَوْ بَاطِنًا

wamin al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-waraʿi ẓāhiran ʾaw bāṭinan

Part of futuwwa is to preserve scrupulousness both outwardly and inwardly.

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ.

wa-l-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi al-ʿālamīna waṣallā Allāhu ʿalā sayyidinā muḥammadin waʾālihi ʾajmaʿīna.

Praise be to God, Lord of all worlds. May God bless our master Muḥammad and all his family.

[الجُزءُ الثَّانِي مِن الْكِتَابِ الْفُتُوَّةَ]

[al-juzʾu al-thānī min al-kitābi al-futuwwata]

[Part Two of the Book of Futuwwa]

مِمَّا جَمَعَهُ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ السُّلَمِيُّ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ

mimmā jamaʿahu al-shaykhu ʾabū ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni muḥammadu bnu al-ḥusayni al-sulamiyyu raḥmatu Allāhi ʿalayhi

Compiled by Shaykh Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Sulamī, may God have mercy on him.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

bismi Allāhi al-Raḥmāni al-raḥīmi

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الْوَرَعِ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَلَوَيْهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مُعَاذٍ الرَّازِيَّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عنهُم يَقُولُ: الْوَرَعُ وَرِعَانُ وَرَعٌ فِي الظَّاهِرِ، وَوَرَعٌ فِي الْبَاطِنِ. أَمَّا فِي الظَّاهِرِ فَلَا يَتَحَرَّكُ إِلَاّ لِلَّهِ، وَأَمَّا فِي الْبَاطِنِ فَلَا تُدْخُلُ قَلْبَكَ شَيْئًا سِوَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى.

wamin al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-waraʿi ẓāhiran wabāṭinan. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna ʿalawayhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu yaḥyā bna muʿādhin al-rāziyya raḍiya Allāhu ʿnhum yaqūlu: al-waraʿu wariʿānu waraʿun fī al-ẓāhiri, wawaraʿun fī al-bāṭini. ʾammā fī al-ẓāhiri falā yataḥarraku ʾilā li-llāhi, waʾammā fī al-bāṭini falā tudkhulu qalbaka shayʾan siwā Allāhi taʿālā.

Part of futuwwa is to maintain scrupulousness outwardly and inwardly. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Ibn ʿAlawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh al-Rāzī—may God be pleased with them—say, ‘Scrupulousness has two forms, outward and inward. Outwardly, move only for God; inwardly, let nothing but God enter your heart.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ الاِحْتِرَازُ مِنْ الشَّيْطَانِ بِالْجُوعِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عِصَامٍ يَقُولُ: مَنْ جَاعَ لَا يَقْرَبُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِذَا كَانَ جُوعُهُ بِعِلْمٍ.

wamin al-futuwwati al-iḥtirāzu min al-shayṭāni bi-l-jūʿi. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna ʿiṣāmin yaqūlu: man jāʿa lā yaqrabuhu al-shayṭānu ʾidhā kāna jūʿuhu biʿilmin.

Part of futuwwa is to guard against Satan by going hungry. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Ibn ʿIṣām say, ‘Satan does not come near a person who goes hungry, provided that the fasting is guided by knowledge.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَأْثِيرُ الذِّكْرِ عَلَى ظَاهِرِ الْعَبْدِ وَبَاطِنِهِ. أَمَّا فِي ظَاهِرِهِ فِي الذَّبُولِ وَالْخُشُوعِ، وَفِي بَاطِنِهِ بِالرِّضَا. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ النَّسَوِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ نُصَيْرٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ يَقُولُ: إنَّ لِلَّهِ عِبَادًا إِذَا ذَكَرُوا عَظَمَةَ اللَّهِ، تَقَطَّعَتْ أَوْصَالُهُمْ فَرَقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَهَيْبَةٌ لَهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati taʾthīru al-dhikri ʿalā ẓāhiri al-ʿabdi wabāṭinihi. ʾammā fī ẓāhirihi fī al-dhabūli wa-l-khushūʿi, wafī bāṭinihi bi-l-riḍā. samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʾaḥmada bni ʾibrāhīma al-nasawiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadi bni nuṣayrin yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda yaqūlu: ʾinna li-llāhi ʿibādan ʾidhā dhakarūā ʿaẓamata Allāhi, taqaṭṭaʿat ʾawṣāluhum faraqan mina Allāhi, wahaybatun lahu.

Part of futuwwa is for remembrance of God to affect a servant outwardly and inwardly: outwardly in a subdued bearing and reverence, inwardly in contentment. I heard Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Nasawī say: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn Nuṣayr say: I heard al-Junayd say, ‘God has servants whose limbs nearly come apart with awe and fear whenever they recall His greatness,

وَإِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْفُصَحَاءُ الطُّلَقَاءُ الأَلْبَّاءُ الْعَالِمُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَأَيَّامِهِ.

waʾinnahum lahumu al-fuṣaḥāʾu al-ṭulaqāʾu al-ʾalbbāʾu al-ʿālimūna bi-llāhi waʾayyāmihi.

yet they are eloquent, fluent people of understanding, who know God and His days.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الثِّقَةِ بِمَا ضَمَّنَ اللَّهُ لَكَ، وَالاشْتِغَالَ بِمَا أَمَرَكَ بِهِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ فَاتِكٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ يَقُولُ: لَا تَهْتَمُّ لِرِزْقِكَ الَّذِي قَدْ كَفَيْتَهُ، وَاعْمَلْ عَمَلَكَ الَّذِي قَلَّدْتَهُ، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَمَلِ الْكِرَامِ وَالْفِتْيَانِ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-thiqati bimā ḍammana Allāhu laka, wa-l-ashtighāla bimā ʾamaraka bihi. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾibrāhīma bna fātikin yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum yaqūlu: lā tahtammu lirizqika alladhī qad kafaytahu, wāʿmal ʿamalaka alladhī qalladtahu, faʾinna dhālika min ʿamali al-kirāmi wa-l-fityāni.

Part of futuwwa is to trust in what God has guaranteed you and to devote yourself to what He has commanded. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Ibrāhīm ibn Fātik say: I heard al-Junayd, may God be pleased with him, say, ‘Do not worry about the provision already secured for you; do the work entrusted to you. That is how the noble and the people of futuwwa behave.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَشْغَلَكَ عَنِ اللَّهِ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ شَاغِلٌ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ حَمْدَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: قَالَتْ رَابِعَةٌ: إِلَهِي هُمِّي مِنَ الدُّنْيَا فِي الدُّنْيَا ذِكْرُكَ، وَفِي الآخِرَةِ رُؤْيَتُكَ، ثُمَّ تَفْعَلُ بِي مَا شِئْتَ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yashghalaka ʿani Allāhi fī al-dārayni shāghilun. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿaliyya bna al-ḥusayni bni ḥamdāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabī yaqūlu: qālat rābiʿatun: ʾilahī hummī mina al-dunyā fī al-dunyā dhikruka, wafī al-ʾākhirati ruʾyatuka, thumma tafʿalu bī mā shiʾta.

Part of futuwwa is to let nothing distract you from God in either world. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn Ḥamdān say: I heard my father say: Rābiʿah said, ‘My God, in this world my one concern is to remember You; in the next, it is to see You. After that, do with me as You wish.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ طَلَبُ صَلَاحِ الْقَلْبِ بِحِفْظِ الْجَوَارِحِ، وَاشْتِغَالِهَا بِمَا يَعْنِيهَا. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عِصَامٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ سَهْلَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ التُّسْتُرِيَّ رَحمَهُمُ اللهُ يَقُولُ: مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ حَفِظَ جَوَارِحَهُ إِلَاّ حَفِظَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ قَلْبَهُ، وَمَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ حَفِظَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ قَلْبَهُ إِلَاّ جَعَلَهُ أَمِينًا، وَمَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ أَمِينًا إِلَاّ جَعَلَهُ إمَامًا يُقْتَدَى بِهِ،

wamina al-futuwwati ṭalabu ṣalāḥi al-qalbi biḥifẓi al-jawāriḥi, wāshtighālihā bimā yaʿnīhā. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna ʿiṣāmin yaqūlu: samiʿtu sahla bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-tusturiyya raḥmahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: mā min ʿabdin ḥafiẓa jawāriḥahu ʾilā ḥafiẓa Allāhu ʿalayhi qalbahu, wamā min ʿabdin ḥafiẓa Allāhu ʿalayhi qalbahu ʾilā jaʿalahu ʾamīnan, wamā min ʿabdin jaʿalahu Allāhu ʾamīnan ʾilā jaʿalahu ʾimāman yuqtadā bihi,

Part of futuwwa is to put the heart right by guarding one’s limbs and using them for what matters. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Ibn ʿIṣām say: I heard Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Tustarī—may God have mercy on them—say, ‘When a servant guards his limbs, God guards his heart; when God guards his heart, He makes him trustworthy; and when He makes him trustworthy, He makes him a leader whom others follow,

وَمَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِمَامًا يُقْتَدِى بِهِ إِلَاّ جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ حُجَّةً عَلَى خَلْقِهِ.

wamā min ʿabdin jaʿalahu Allāhu ʾimāman yuqtadiā bihi ʾilā jaʿalahu Allāhu ḥujjatan ʿalā khalqihi.

God makes every servant He appoints as an example to be followed a witness before His creatures.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْعَفْوُ عِنْدَ الْقُدْرَةِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْغَضَائِرِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ السَّرِيَّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ يَقُولُ: مَنْ عَفَا وَهُوَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الانْتِصَارِ، عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهُ بِقُدْرَتِهِ عَلَيْهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-ʿafwu ʿinda al-qudrati. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna al-ḥasani yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿaliyya bna ʿabdi al-ḥamīdi al-ghaḍāʾiriyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-sariyya raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum yaqūlu: man ʿafā wahuwa yaqdiru ʿalā al-antiṣāri, ʿafā Allāhu ʿanhu biqudratihi ʿalayhi.

Part of futuwwa is to forgive when one has the power to retaliate. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan say: I heard ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd al-Ghaḍāʾirī say: I heard al-Sarī, may God be pleased with him, say, ‘Whoever forgives when able to exact revenge, God forgives through His power over that person.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الِاشْتِغَالُ بِعَيْبِهِ عَنْ عُيُوبِ النَّاسِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ طَاهِرٍ الْوَزِيرِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُثْمَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ذَا النُّونِ رَحِمَهُمُ اللهُ يَقُولُ: مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَى عُيُوبِ النَّاسِ عَمِيَ عَنْ عُيُوبِ نَفْسِهِ، وَمَنْ نَظَرَ فِي عُيُوبِهِ عَمْيَ عَنْ عُيُوبِ النَّاسِ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-ashtighālu biʿaybihi ʿan ʿuyūbi al-nāsi. samiʿtu muḥammada bna ṭāhirin al-wazīriyya yaqūlu: samiʿa al-ḥasanu bnu muḥammadi bni ʾisḥāqa yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna ʿuthmāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu dhā al-nūni raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: man naẓara ʾilā ʿuyūbi al-nāsi ʿamiya ʿan ʿuyūbi nafsihi, waman naẓara fī ʿuyūbihi ʿamya ʿan ʿuyūbi al-nāsi.

Part of futuwwa is to attend to one’s own faults instead of finding fault with others. I heard Muḥammad ibn Ṭāhir al-Wazīrī say: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq say: I heard Ibn ʿUthmān say: I heard Dhū al-Nūn, may God have mercy on them, say, ‘Whoever looks at others’ faults becomes blind to his own. Whoever examines his own faults becomes blind to those of others.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ إِحْيَاءُ السِّرِّ بِالذِّكْرِ، وَإِحْيَاءُ الْعَلانِيَةِ بِالطَّاعَةِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ اسْفَنْدِيَارٍ [اَنْ] يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلَوَيْهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى ابْنَ مُعَاذٍ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السِّرَّ، وَجَعَلَ حَيَاتَهُ بِذِكْرِهِ. وَخَلَقَ الْعَلانِيَةَ، وَجَعَلَ حَيَاتَهَا بِطَاعَتِهِ. وَخَلَقَ الدُّنْيَا وَجَعَلَ السَّلَامَةَ مِنْهَا تَرَكَ مَا فِيهَا. وَخَلَقَ الآخِرَةَ وَجَعَلَ التَّمَتُّعَ بِهَا فِي الْعَمَلِ لَهَا.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾiḥyāʾu al-sirri bi-l-dhikri, waʾiḥyāʾu al-ʿalāniyati bi-l-ṭāʿati. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna muḥammadi bni asfandiyārin [an] yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥasana bna ʿalawayhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu yaḥyā ibna muʿādhin raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: khalaqa Allāhu al-sirra, wajaʿala ḥayātahu bidhikrihi. wakhalaqa al-ʿalāniyata, wajaʿala ḥayātahā biṭāʿatihi. wakhalaqa al-dunyā wajaʿala al-salāmata minhā taraka mā fīhā. wakhalaqa al-ʾākhirata wajaʿala al-tamattuʿa bihā fī al-ʿamali lahā.

Part of futuwwa is to bring the inner life to life through remembrance and the outward life through obedience. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Isfandiyār say: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh—may God have mercy on them—say, ‘God created our inner life and made remembrance of Him its life. He created our outward life and made obedience to Him its life. He created this world and made safety from it lie in relinquishing what it contains. He created the next world and made enjoyment of it depend on working for it.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُوَافَقَةُ الْمُحِبِّ حَبِيبَهُ فِي جَمِيعِ أَوَامِرِهِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَزْوِينِيَّ الصُّوفِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْمَالِكِيَّ يَقُولُ: أَتَى النُّورِيُّ إِلَى أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ الْجُنَيْدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، فَقَالَ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَتَكَلَّمُ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، فَتَكَلَّمَ فِيمَا شِئْتَ حَتَّى أَزِيدَ عَلَيْكَ. فَقَالَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ فِي مَاذَا أُكَلِّمُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: فِي الْمَحَبَّةِ. فَقَالَ: أَحْكِي لَكَ حِكَايَةً،

wamina al-futuwwati muwāfaqatu al-muḥibbi ḥabībahu fī jamīʿi ʾawāmirihi. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni ʿaliyya bna muḥammadin al-qazwīniyya al-ṣūfiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-mālikiyya yaqūlu: ʾatā al-nūriyyu ʾilā ʾabī al-qāsimi al-junaydi bni muḥammadin, faqāla: balaghanī ʾannaka tatakallamu fī kulli shayʾin, fatakallama fīmā shiʾta ḥattā ʾazīda ʿalayka. faqāla ʾabū al-qāsimi fī mādhā ʾukallimuka? faqāla: fī al-maḥabbati. faqāla: ʾaḥkī laka ḥikāyatan,

Part of futuwwa is for a lover to comply with all the wishes of the beloved. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Qazwīnī, the Sufi, say: I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Mālikī say: al-Nūrī went to Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd ibn Muḥammad and said, ‘I hear you can speak on any subject. Choose one, and I will add to what you say.’ Abū al-Qāsim asked, ‘What shall I speak about?’ He said, ‘Love.’ Al-Junayd replied, ‘Then I will tell you a story,

كُنْتُ أَنَا وَجَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِي فِي بُسْتَانٍ. فَأَبْطَأَ عَلَيْنَا مَنْ يَجِيئُنَا بِمَا نَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ، فَصَعِدْنَا نَطَّلِعُ عَلَى سَطْحِ الْبُسْتَانِ؛ فَإِذَا بِضَرِيرٍ وَمَعَهُ غُلامٌ حَسَنُ الْوَجْهِ، وَالضَّرِيرُ يَقُولُ: يَا هَذَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِكَذَا، فَامْتَثَلْتُ.

kuntu ʾanā wajamāʿatun min ʾaṣḥābī fī bustānin. faʾabṭaʾa ʿalaynā man yajīʾunā bimā naḥtāju ʾilayhi, faṣaʿidnā naṭṭaliʿu ʿalā saṭḥi al-bustāni; faʾidhā biḍarīrin wamaʿahu ghulāmun ḥasanu al-wajhi, wa-l-ḍarīru yaqūlu: yā hādhā ʾamartanī bikadhā, fāmtathaltu.

I was in a garden with some companions. The person who was to bring us what we needed was late, so we climbed up to look over the garden. There we saw a blind man and a handsome young servant. The blind man was saying, You told me to do such-and-such, and I complied.

وَنَهَيْتَنِي عَنْ كَذَا فَتَرَكْتُ. وَمَا أُخَالِفُكَ فِي شَيْءٍ تُرِيدُهُ، فَمَاذَا تُرِيدُ مِنِّي؟ قَالَ: تَمُوتُ. فَقَالَ الضَّرِيرُ: هَا أَنَا ذَا أَمُوتُ. وَتَمَدَّدَ وَغَطَّى وَجْهَهُ. فَقُلْتُ لأَصْحَابِي: مَا بَقِيَ عَلَى هَذَا الضَّرِيرِ شَيْءٌ، وَلَكِنْ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الْمَوْتُ فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ قَدْ تَشَبَّهَ بِالْمَوْتَى. فَنَزَلْنَا وَخَرَجْنَا إِلَيْهِ، فَحَرَّكْنَاهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ مَيِّتٌ. فَقَامَ النُّورِيُّ وَانْصَرَفَ.

wanahaytanī ʿan kadhā fataraktu. wamā ʾukhālifuka fī shayʾin turīduhu, famādhā turīdu minnī? qāla: tamūtu. faqāla al-ḍarīru: hā ʾanā dhā ʾamūtu. watamaddada waghaṭṭā wajhahu. faqultu lʾaṣḥābī: mā baqiya ʿalā hādhā al-ḍarīri shayʾun, walakin lā yumkinuhu al-mawtu fī al-ḥaqīqati, walakinnahu qad tashabbaha bi-l-mawtā. fanazalnā wakharajnā ʾilayhi, faḥarraknāhu faʾidhā huwa mayyitun. faqāma al-nūriyyu wānṣarafa.

You forbade me to do such-and-such, so I stopped. I have not opposed you in anything you wanted. What else do you ask of me? The young man said, Die. The blind man replied, Then I die now. He stretched out and covered his face. I said to my companions, Nothing remains for this blind man to do, but he cannot actually die; he is only imitating the dead. We came down, went over, and shook him. He had died.’ At that al-Nūrī stood up and left.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الرُّجُوعُ مِنَ الإِخْوَانِ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْمُعَاتَبَةِ إِلَى أُنَسٍ الْغُفْرَانِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْقَزْوِينِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ الْخُلَدِيَّ [يَقُولُ:] سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ مَسْرُوقٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ السَّمَّاكِ أَنَّهُ جَرَى بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ صِدِّيقٍ لَهُ كَلامٌ، فَقَالَ لَهُ صِدِّيقُهُ: الْمِيعَادُ غَدًا نَتَعَاتَبُ فَقَالَ: بَلِ الْمِيعَادُ غَدًا نَتَغَافَرُ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-rujūʿu mina al-ʾikhwāni ʿalā ṭarīqi al-muʿātabati ʾilā ʾunasin al-ghufrāni. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-qazwīniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara al-khuladiyya [yaqūlu:] samiʿtu ibna masrūqin yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna bashīrin yaqūlu: ḥaddathanī ibnu al-sammāki ʾannahu jarā baynahu wabayna ṣiddīqin lahu kalāmun, faqāla lahu ṣiddīquhu: al-mīʿādu ghadan nataʿātabu faqāla: bali al-mīʿādu ghadan nataghāfaru.

Part of futuwwa is to turn from reproaching one’s brothers toward the warmth of forgiveness. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Qazwīnī say: I heard Jaʿfar al-Khuldī [say]: I heard Ibn Masrūq say: I heard Muḥammad ibn Bashīr say: Ibn al-Sammāk told me that he once exchanged words with a friend. The friend said, ‘Tomorrow we will meet and settle our grievances.’ Ibn al-Sammāk replied, ‘Let us meet tomorrow and forgive each other instead.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حُسْنُ الظَّنِّ بِالْخَلْقِ، وَحِفْظُ حُرُمَاتِهِمْ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدَ ابْنَ الْحَسَنِ الْبَغْدَادِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْفَرْغَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ، وَقَدْ كَلَّمَهُ أَصْحَابٌ فِي الَّذِينَ يَقِفُونَ عَلَى الْحَلْقَةِ، فَيَسْأَلُونَهُ، أَنَّهُمْ لَيْسُوا بِمَوْضِعٍ لِلإِجَابَةِ، وَأَنَّهُمْ يَتَعَنَّتُونَ، وَأَحَبُّ أَصْحَابِي أَنْ لَا أُجِيبَ مِثْلَ هَؤُلاءِ. فَقَالَ: رُؤْيَتِي فِيهِمْ غَيْرُ رُؤْيَتِكُمْ،

wamina al-futuwwati ḥusnu al-ẓanni bi-l-khalqi, waḥifẓu ḥurumātihim. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ʿabbāsi muḥammada ibna al-ḥasani al-baghdādiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-farghāniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu, waqad kallamahu ʾaṣḥābun fī alladhīna yaqifūna ʿalā al-ḥalqati, fayasʾalūnahu, ʾannahum laysūā bimawḍiʿin lilʾijābati, waʾannahum yataʿannatūna, waʾaḥabbu ʾaṣḥābī ʾan lā ʾujība mithla haʾulāʾi. faqāla: ruʾyatī fīhim ghayru ruʾyatikum,

Part of futuwwa is to think well of people and respect their dignity. I heard Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Baghdādī say: I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Farghānī say: I heard al-Junayd—may God have mercy on them—say: My companions spoke to me about people who stand at the edge of our circle and question me. They said these people were contentious and did not deserve an answer, and wanted me to stop answering them. I replied, ‘I see them differently from you:

إِنَّمَا أُؤْمَلُ أَنْ يَتَعَلَّقُوا بِكَلِمَةٍ، فَتَكُونُ سَبَبًا لِنَجَاتِهِمْ.

ʾinnamā ʾuʾmalu ʾan yataʿallaqūā bikalimatin, fatakūnu sababan linajātihim.

I hope that one of them may hold on to a single word and find in it the means of salvation.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ بَذْلُ النَّصِيحَةِ لِلإِخْوَانِ وَالْعِلْمِ بِنُقْصَانِ نَفْسِهِ فِي تَرْكِ مَا يَنْصَحُهُمْ بِهِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ الْخَشَّابَ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَدْرٌ الْمَغَازِلِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِبِشْرٍ الْحَافِي: أَيْشٌ تَقُولُ فِي الْمَقَامِ بِبَغْدَادَ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ سِرَّكَ أَنْ تَمُوتَ مُسْلِمًا فَلا تَقُمْ بِهَا، فَقُلْتُ: فَأَنْتَ بِهَا مُقِيمٌ. فَقَالَ: إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا ضَيَّعَ أَمْرَ اللَّهِ،

wamina al-futuwwati badhlu al-naṣīḥati lilʾikhwāni wa-l-ʿilmi binuqṣāni nafsihi fī tarki mā yanṣaḥuhum bihi. samiʿtu muḥammada bna al-ḥasani al-khashshāba yaqūlu: ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni ṣāliḥin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdūnin, ḥaddathanā badrun al-maghāziliyyu, qāla: qultu libishrin al-ḥāfī: ʾayshun taqūlu fī al-maqāmi bibaghdāda? faqāla: ʾinna sirraka ʾan tamūta musliman falā taqum bihā, faqultu: faʾanta bihā muqīmun. faqāla: ʾinna al-ʿabda ʾidhā ḍayyaʿa ʾamra Allāhi,

Part of futuwwa is to offer sincere advice to one’s brothers while recognizing one’s own failings when one does not follow the advice oneself. I heard Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Khashshāb say: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdūn narrated to us; Badr al-Maghāzilī narrated to us. He said: I asked Bishr al-Ḥāfī, ‘What do you think of living in Baghdad?’ He answered, ‘If you want to die a Muslim, do not settle there.’ I said, ‘Yet you live there.’ He replied, ‘When a servant neglects God’s command,

لَقِيَهُ شَرٌّ مُلْقًى، وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنِّي ضَيَّعْتُ أَمْرَ اللَّهِ فَأَلْقَى شَرَّ مُلْقًى.

laqiyahu sharrun mulqan, waʾinnī ʾakhāfu ʾannī ḍayyaʿtu ʾamra Allāhi faʾalqā sharra mulqan.

he meets an evil end. I fear that I have neglected God’s command and will meet such an end.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ قَبُولُ مَا يَسْمَعُهُ مِنْ كَلَامِ الْحُكَمَاءِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْهَمْ، لِتُوَصُّلِهِ بَرَكَاتُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى مَحَلِّ الْفَهْمِ مِنْهُ وَفِيهِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ بْنَ الْخَشَّابِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْفَرْغَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ رَحِمَهُمُ اللهُ يَقُولُ: كُنْتُ أَجْلِسُ إِلَى شُيُوخِ بِضْعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً، وَهُمْ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ فِي هَذَا الْعِلْمِ. وَمَا كُنْتُ أَفْهَمُ مَا يَقُولُونَ، وَلَا كُنْتُ أُنْكِرُ عَلَيْهِمْ.

wamina al-futuwwati qabūlu mā yasmaʿuhu min kalāmi al-ḥukamāʾi, waʾin lam yafham, lituwaṣṣulihi barakātu dhālika ʾilā maḥalli al-fahmi minhu wafīhi. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ʿabbāsi bna al-khashshābi yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-farghāniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: kuntu ʾajlisu ʾilā shuyūkhi biḍʿa ʿashrata sanatan, wahum yatakallamūna fī hādhā al-ʿilmi. wamā kuntu ʾafhamu mā yaqūlūna, walā kuntu ʾunkiru ʿalayhim.

Part of futuwwa is to receive the words of the wise even without understanding them, so that their blessing may eventually bring one to understanding. I heard Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn al-Khashshāb say: I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Farghānī say: I heard al-Junayd—may God have mercy on them—say, ‘For more than ten years I sat with teachers who spoke about this knowledge. I did not understand what they said, but I did not reject it either.

وَكَانَتْ فَائِدَتِي مِنْهُمْ مِنْ جُمُعَةٍ إِلَى جُمُعَةٍ أَنَّ أَجِي فَأَسْمَعُ مَا يَقُولُونَ، وَعِنْدِي أَنَّهُ حَقٌّ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَا أَفْهَمَ، وَلَمْ أَبْدْ بِالإِنْكَارِ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَمَا مَضَتْ تِلْكَ الْمُدَّةُ حَتَّى إِذَا أَجَرُوْا مَسْأَلَةً جَاءُونِي إِلَى الْبَيْتِ، فَسَأَلُونِي، وَقَالُوا: جَرَتْ مَسْأَلَةُ كَيْتِ كَيْتَ، فَأَحْبَبْنَا أَنْ تَسْمَعَهُ، أَوْ نَحْوَهُ مِنَ الْكَلامِ.

wakānat fāʾidatī minhum min jumuʿatin ʾilā jumuʿatin ʾanna ʾajī faʾasmaʿu mā yaqūlūna, waʿindī ʾannahu ḥaqqun, waʾin lam yakun mā ʾafhama, walam ʾabd bi-l-ʾinkāri ʿalayhim, famā maḍat tilka al-muddatu ḥattā ʾidhā ʾajarūā masʾalatan jāʾūnī ʾilā al-bayti, fasaʾalūnī, waqālūā: jarat masʾalatu kayti kayta, faʾaḥbabnā ʾan tasmaʿahu, ʾaw naḥwahu mina al-kalāmi.

Week after week, I gained by going to hear them, trusting that what they said was true even when I could not understand it, and never objecting. In time, whenever they discussed a question, they came to my house and said, We have been discussing such-and-such and wanted you to hear it—or words to that effect.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ قَبُولُ الرِّفْقِ مِنْ وَجْهِهِ، وَالإِيثَارُ بِهَا فِي الْوَقْتِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الْفَرْغَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الأَصْبَهَانِيُّ صَاحِبُ أَبِي تُرَابٍ يَقُولُ: قَدِمَ أَبُو تُرَابٍ هَاهُنَا –يَعْنِي الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ- فِي الْمَوْسِمِ، فَجَاءَ إِنْسَانٌ خُرَاسَانِيٌّ وَمَعَهُ عَشَرَةُ آلافِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا تُرَابٍ، تَأْخُذُ هَذَا. فَكَشَفَ الْحَصَى ثُمَّ قَالَ: صَبَّهَا هَاهُنَا.

wamina al-futuwwati qabūlu al-rifqi min wajhihi, wa-l-ʾīthāru bihā fī al-waqti. samiʿtu muḥammada bna al-ḥasani bni khālidin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā jaʿfarin al-farghāniyya yaqūlu: ḥaddathanī ʾabū jaʿfarin al-ʾaṣbahāniyyu ṣāḥibu ʾabī turābin yaqūlu: qadima ʾabū turābin hāhunā –yaʿnī al-bayta al-ḥarāma- fī al-mawsimi, fajāʾa ʾinsānun khurāsāniyyun wamaʿahu ʿasharatu ʾālāfi dirhamin, waqāla: yā ʾabā turābin, taʾkhudhu hādhā. fakashafa al-ḥaṣā thumma qāla: ṣabbahā hāhunā.

Part of futuwwa is to accept a gift properly offered and immediately put it to others’ use. I heard Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Khālid say: I heard Abū Jaʿfar al-Farghānī say: Abū Jaʿfar al-Iṣbahānī, a companion of Abū Turāb, told me: Abū Turāb came here—to the Sacred House—during the pilgrimage season. A man from Khurāsān arrived with ten thousand dirhams and asked, ‘Abū Turāb, will you take this?’ Abū Turāb cleared a place among the pebbles and said, ‘Pour it here.’

فَصَبَّهَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى التُّرَابِ، فَأَخَذَ مِنْهَا دِرْهَمَيْنِ، وَقَالَ لِصَاحِبٍ لَهُ: اشْتَرِ بِهَا خِرْقَةً، فَجَعَلَ يَخْرِقُهَا وَيَصِرُّ فِيهَا الْقَبْضَةَ وَالْقَبْضَتَيْنِ، وَيَبْعَثُ إِلَى سَائِرِ الْفُقَرَاءِ، وَلَا يُكَلِّفُهُمْ يَجِيئُونَ إِلَيْهِ، حَتَّى إِذَا كَادَ أَنْ يَفْنَى قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: أَصْحَابُكَ مَا أَكَلُوا شَيْئًا مُنْذُ أَيَّامٍ، فَقَبَضَ قَبْضَةً، وَقَالَ: اشْتَرِ لَهُمْ شَيْئًا. وَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا أَبَا تُرَابٍ، أَهْلَكَ. قَالَ:

faṣabbahā bayna yadayhi ʿalā al-turābi, faʾakhadha minhā dirhamayni, waqāla liṣāḥibin lahu: ashtari bihā khirqatan, fajaʿala yakhriquhā wayaṣirru fīhā al-qabḍata wa-l-qabḍatayni, wayabʿathu ʾilā sāʾiri al-fuqarāʾi, walā yukallifuhum yajīʾūna ʾilayhi, ḥattā ʾidhā kāda ʾan yafnā qāla lahu rajulun: ʾaṣḥābuka mā ʾakalūā shayʾan mundhu ʾayyāmin, faqabaḍa qabḍatan, waqāla: ashtari lahum shayʾan. wajāʾati amraʾatun, faqālat: yā ʾabā turābin, ʾahlaka. qāla:

The man poured the coins onto the ground before him. Abū Turāb took two dirhams and told a companion, ‘Buy a cloth with these.’ He tore the cloth into pieces, wrapped one or two handfuls of coins in each, and sent them to the poor, sparing them the trouble of coming to him. When the money was almost gone, someone said, ‘Your companions have not eaten for days.’ He took a handful and said, ‘Buy them something.’ A woman came and said, ‘Abū Turāb, your family!’ He replied:

انْظُرُوا إِنْ كَانَ قَدْ بَقِىَ شَيْءٌ فَادْفَعُوهَا إِلَيْهَا. فَفَتَشُوا، فَوَجَدُوا دِرْهَمَيْنِ، فَدَفَعُوهُمَا إِلَيْهَا.

anẓurūā ʾin kāna qad baqia shayʾun fādfaʿūhā ʾilayhā. fafatashūā, fawajadūā dirhamayni, fadafaʿūhumā ʾilayhā.

‘See whether anything remains and give it to her.’ They searched, found two dirhams, and handed them to her.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَا أَخْبَرَ سَرِّيٌّ السَّقَطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ أَخْلاقِهِمْ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ ابْنَ الْحَسَنِ الْبَغْدَادِيَّ: يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ ابْنُ عَبْدُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبْدُوسُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، سَمِعْتُ سَرِي السَّقَطِيَّ يَقُولُ: خَمْسَةٌ مِنْ أَخْلاقِ الْمُرِيدِينَ: لَا يَمْشِي خُطْوَةً لِنَفْسِهِ فِيهَا هَوَاءٌ، وَلَا لَذَّةٌ، وَلَا إِرَادَةٌ، وَلَا شَهْوَةً، وَيَكُونُ خَارِجًا مِنْ سُلْطَانِ الْهَوَى سَلَسَ الْقِيَادِ،

wamina al-futuwwati mā ʾakhbara sarriyyun al-saqaṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿan ʾakhlāqihim. samiʿtu muḥammada ibna al-ḥasani al-baghdādiyya: yaqūlu: ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni ṣāliḥin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu ibnu ʿabdūnin, ḥaddathanā ʿubdūsu bnu al-qāsimi, samiʿtu sarī al-saqaṭiyya yaqūlu: khamsatun min ʾakhlāqi al-murīdīna: lā yamshī khuṭwatan linafsihi fīhā hawāʾun, walā ladhdhatun, walā ʾirādatun, walā shahwatan, wayakūnu khārijan min sulṭāni al-hawā salasa al-qiyādi,

Part of futuwwa is reflected in what Sarrī al-Saqaṭī—may God have mercy on him—said about their character. I heard Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Baghdādī say: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdūn narrated to us; ʿAbdūs ibn al-Qāsim narrated to us. I heard Sarrī al-Saqaṭī say, ‘Five qualities mark the seekers: they take no step for the sake of personal inclination, pleasure, self-will, or appetite. They escape the sway of desire and willingly follow guidance,

صَعْبِ الْمَرَامِ، قَدِ اعْتَزَمَ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: عَلَى الإِيَاسِ مِمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ، وَقَدْ أَلْقَى مُؤُونَتَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ لَا يُتْعِبُ يَدَهُ وَلَا بَطْنَهُ وَلَا فَرْجَهُ وَلَا يَعْتَقِدُ رِيَاءً، وَيَقْتَدَى مِنْ فَوْقَهِ، وَقَدْ زُهِدَ فِي خَمْسٍ: فِي كُلِّ فَانٍ، وَزَهِدَ فِي النَّاسِ، وَزَهِدَ فِي الشَّهَوَاتِ، وَزَهِدَ فِي الرِّئَاسَةِ، وَ [زُهَدَ] فِي الثَّنَاءِ. وَقَدْ رَغِبَ فِي خَمْسٍ: رَغِبَ فِي نَعِيمِ الْجِنَانِ؛ فَقُدِّرَتِ الدُّنْيَا عِنْدَهُ، وَرَغِبَ فِي الصِّدْقِ؛

ṣaʿbi al-marāmi, qadi aʿtazama ʿalā khamsin: ʿalā al-ʾiyāsi mimmā fī ʾaydī al-nāsi, waqad ʾalqā muʾūnatahu ʿalā al-nāsi lā yutʿibu yadahu walā baṭnahu walā farjahu walā yaʿtaqidu riyāʾan, wayaqtadā min fawqahi, waqad zuhida fī khamsin: fī kulli fānin, wazahida fī al-nāsi, wazahida fī al-shahawāti, wazahida fī al-riʾāsati, wa [zuhada] fī al-thanāʾi. waqad raghiba fī khamsin: raghiba fī naʿīmi al-jināni; faquddirati al-dunyā ʿindahu, waraghiba fī al-ṣidqi;

and are hard to turn from their aim. They are firmly resolved on five things: to expect nothing from what others possess; to put the burden of their maintenance on others, as the transmitted wording has it; not to weary their hands, stomachs, or private parts, nor harbor ostentation; and to follow those above them. They renounce five things: all that perishes, people, appetites, leadership, and praise. They long for five things: the bliss of Paradise, which makes this world small in their eyes; and truthfulness,

فَلَزِمَ الْخَوْفُ قَلْبُهُ، وَرَغَّبَ فِي مُجَالَسَةِ الأَوْلِيَاءِ وَالأَصْفِيَاءِ؛ فَتَبَرَّمَ مِنْ مُجَالَسَةِ الْمُخَالِفِينَ، وَرَغَّبَ فِي كُلِّ مَا يُرْضِي اللَّهُ، وَرَغَّبَ فِيمَا زَهِدَ الْجَاهِلُ فِيهِ.

falazima al-khawfu qalbuhu, waraghghaba fī mujālasati al-ʾawliyāʾi wa-l-ʾaṣfiyāʾi; fatabarrama min mujālasati al-mukhālifīna, waraghghaba fī kulli mā yurḍī Allāhu, waraghghaba fīmā zahida al-jāhilu fīhi.

so that reverent fear fills their hearts. They long for the company of God’s friends and chosen ones, grow weary of those opposed to their path, desire all that pleases God, and seek what the ignorant disdain.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ احْتِمَالُ الأَذَى فِي اللَّهِ بَعْدَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ بِهِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْفَرَجِ الْوَرْثَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: أَخْبَرَنِي مَنْصُورُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْهَرَوِيُّ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ الْخُوَارِزْمِيَّ، سَمِعْتُ ذَا النُّونِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ يَقُولُ: مَرَرْتُ بِأَرْضِ مِصْرَ، فَرَأَيْتُ صِبْيَانًا يَرْمُونَ رَجُلاً بِالْحِجَارَةِ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: مَا تُرِيدُونَ مِنْهُ؟ قَالُوا: مَجْنُونٌ، يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ يَرَى اللَّهَ. فَقُلْتُ: أَفَرِجُوا لِي عَنْهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati aḥtimālu al-ʾadhā fī Allāhi baʿda al-maʿrifati bihi. samiʿtu ʾabā al-faraji al-warthāniyya yaqūlu: ʾakhbaranī manṣūru bnu ʾaḥmada al-harawiyyu, samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni muḥammada bna ʿaliyyin al-khuwārizmiyya, samiʿtu dhā al-nūni raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum yaqūlu: marartu biʾarḍi miṣra, faraʾaytu ṣibyānan yarmūna rajul bi-l-ḥijārati, faqultu lahum: mā turīdūna minhu? qālūā: majnūnun, yazʿumu ʾannahu yarā Allāha. faqultu: ʾafarijūā lī ʿanhu.

Part of futuwwa is to bear injury for God’s sake after coming to know Him. I heard Abū al-Faraj al-Warthānī say: Manṣūr ibn Aḥmad al-Harawī informed me; I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Khwārazmī; I heard Dhū al-Nūn—may God be pleased with them—say: I was passing through Egypt when I saw boys throwing stones at a man. ‘What do you want with him?’ I asked. ‘He is mad,’ they said. ‘He claims to see God.’ I told them, ‘Make way so I can reach him.’

فَأَفْرَجُوا، فَدَخَلْتُ، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِشَابٍّ مُسْنَدٍ ظَهْرَهُ إِلَى الْحَائِطِ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: مَا تَقُولُ –رْحَمَكَ اللَّهُ- فِيمَا يَقُولُ هَؤُلاءِ؟ قَالَ: وَمَا يَقُولُونَ؟ قُلْتُ: يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّكَ تَرَى اللَّهَ تَعَالَى. قَالَ: فَسَكَتَ سَاعَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ، وَدُمُوعُهُ تَجْرِي عَلَى خَدَّيْهِ، وَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا فَقَدْتُهُ مُنْذُ عَرَفْتُهُ. ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ:

faʾafrajūā, fadakhaltu, faʾidhā ʾanā bishābbin musnadin ẓahrahu ʾilā al-ḥāʾiṭi, faqultu lahu: mā taqūlu –rḥamaka Allāhu- fīmā yaqūlu haʾulāʾi? qāla: wamā yaqūlūna? qultu: yazʿumūna ʾannaka tazʿumu ʾannaka tarā Allāha taʿālā. qāla: fasakata sāʿatan thumma rafaʿa raʾsahu, wadumūʿuhu tajrī ʿalā khaddayhi, waqāla: wa-llāhi mā faqadtuhu mundhu ʿaraftuhu. thumma ʾanshaʾa yaqūlu:

They moved aside, and I found a young man leaning against a wall. I asked, ‘May God have mercy on you, what do you say about their claim?’ ‘What are they saying?’ he asked. I replied, ‘They say you claim to see God, exalted is He.’ He was silent for a while, then raised his head with tears running down his cheeks. ‘By God,’ he said, ‘I have never been without Him since I came to know Him.’ Then he recited:

هُمْ الْمُحِبّ يَجُولُ فِي الْمَلَكُوتِ ... وَالْقَلْبُ يَسْمُو وَاللّسَانُ صَمُوتُ

hum al-muḥibb yajūlu fī al-malakūti ... wa-l-qalbu yasmū wa-l-lsānu ṣamūtu

The lover’s longing roams the heavenly realm; his heart rises while his tongue is still.

ثُمٍّ هَامَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ:

thummin hāma ʿalā wajhihi wahuwa yaqūlu:

Then he wandered off, saying:

أَيّهَا الشّامِخُ الّذِي لَا يَرَامُ ... نَحْنُ مِنْ طِينَةٍ عَلَيْك السّلَامُ

ʾayyhā al-shāmikhu alladhī lā yarāmu ... naḥnu min ṭīnatin ʿalayk al-slāmu

O Exalted One whom none can reach, we are made of clay; peace be upon You.

إنّمَا هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ مَتَاعٌ ... وَمَعَ الْمَوْتِ تَسْتَوِي الْأَقْدَامُ

ʾinnmā hādhihii al-ḥayātu matāʿun ... wamaʿa al-mawti tastawī al-ʾaqdāmu

This life is only passing enjoyment; death brings every step to the same end.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَرْكُ الشِّكَايَةِ عِنْدَ الْبَلاءِ. وَقَبُولُهُ بِالرَّحْبِ وَالدَّعَةِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْوَاحِدِ بْنَ بَكْرٍ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الدِّينَوَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ابْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ [بْنِ] الْحَارِثِ الصُّوفِيُّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: بَيْنَا أَنَا مَارٌّ فِي شَوَارِعِ بَغْدَادَ، إِذْ وَقَعَتْ إِلَى الْمَارِسَتَانِ، فَإِذَا بِفَتَى حَسْنُ الْوَجْهِ فِي رِجْلَيْهِ قَيْدٌ، وَفِي عُنُقِهِ غُلَّ،

wamina al-futuwwati tarku al-shikāyati ʿinda al-balāʾi. waqabūluhu bi-l-raḥbi wa-l-daʿati. samiʿtu ʿabda al-wāḥidi bna bakrin yaqūlu: ḥaddathanā ʾabū bakrin muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-dīnawariyyu, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi ibnu muḥammadin [bni] al-ḥārithi al-ṣūfiyyu, ʿan muḥammadi bni maḥbūbin, ʾannahu qāla: baynā ʾanā mārrun fī shawāriʿi baghdāda, ʾidh waqaʿat ʾilā al-mārisatāni, faʾidhā bifatā ḥasnu al-wajhi fī rijlayhi qaydun, wafī ʿunuqihi ghulla,

Part of futuwwa is not to complain when hardship comes, but to receive it with openness and calm. I heard ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Bakr say: Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Dīnawarī narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad [ibn] al-Ḥārith al-Ṣūfī narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn Maḥbūb, who said: I was walking through Baghdad when I came upon a hospital. There I saw a handsome young man with shackles on his legs and a collar around his neck,

فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُ انْحَرَفْتُ عَنْهُ، فَنَادَانِي، قَالَ يَا ابْنَ مَحْبُوبٍ، أَمَا رَضِيَ مَوْلاكَ إِذْ يَتَمَنَّى لِحُبِّهِ حَتَّى غَلَّنِي وَقَيَّدَنِي؟ قُلْ لَهُ: إِنْ كُنْتُ رَاضِيًا عَنِّي فَلا أُبَالِي بِذَلِكَ. ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ:

falammā raʾaytuhu anḥaraftu ʿanhu, fanādānī, qāla yā ibna maḥbūbin, ʾamā raḍiya mawlāka ʾidh yatamannā liḥubbihi ḥattā ghallanī waqayyadanī? qul lahu: ʾin kuntu rāḍiyan ʿannī falā ʾubālī bidhalika. thumma ʾanshaʾa yaqūlu:

When I saw him, I turned away, but he called out, ‘Ibn Maḥbūb! Is your Master pleased to see me longing for His love even as He collars and shackles me? Tell Him: If You are pleased with me, I do not mind any of this.’ Then he recited:

عَلَى بَعْدِكَ لَا يَصْبِرُ مِنْ عَوْدَتِهِ الْقُرْبُ ...

ʿalā baʿdika lā yaṣbiru min ʿawdatihi al-qurbu ...

One who has grown used to Your nearness cannot bear Your distance.

وَلَا يَقْوَى عَلَى هَجْرِك مِنْ تَيمِهِ الْحَبّ ...

walā yaqwā ʿalā hajrik min taymihi al-ḥabb ...

One whom love has captured cannot endure separation from You.

فَإِنْ لَمْ تَرْكْ الْعَيْنَ فَقَدْ أَبْصَرَك الْقَلْبَ ...

faʾin lam tark al-ʿayna faqad ʾabṣarak al-qalba ...

If my eyes have not seen You, my heart has surely beheld You.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُلازَمَةُ الْفَقْرِ وَالأُنْسِ بِمَكَانِهِ وَالْفَرَحُ بِهِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْفَرَجِ الْوَرْثَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ السَّاجِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ الْخَصِيبَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْعَبَّاسَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ بِشْرَ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ يَقُولُ: الْفَقْرُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ مَخْزُونٌ مَكْنُونٌ كَمَا إنَّ الشَّهَادَةَ مَخْزُونَةٌ مَكْنُونَةٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يَنَالُهَا إِلَاّ مَنْ أَحَبَّ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati mulāzamatu al-faqri wa-l-ʾunsi bimakānihi wa-l-faraḥu bihi. samiʿtu ʾabā al-faraji al-warthāniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾibrāhīma bna ʾaḥmada al-sājiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna al-ḥusayni al-khaṣība yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ʿabbāsa bna ʿabdi al-ʿaẓīmi yaqūlu: samiʿtu bishra bna al-ḥārithi yaqūlu: al-faqru lilmuʾmini makhzūnun maknūnun kamā ʾinna al-shahādata makhzūnatun maknūnatun ʿinda Allāhi lā yanāluhā ʾilā man ʾaḥabba min ʿibādihi.

Part of futuwwa is to remain with spiritual poverty, feel at home in its station, and rejoice in it. I heard Abū al-Faraj al-Warthānī say: I heard Ibrāhīm ibn Aḥmad al-Sājī say: I heard Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Khaṣīb say: I heard al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīm say: I heard Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith say, ‘For a believer, poverty is a hidden treasure, just as martyrdom is a hidden treasure with God. Only those servants whom He loves attain it.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَرْكُ الْمُدَاهَنَةِ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوَالِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْوَاحِدِ بْنَ بَكْرٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقُرَشِيَّ يَقُولُ: لَا يَشُمُّ رَائِحَةَ الصِّدْقِ عَبْدٌ يُدَاهِنُ نَفْسَهُ، أَوْ يُدَاهِنُ غَيْرَهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati tarku al-mudāhanati fī kulli al-ʾaḥwāli. samiʿtu ʿabda al-wāḥidi bna bakrin yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi al-ʿazīzi yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā ʿabdi Allāhi al-qurashiyya yaqūlu: lā yashummu rāʾiḥata al-ṣidqi ʿabdun yudāhinu nafsahu, ʾaw yudāhinu ghayrahu.

Part of futuwwa is to avoid compromising the truth in any circumstance. I heard ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Bakr say: I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz say: I heard Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Qurashī say, ‘A servant who deceives himself or flatters others will never smell the fragrance of truthfulness.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَكُونَ حُرًّا مِنَ الأَكْوَانِ وَمَا فِيهَا، لِيَكُونَ عَبْدًا لِمَنْ لَهُ الأَكْوَانُ بِأَسْرِهَا. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْوَاحِدِ بْنَ بَكْرٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ هَارُونَ الأَنْصَارِيَّ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنِي عِيسَى بْنُ الرَّيْسِ الأَنْمَاطِيُّ الْمَرْورُّوذِيُّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ حَنْبَلٍ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ السَّمَّاكِ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَخٍ لَهُ: إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ عَبْدًا،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yakūna ḥurran mina al-ʾakwāni wamā fīhā, liyakūna ʿabdan liman lahu al-ʾakwānu biʾasrihā. samiʿtu ʿabda al-wāḥidi bna bakrin yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna hārūna al-ʾanṣāriyya yaqūlu: ḥaddathanī ʿīsā bnu al-raysi al-ʾanmāṭiyyu al-marwrrūdhiyyu yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna ḥanbalin raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: raʾaytu ibna al-sammāki kataba ʾilā ʾakhin lahu: ʾini astaṭaʿta ʾan lā takūna lighayri Allāhi ʿabdan,

Part of futuwwa is to be free of all created things, so that one may serve the One to whom they all belong. I heard ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Bakr say: I heard Muḥammad ibn Hārūn al-Anṣārī say: ʿĪsā ibn al-Rayys al-Anmāṭī al-Marwarrūdhī told me: I heard Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal—may God have mercy on them—say: I saw a letter Ibn al-Sammāk wrote to a brother: ‘If you can avoid serving anyone but God,

مَا وَجَدْتَ مِنَ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ لِغَيْرِهِ بُدًّا، فَافْعَلْ.

mā wajadta mina al-ʿubūdiyyati lighayrihi buddan, fāfʿal.

and have no need to submit yourself to another, do so.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ السُّرُورُ بِمَا أُهِلَّ لَهُ مِنْ خِدْمَةِ سَيِّدِهِ، وَالْفَرَحِ بِهِ، وَقُرَّةِ الْعَيْنِ مِنْهُ. سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ: مَنْ سَرَّ بِخِدْمَةِ اللَّهِ، سَرَتِ الأَشْيَاءُ بِخِدْمَتِهِ. وَمَنْ قَرَّتْ عَيْنُهُ بِاللَّهِ، قَرَّتْ عَيْنُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلَيْهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-surūru bimā ʾuhilla lahu min khidmati sayyidihi, wa-l-faraḥi bihi, waqurrati al-ʿayni minhu. samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna muḥammadi bni yaʿqūba yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna muḥammadi bni ʿaliyyin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿaliyya al-rāziyya yaqūlu: qāla yaḥyā bnu muʿādhin raḥimahumu Allāhu: man sarra bikhidmati Allāhi, sarati al-ʾashyāʾu bikhidmatihi. waman qarrat ʿaynuhu bi-llāhi, qarrat ʿaynu kulli shayʾin bi-l-naẓari ʾilayhi.

Part of futuwwa is to rejoice in being allowed to serve one’s Lord and find delight in that service. I heard Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb say: I heard Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī say: I heard ʿAlī al-Rāzī say: Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh—may God have mercy on them—said, ‘Whoever delights in serving God finds that all things delight in serving him. Whoever finds joy in God becomes a joy to everything that looks upon him.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اشْتِغَالُ الْعَبْدِ بِمَا يَعْنِيهِ مِنْ خَاصِّ أَفْعَالِهِ وَأَحْوَالِهِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الْحَافِظُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّازِيُّ بِأَنْطَاكِيَّةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ مَعْمَرِ بْنِ الْمُثَنَّى وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ الْهِلالِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ ابْنُ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا رِفَاعَةَ الْفَهْمِيَّ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ،

wamina al-futuwwati ashtighālu al-ʿabdi bimā yaʿnīhi min khāṣṣi ʾafʿālihi waʾaḥwālihi. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū ʾaḥmada al-ḥāfiẓu, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu ʿubaydi Allāhi al-rāziyyu biʾanṭākiyyata, ḥaddathanā jaʿfaru bnu ʿabdi al-wāḥidi ʿan ʾabī ʿubaydata maʿmari bni al-muthannā wamuḥammadi bni al-ḥārithi al-hilāliyyi, ḥaddathanā mālikun ibnu ʿaṭiyyata ʿan ʾabīhi, qāla: samiʿtu ʾabā rifāʿata al-fahmiyya yuḥaddithu ʿan ʾabī bakrin al-ṣiddīqi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu,

Part of futuwwa is to attend to what concerns one’s own actions and spiritual state. Abū Aḥmad al-Ḥāfiẓ informed us: Aḥmad ibn ʿUbayd Allāh al-Rāzī told us in Antioch: Jaʿfar ibn ʿAbd al-Wāḥid told us, from Abū ʿUbayda Maʿmar ibn al-Muthannā and Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥārith al-Hilālī: Mālik ibn ʿAṭiyya told us, from his father, who said: I heard Abū Rifāʿa al-Fahmī relate from Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may God be pleased with him,

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: ((مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلامِ الْمَرْءِ، تَرْكَهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ)) .

ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama ʾannahu qāla: ((min ḥusni ʾislāmi al-marʾi, tarkahu mā lā yaʿnīhi)) .

from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, that he said, ‘A mark of a person’s good practice of Islam is to leave aside what does not concern him.’

سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ عَطَاءٍ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ ابْنُ مَخْلَدٍ الصُّوفِيُّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي الْوَرْدِ: قَالَ مَعْرُوفٌ الْكَرْخِيُّ رَضيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ: مِنْ عَلَامَةِ مَقْتِ اللَّهِ لِلْعَبْدِ أَنْ تَرَاهُ مُشْتَغِلاً بِمَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ فِي خَاصِّ أَوْقَاتِهِ.

samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna muḥammadi bni yaʿqūba yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna ʿaṭāʾin yaqūlu: ḥaddathanā ʿumaru ibnu makhladin al-ṣūfiyyu yaqūlu: qāla ibnu ʾabī al-wardi: qāla maʿrūfun al-karkhiyyu raḍya Allāhu ʿanhu: min ʿalāmati maqti Allāhi lilʿabdi ʾan tarāhu mushtaghil bimā lā yaʿnīhi fī khāṣṣi ʾawqātihi.

I heard Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb say: I heard Aḥmad ibn ʿAṭāʾ say: ʿUmar ibn Makhlad al-Ṣūfī told us: Ibn Abī al-Ward said: Maʿrūf al-Karkhī, may God be pleased with him, said, ‘A sign of God’s displeasure with a servant is seeing him busy himself with matters that do not concern him in his private time.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُلازَمَةُ آدَابِ الْفَقْرِ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوَالِ. سَمِعْتُ مَنْصُورَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ بْنَ عَطَاءٍ يَقُولُ: قَالَ بعْضُهُم: لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى مَائِدَةِ الْفُقَرَاءِ إِلَاّ أَرْبَعَةُ أَشْيَاءَ: أَوَّلُهَا الْجُوعُ، وَالثَّانِي [.. .. ..] ، وَالثَّالِثُ الذُّلُّ، وَالرَّابِعُ الشُّكْرُ.

wamina al-futuwwati mulāzamatu ʾādābi al-faqri fī kulli al-ʾaḥwāli. samiʿtu manṣūra bna ʿabdi Allāhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā al-ʿabbāsi bna ʿaṭāʾin yaqūlu: qāla bʿḍuhum: lā yanbaghī ʾan yakūna ʿalā māʾidati al-fuqarāʾi ʾilā ʾarbaʿatu ʾashyāʾa: ʾawwaluhā al-jūʿu, wa-l-thānī [.. .. ..] , wa-l-thālithu al-dhullu, wa-l-rābiʿu al-shukru.

Part of futuwwa is to observe the manners of spiritual poverty in every state. I heard Manṣūr ibn ʿAbd Allāh say: I heard Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAṭāʾ say: Someone said, ‘Only four things belong at the table of the poor: first, hunger; second, [a gap in the text]; third, humility; and fourth, gratitude.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الإِخْبَارُ عَنِ الأَحْوَالِ عَلَ مِقْدَارُ صَاحِبِ الْحَالِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الْجُرْجَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرِ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْجَلِيلِ يَقُولُ: قَالَ لِي الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: خَرَجْتُ إِلَى عِرْضِ الْفُرَاتِ، وَكَانَ ذَكِرَ لِي فِيهَا فَتًى، فَلَقِيتُ فَتًى كَأَنَّ هُمُومَ الدُّنْيَا قَدْ جُمِعَتْ عَلَيْهِ. فَقُلْتُ: رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْكَ، الْوَفَاءُ مَتَى يَتَكَامَلُ فِي الدُّنْيَا؟ فَقَالَ لِي:

wamina al-futuwwati al-ʾikhbāru ʿani al-ʾaḥwāli ʿala miqdāru ṣāḥibi al-ḥāli. samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-jurjāniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā bakri bna muḥammadi bni jaʿfarin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā bakri bna ʿabdi al-jalīli yaqūlu: qāla lī al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu: kharajtu ʾilā ʿirḍi al-furāti, wakāna dhakira lī fīhā fatan, falaqītu fatan kaʾanna humūma al-dunyā qad jumiʿat ʿalayhi. faqultu: raḍiya Allāhu ʿanka, al-wafāʾu matā yatakāmalu fī al-dunyā? faqāla lī:

Part of futuwwa is to speak of spiritual states in a way suited to the person concerned. I heard Abū Bakr al-Jurjānī say: I heard Abū Bakr ibn Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar say: I heard Abū Bakr ibn ʿAbd al-Jalīl say: al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—told me, ‘I went to the banks of the Euphrates after hearing of a young man there. I met him, and he looked as though all the cares of the world rested on him. I asked, May God be pleased with you: when is fidelity perfected in this world? He replied:

ابْتِدَاءً يَا جُنَيْدٌ، مِنَ الْوَفَاءِ أَنْ لَا تَسْأَلَنِي، فَأَيِسْتْ مِنَ الْجَوَابِ، فَدَعَانِي، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا جُنَيْدُ، شَرْحُ الْوَفَاءِ قَبْلَ الْوَفَاءِ لَيْسَ مِنْ فِعْلِ الأَبْرَارِ.

abtidāʾan yā junaydun, mina al-wafāʾi ʾan lā tasʾalanī, faʾayist mina al-jawābi, fadaʿānī, thumma qāla: yā junaydu, sharḥu al-wafāʾi qabla al-wafāʾi laysa min fiʿli al-ʾabrāri.

To begin with, Junayd, fidelity requires that you not ask me. I gave up hope of an answer, but he called me back and said, Junayd, explaining fidelity before practicing it is not the way of the righteous.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُلازَمَةُ الْخَوْفِ بَعْدَ مَا عَرَفَ الْعَبْدُ مَا سَبَقَ مِنْهُ. وَمَا جَرَى عَلَيْهِ مِنْ مُخَالَفَةِ سَيِّدِهِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَيْرِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: مَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ ذِلَّةً وَاحِدَةً، ثُمَّ اعْتَمَدَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ، كَانَ مَغْرُورًا، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَقُمْ لَهُ بِصِدْقِ الْوَفَاءِ فِي أَوَامِرِهِ، كَانَ بَعِيدًا مِنَ الْحَقَائِقِ.

wamina al-futuwwati mulāzamatu al-khawfi baʿda mā ʿarafa al-ʿabdu mā sabaqa minhu. wamā jarā ʿalayhi min mukhālafati sayyidihi. samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā muḥammadin al-jurayriyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: man shahida min nafsihi dhillatan wāḥidatan, thumma aʿtamada ʿalā shayʾin min ḥasanātihi, kāna maghrūran, waman lam yaqum lahu biṣidqi al-wafāʾi fī ʾawāmirihi, kāna baʿīdan mina al-ḥaqāʾiqi.

Part of futuwwa is to remain mindful of one’s past failings and disobedience to one’s Lord. I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard Abū Muḥammad al-Jurayrī say: I heard al-Junayd—may God have mercy on them—say, ‘Whoever recognizes even one lapse in himself and then relies on his good deeds is deluded. Whoever fails to fulfill God’s commands sincerely remains far from the realities.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَشْغَلَ الْعَبْدَ عَنْ مَوْلاهُ شَاغِلٌ، وَأَنْ يَتَحَمَّلَ فِي طَلَبِهِ مَوَارِدَ الْبَلاءِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ يَقُولُ: بَكَّرْتُ يَوْمًا إِلَى سَرِيٍّ السَّقَطِيِّ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ، فَقَالَ لِي: يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ، كَانَتْ لَهُ الْبَارِحَةُ قَلِيلٌ مُشَاهَدَةً، فَخُوطِبْتُ فِي سِرِّي، وَقِيلَ لِي: يَا سَرِّيُّ، خَلَقْتُ الْخَلْقَ وَهُمْ نَاظِرُونَ إِلَيَّ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yashghala al-ʿabda ʿan mawlāhu shāghilun, waʾan yataḥammala fī ṭalabihi mawārida al-balāʾi. samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi bni shādhāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadin yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda yaqūlu: bakkartu yawman ʾilā sariyyin al-saqaṭiyyi raḥimahumu Allāhu, faqāla lī: yā ʾabā al-qāsimi, kānat lahu al-bāriḥatu qalīlun mushāhadatan, fakhūṭibtu fī sirrī, waqīla lī: yā sarriyyu, khalaqtu al-khalqa wahum nāẓirūna ʾilayya,

Part of futuwwa is to let nothing distract a servant from his Master and to bear the ordeals encountered in seeking Him. I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Shādhān say: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad say: I heard al-Junayd say: One morning I visited Sarrī al-Saqaṭī—may God have mercy on them. He said, ‘Abū al-Qāsim, last night I had a brief experience of witnessing. I was addressed inwardly: Sarrī, I created people while they were looking toward Me,

وَمُقْبِلُونَ عَلَيَّ، فَعُرِضَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الدُّنْيَا، فَمَالَ إِلَيْهَا تِسْعَةُ أَعْشَارِ الْخَلْقِ، وَبَقِيَ مَعِي الْعُشْرُ، فَعُرِضَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْجَنَّةُ، فَمَالَ إِلَيْهَا تِسْعَةُ أَعْشَارِهِمْ، وَبَقِيَ مَعِي عَشْرُ الْعُشْرِ، فَصُبَبَتُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْبَلاءُ، فَتَضَعَّفُوا وَاسْتَغَاثُوا وَذَهَبَ مِنْهُمْ تِسْعَةُ أَعْشَارِهِمْ، وَبَقِيَ مَعِي عَشْرُ عَشْرِ الْعُشْرِ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: مَا أَنْتُمْ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا نَظَرْتُمْ، وَلَا الْجَنَّةُ أَرَدْتُمْ، وَلَا مِنَ الْبَلاءِ فَرَرْتُمْ. فَقَالُوا:

wamuqbilūna ʿalayya, faʿuriḍat ʿalayhimu al-dunyā, famāla ʾilayhā tisʿatu ʾaʿshāri al-khalqi, wabaqiya maʿī al-ʿushru, faʿuriḍat ʿalayhimu al-jannatu, famāla ʾilayhā tisʿatu ʾaʿshārihim, wabaqiya maʿī ʿashru al-ʿushri, faṣubabatu ʿalayhimu al-balāʾu, fataḍaʿʿafūā wāstaghāthūā wadhahaba minhum tisʿatu ʾaʿshārihim, wabaqiya maʿī ʿashru ʿashri al-ʿushri, faqultu lahum: mā ʾantum ʾilā al-dunyā naẓartum, walā al-jannatu ʾaradtum, walā mina al-balāʾi farartum. faqālūā:

and turning toward Me. I offered them the world, and nine tenths turned to it. Of the tenth who remained with Me, I offered Paradise, and nine tenths turned to it. Of the tenth of that tenth who remained, I poured out affliction; they weakened, cried for help, and nine tenths departed. A tenth of a tenth of a tenth remained. I asked them: You did not look to the world, desire Paradise, or flee affliction. What do you want? They answered:

وَإِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نُرِيدُ. فَقُلْتُ: إنِّي أَصُبُّ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لِلْجِبَالِ الرَّوَاسِيِّ بِهِ. فَقَالُوا: قَدْ رَضِينَا بَعْدَ أَنْ تَكُونَ الْفَاعِلُ بِنَا ذَلِكَ.

waʾinnaka lataʿlamu mā nurīdu. faqultu: ʾinnī ʾaṣubbu ʿalaykum mina al-balāʾi mā lā ṭāqata liljibāli al-rawāsiyyi bihi. faqālūā: qad raḍīnā baʿda ʾan takūna al-fāʿilu binā dhālika.

You know what we want. I said: I shall pour on you trials that even immovable mountains could not bear. They answered: We accept, so long as You are the One who does this to us.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يُرَاعِيَ الْعَبْدُ أَحْوَالَهُ وَأَنْفَاسَهُ، وَلَا يُضَيِّعَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا لِذَلِكَ. قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ التُّسْتُرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: وَقْتُكَ أَعَزُّ الأَشْيَاءِ، فَاشْغَلْهُ بِأَعَزِّ الأَشْيَاءِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْمُحَلِّبِيَّ الْبَغْدَادِيَّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ يَقُولُ: جِمَاعُ الْخَيْرِ كُلُّهُ فِي ثَلاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ: إِنْ لَمْ تَمْضِ نَهَارُكَ بِمَا لَكَ، فَلا تَمْضِهِ بِمَا عَلَيْكَ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yurāʿiya al-ʿabdu ʾaḥwālahu waʾanfāsahu, walā yuḍayyiʿa minhā shayʾan lidhalika. qāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-tusturiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: waqtuka ʾaʿazzu al-ʾashyāʾi, fāshghalhu biʾaʿazzi al-ʾashyāʾi. samiʿtu ʾabā saʿīdin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥasani al-muḥallibiyya al-baghdādiyya qāla: samiʿtu al-junayda yaqūlu: jimāʿu al-khayri kulluhu fī thalāthati ʾashyāʾa: ʾin lam tamḍi nahāruka bimā laka, falā tamḍihi bimā ʿalayka.

Part of futuwwa is for a servant to watch over his spiritual states and every breath, wasting none of them. Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Tustarī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Your time is the most precious thing you have, so devote it to what is most precious.’ I heard Abū Saʿīd al-Rāzī say: I heard Abū al-Ḥasan al-Muhallabī al-Baghdādī say: I heard al-Junayd say, ‘All goodness comes together in three principles: if you cannot spend your day on what benefits you, at least do not spend it on what harms you,

وَإِنْ لَمْ تَصْحَبِ الأَخْيَارُ، فَلَا تَصْحَبُ الأَشْرَارُ. وَإِنْ لَمْ تُنْفِقْ مَالِكٌ فِيمَا لِلَّهِ فِيهِ رِضًا، فَلَا تُنْفِقُهُ فِيمَا لِلَّهِ فِيهِ سُخَطٌ.

waʾin lam taṣḥabi al-ʾakhyāru, falā taṣḥabu al-ʾashrāru. waʾin lam tunfiq mālikun fīmā li-llāhi fīhi riḍan, falā tunfiquhu fīmā li-llāhi fīhi sukhaṭun.

if you cannot keep good company, at least avoid bad company; and if you cannot spend your wealth on what pleases God, at least do not spend it on what angers Him.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ الْعَبْدَ عَلَى التَّوْبَةِ. وَيَكُونُ عَلَى خَطَرٍ مِنْ قَبُولِهَا. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْمُزَيِّنَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: التَّوْبَةُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْيَاءَ: النَّدَمُ عَلَى مَا مَضَى، وَصِحَّةُ الْعَزْمِ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْعَوْدِ، وَوَجَلَّ الْقَلْبِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، لأنَّهُ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ عَلَى يَقِينٍ، وَمِنْ قَبُولِ تَوْبَتِهِ عَلَى خَطَرٍ، لَا يَدْرِي أَمَقْبُولٌ مِنْهُ ذَلِكَ أَمْ لَا.

wamin al-futuwwati ʾan yudāwima al-ʿabda ʿalā al-tawbati. wayakūnu ʿalā khaṭarin min qabūlihā. samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥasani al-muzayyina raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: al-tawbatu thalāthatu ʾashyāʾa: al-nadamu ʿalā mā maḍā, waṣiḥḥatu al-ʿazmi ʿalā tarki al-ʿawdi, wawajalla al-qalbi ʿalā dhālika, lʾnnahu min dhunūbihi ʿalā yaqīnin, wamin qabūli tawbatihi ʿalā khaṭarin, lā yadrī ʾamaqbūlun minhu dhālika ʾam lā.

Part of futuwwa is to persevere in repentance while remaining uncertain whether it has been accepted. I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard Abū al-Ḥasan al-Muzayyin—may God have mercy on him—say, ‘Repentance has three parts: regret for the past, a firm resolve not to return to sin, and a fearful heart. One is certain of one’s sins but unsure whether one’s repentance has been accepted.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُلازَمَةُ الصِّدْقِ، وَقِلَّةُ السُّكُونِ إِلَى الأَحْوَالِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ بْنَ قَتَادَةَ الْبَلْخِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْقَنَّادَ يَقُولُ: قِيلَ لِلْجُنَيْدِ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ: مَا صِفَةُ الصُّوفِيَّةِ؟ فَقَالَ: {رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ} . فَقِيلَ لَهُ: كَيْفَ سِيمَاهُمْ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا يَرْتَدُّ إِلَيْهِمْ طَرَفُهُمْ، وَأَفْئِدَتُهُمْ هَوَاءٌ.

wamina al-futuwwati mulāzamatu al-ṣidqi, waqillatu al-sukūni ʾilā al-ʾaḥwāli. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥasani bna qatādata al-balkhiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-qannāda yaqūlu: qīla liljunaydi raḥimahumu Allāhu: mā ṣifatu al-ṣūfiyyati? faqāla: {rijālun ṣadaqūā mā ʿāhadūā Allāha ʿalayhi} . faqīla lahu: kayfa sīmāhum? faqāla: lā yartaddu ʾilayhim ṭarafuhum, waʾafʾidatuhum hawāʾun.

Part of futuwwa is to hold fast to truthfulness and place little reliance on spiritual states. I heard Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Qatādah al-Balkhī say: I heard al-Qannād say: al-Junayd—may God have mercy on them—was asked, ‘How would you describe the Sufis?’ He answered with the verse, ‘Men who were true to the covenant they made with God.’ Asked for their distinguishing mark, he replied, ‘Their gaze does not return to them, and their hearts are emptied out.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ صُحْبَةُ الأَبْرَارِ. وَمُجَانَبَةُ صُحْبَةِ الأَشْرَارِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ ابْنَ اسْفِنْدِيَارَانَ بِدَامِغَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ: الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلَوَيْهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى ابْنَ مُعَاذٍ يَقُولُ: لَوْ قَدْ جَاءَتِ الصَّيْحَةُ، لَرَأَيْتُ إِخْوَانَ السَّوءِ كَيْفَ يَفِرُّ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ. وَلَرَأَيْتُ إِخْوَانَ الصَّلَاحِ كَيْفَ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

wamina al-futuwwati ṣuḥbatu al-ʾabrāri. wamujānabatu ṣuḥbati al-ʾashrāri. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna muḥammadin ibna asfindiyārāna bidāmighāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu: al-ḥasana bna ʿalawayhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu yaḥyā ibna muʿādhin yaqūlu: law qad jāʾati al-ṣayḥatu, laraʾaytu ʾikhwāna al-sawʾi kayfa yafirru baʿḍuhum min baʿḍin. walaraʾaytu ʾikhwāna al-ṣalāḥi kayfa yarjiʿu baʿḍuhum ʾilā baʿḍin. qāla Allāhu taʿālā:

Part of futuwwa is to keep the company of the righteous and avoid the wicked. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Isfandiyārān say in Dāmghān: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh say, ‘If the cry of the Last Day came, you would see bad companions fleeing one another, while good companions would return to one another.’ God Most High says:

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ الْعَبْدُ فِي عِلْمِهِ الْمَعْرِفَةَ، وَفِي مَعْرِفَتِهِ الْمُكَاشَفَةُ، وَفِي مُكَاشَفَتِهِ الْمُشَاهَدَةَ مَعَ التَّحَقُّقِ بِأَنَّ أَحَدًا لَا يَبْلُغُ حَقِيقَةَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ بْنَ قَتَادَةَ الْبَلْخِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْقَنَّادَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ النُّورِيَّ يَقُولُ: أَبَاحَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِلْخَلْقِ الْعِلْمَ، وَخَصَّ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ بِالْمَعْرِفَةِ، وَأَصْفِيَاءَهُ بِالْمُكَاشَفَةِ، وَأَحِبَّاءَهُ بِالْمُشَاهَدَةِ. وَاحْتَجَبَ عَنْ جَمِيعِ بَرِّيَّتِهِ،

wamin al-futuwwati ʾan yaṭluba al-ʿabdu fī ʿilmihi al-maʿrifata, wafī maʿrifatihi al-mukāshafatu, wafī mukāshafatihi al-mushāhadata maʿa al-taḥaqquqi biʾanna ʾaḥadan lā yablughu ḥaqīqata maʿrifatihi. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥasani bna qatādata al-balkhiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-qannāda yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-nūriyya yaqūlu: ʾabāḥa Allāhu taʿālā lilkhalqi al-ʿilma, wakhaṣṣa ʾawliyāʾahu bi-l-maʿrifati, waʾaṣfiyāʾahu bi-l-mukāshafati, waʾaḥibbāʾahu bi-l-mushāhadati. wāḥtajaba ʿan jamīʿi barriyyatihi,

Part of futuwwa is to seek knowledge of God through learning, unveiling through that knowledge, and direct witnessing through unveiling, while recognizing that no one can reach the full reality of knowing Him. I heard Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Qatādah al-Balkhī say: I heard al-Qannād say: I heard al-Nūrī say, ‘God made learning accessible to people, set apart knowledge of Him for His friends, unveiling for His chosen ones, and witnessing for His beloved. Yet He veiled Himself from all creation,

فَإِذَا ظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ عَرَفُوا، تَحَيَّرُوا. وَإِذَا تَوَهَّمُوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كُوشِفُوا، احْتَجَبُوا. وَإِذَا تَحَقَّقُوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ شَاهَدُوا، عَمُوا. فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ أَمْرُهُ عَجِيبٌ، وَلَيْسَ شَيْءٌ مِنْهُ عَجِيبٌ.

faʾidhā ẓannūā ʾannahum qad ʿarafūā, taḥayyarūā. waʾidhā tawahhamūā ʾannahum qad kūshifūā, aḥtajabūā. waʾidhā taḥaqqaqūā ʾannahum qad shāhadūā, ʿamūā. fasubḥāna man ʾamruhu ʿajībun, walaysa shayʾun minhu ʿajībun.

When they think they have known Him, they are bewildered; when they imagine they have received unveiling, they find themselves veiled; and when they are certain they have witnessed, they go blind. Glory to the One whose affair is wondrous, though nothing about Him is strange.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَرْكُ الْحِيلَةِ فِي طَمَعِ الْكَوْنِ فِي الدُّنْيَا، سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبَصْرِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ فَارِسَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ: كَانَتْ عَجُوزٌ تَخْدُمُ سَهْلَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ فَاعْتَلَّتْ عِلَّةٌ، فَقِيلَ لَهَا: لَوْ تَدَاوَيْتْ. فَقَالَتْ: لَوْ جَعَلَ شِفَائِي فِي مَسْحِ أُذُنِي، مَا مَسَحْتُهَا. نِعْمَ الْمَذْهُوبُ إِلَيْهِ الرَّبُّ.

wamina al-futuwwati tarku al-ḥīlati fī ṭamaʿi al-kawni fī al-dunyā, samiʿtu ʿaliyya bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-baṣriyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu fārisa bna ʿabdi Allāhi, yaqūlu: kānat ʿajūzun takhdumu sahla bna ʿabdi Allāhi raḥimahumu Allāhu fāʿtallat ʿillatun, faqīla lahā: law tadāwayt. faqālat: law jaʿala shifāʾī fī masḥi ʾudhunī, mā masaḥtuhā. niʿma al-madhhūbu ʾilayhi al-rabbu.

Part of futuwwa is to abandon schemes for obtaining worldly things. I heard ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Baṣrī say: I heard Fāris ibn ʿAbd Allāh say: An old woman who served Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God have mercy on them—fell ill. Someone suggested treatment. She replied, ‘Even if my cure lay in wiping my ear, I would not wipe it. How fine is the Lord to whom one turns.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَشْفِيَ الْمُحِبُّ مِنْ حَبِيبِهِ بِشَيْءٍ. أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الشَّاشِيُّ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي الْهَيْثَمُ بْنُ كُلَيْبٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي سَمْنُونٌ الصُّوفِيُّ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yashfiya al-muḥibbu min ḥabībihi bishayʾin. ʾakhbaranī saʿīdu bnu muḥammadin al-shāshiyyu, qāla: ʾakhbaranī al-haythamu bnu kulaybin qāla: ʾakhbaranī samnūnun al-ṣūfiyyu raḥimahumu Allāhu.

Part of futuwwa is to know that nothing can cure a lover of love for the beloved. Saʿīd ibn Muḥammad al-Shāshī informed me; al-Haytham ibn Kulayb informed me; Samnūn the Sufi—may God have mercy on them—informed me:

بَكَيْت دَمًا عَلَيْك مَكَانَ دَمْعِي ... لِيَشْفِيَنِي الْبُكَا مِمَّا اشْتَفَيْت

bakayt daman ʿalayk makāna damʿī ... liyashfiyanī al-bukā mimmā ashtafayt

For you I wept blood instead of tears, hoping tears might heal the hurt for which I sought a cure.

أَنْشَدَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ لِبَعْضِهِمْ

ʾanshadanī muḥammadu bnu ʾismāʿīla libaʿḍihim

Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl recited to me these verses by one of them:

وَقَدْ زَعَمُوا أَنّ الْمُحِبّ إذَا دَنَا ... يُمِلّ وَإِنّ النّأْيَ يَشْفِي مِنْ الْوَجْدِ

waqad zaʿamūā ʾann al-muḥibb ʾidhā danā ... yumill waʾinn al-nʾya yashfī min al-wajdi

They claim a lover tires of nearness, and that distance heals longing.

بِكُلٍّ تَدَاوِينَا فَلَمْ يَشْفْ مَا بِنَا ... عَلَى ذَاكَ قُرْبَ الدَّارِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْبُعْدِ

bikullin tadāwīnā falam yashf mā binā ... ʿalā dhāka qurba al-dāri khayrun mina al-buʿdi

We tried every remedy, but nothing healed our pain. Even so, a home nearby is better than one far away.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ قَبُولُ مَنْ يَقْصِدُهُ، وَتَرَكَ طَلَبَ مَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْهُ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْوَاحِدِ ابْنَ عَلِيٍّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ فَارِسٌ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: مِنْ أَخْلَاقِ الْفِتْيَانِ مِنَ الصُّوفِيَّةِ إنَّ مَنْ جَاءَهُ لَمْ يَطْرُدْهُ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْضُرْهُ لَمْ يَطْلُبْهُ، وَمَنْ عَاشَرَهُ لَمْ يَمْلِكْهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati qabūlu man yaqṣiduhu, wataraka ṭalaba man yatakhallafu ʿanhu. samiʿtu ʿabda al-wāḥidi ibna ʿaliyyin yaqūlu: qāla fārisun raḥimahu Allāhu: min ʾakhlāqi al-fityāni mina al-ṣūfiyyati ʾinna man jāʾahu lam yaṭrudhu, waman lam yaḥḍurhu lam yaṭlubhu, waman ʿāsharahu lam yamlikhu.

Part of futuwwa is to welcome whoever approaches you and not to pursue whoever stays away. I heard ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn ʿAlī say: Fāris, may God have mercy on him, said, ‘One of the Sufis’ ideals is this: whoever comes to a person is welcomed; whoever does not come is left in peace; and whoever keeps his company is not treated as his possession.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَرُدَّ مُرِيدًا بِزُلَّتِهِ، وَلَا يَقْبَلُ أَجْنَبِيًّا بِحَسَنَاتِهِ. لِذَلِكَ ذُكِرَ عَنْ أَبِي تُرَابٍ النَّخْشَبِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إِذَا طَبَعَ الرَّجُلُ بِطَبَائِعِ الإِرَادَةِ، وَدَخَلَ فِي رَسْمِ الْقَوْمِ وَقِبْلَتِهِ، فَلا تُبْعِدْهُ عَنْك بِمِائَةِ زَلَّةٍ، وَطُلابُ الدُّنْيَا لَا تُدْخِلُهُمْ فِي رَسْمِ الْقَوْمِ، وَإِنْ بَدَا لَكَ مِنْهُمْ مِائَةُ حَسَنَةٍ إِلا بَعْدَ التَّحَقُّقِ فِيهَا.

wamin al-futuwwati ʾan lā yarudda murīdan bizullatihi, walā yaqbalu ʾajnabiyyan biḥasanātihi. lidhalika dhukira ʿan ʾabī turābin al-nakhshabiyyi raḥimahu Allāhu ʾannahu qāla: ʾidhā ṭabaʿa al-rajulu biṭabāʾiʿi al-ʾirādati, wadakhala fī rasmi al-qawmi waqiblatihi, falā tubʿidhu ʿank bimiāʾati zallatin, waṭulābu al-dunyā lā tudkhiluhum fī rasmi al-qawmi, waʾin badā laka minhum miāʾatu ḥasanatin ʾilā baʿda al-taḥaqquqi fīhā.

Part of futuwwa is not to reject a seeker because he slips, nor to accept an outsider merely because he performs good deeds. Abū Turāb al-Nakhshabī—may God have mercy on him—is reported to have said, ‘Once a person has taken on the character of a sincere seeker, entered this path, and been received by you, do not drive him away for a hundred lapses. Do not admit those who seek this world into the Sufis’ way, even if you see a hundred good deeds from them, until their sincerity has been tested.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُلَازَمَةُ آدَابِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ مَا أَمْكَنَهُ. سَمِعْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ يَحْيَى يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ رَحِمَهُمُ اللهُ يَقُولُ: الْعُبُودِيَّةُ تَرْكُ الاِخْتِيَارِ وَمُلَازَمَةُ الذِّلَّةِ وَالاِفْتِقَارِ.

wamina al-futuwwati mulāzamatu ʾādābi al-ʿubūdiyyati mā ʾamkanahu. samiʿtu al-ḥusayna bna yaḥyā yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadin yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: al-ʿubūdiyyatu tarku al-ikhtiyāri wamulāzamatu al-dhillati wa-l-iftiqāri.

Part of futuwwa is to observe the manners of service to God as fully as possible. I heard al-Ḥusayn ibn Yaḥyā say: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad say: I heard al-Junayd, may God have mercy on them, say, ‘Servanthood means relinquishing one’s own choice and abiding in humility and need.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الاِنْبِسَاطُ مَعَ الإِخْوَانِ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَوْ حَضَرُوهُ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ السَّرَّاجَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْكَرِيمِ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَذْكُرُ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أَبِي سَهْلٍ السِّمْسَارِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ حَسَنَ الْخَيَّاطِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ بِشْرَ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ يَقُولُ: تَرَكَ الآدَابِ بَيْنَ الإِخْوَانِ مِنَ الأَدَبِ. وَمَنْ لَمْ يَنْبَسِطْ مَعَ إِخْوَانِهِ فِي الْمُبَاحَاتِ، أَحْشَمَهُمْ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-inbisāṭu maʿa al-ʾikhwāni ʾidhā ḥaḍara ʾaw ḥaḍarūhu. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna ʿaliyyin al-sarrāja yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿabda al-karīmi bna ʾaḥmada bni ʿabdi Allāhi yadhkuru ʿani al-ḥusayni bni ʾabī sahlin al-simsāri yaqūlu: samiʿtu ḥasana al-khayyāṭi yaqūlu: samiʿtu bishra bna al-ḥārithi yaqūlu: taraka al-ʾādābi bayna al-ʾikhwāni mina al-ʾadabi. waman lam yanbasiṭ maʿa ʾikhwānihi fī al-mubāḥāti, ʾaḥshamahum.

Part of futuwwa is to be at ease with one’s brothers, whether visiting them or receiving them. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAlī al-Sarrāj say: I heard ʿAbd al-Karīm ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh relate from al-Ḥusayn ibn Abī Sahl al-Simsār, who said: I heard Ḥasan al-Khayyāṭ say: I heard Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith say, ‘Setting formalities aside among brothers is itself good manners. A person who cannot relax with his brothers in permissible things makes them ill at ease.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حَمْلُ الأَثْقَالِ فِي مُجَاهَدَاتِ الْمُعَامَلاتِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الدَّقِّيَّ يَقُولُ: دَخَلَ عَلَيٌّ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ الْخَرَّازُ. وَلِي أَرْبَعَةَ أَيَّامٍ لَمْ آكُلْ، فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ قَالَ: يَجُوعُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَرْبَعَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَيَصِيحُ عَلَيْهِ الْجُوعُ وَيُنَادِي، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَتُدْرِكُونَ لَوْ أَنَّ كُلَّ نَفْسٍ مَنْفُوسَةٌ تَلِفَتْ، فِيمَا تُؤَمِّلُهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، تَرَى كَانَ ذَلِكَ كَبِيرًا!

wamina al-futuwwati ḥamlu al-ʾathqāli fī mujāhadāti al-muʿāmalāti. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna ʿaliyyin yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-daqqiyya yaqūlu: dakhala ʿalayyun ʿabdu Allāhi al-kharrāzu. walī ʾarbaʿata ʾayyāmin lam ʾākul, falammā naẓara ʾilayya qāla: yajūʿu ʾaḥadukum ʾarbaʿata ʾayyāmin fayaṣīḥu ʿalayhi al-jūʿu wayunādī, thumma qāla: ʾatudrikūna law ʾanna kulla nafsin manfūsatun talifat, fīmā tuʾammiluhu mina Allāhi, tarā kāna dhālika kabīran!

Part of futuwwa is to bear hardship in striving to deal rightly with God. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAlī say: I heard al-Daqqī say: ʿAbd Allāh al-Kharrāz came to see me when I had not eaten for four days. Looking at me, he said, ‘One of you goes hungry for four days, then cries out and complains about hunger!’ He added, ‘Even if every living soul perished in pursuit of what it hopes for from God, would that be so great a sacrifice?’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ قَضَاءُ حُقُوقِ الإِخْوَانِ، وَتَرْكُ الاعْتِمَادِ عَلَى إخْوَانِهِ فِي التَّخَلُّفِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ عَطَاءٍ يَذْكُرُ عَنْ خَالِهِ، عَنِ الْجُنَيْدِ رَحِمَهُم اللهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَا تَقُومُ بِمَا عَلَيْكَ حَتَّى تَتْرُكَ مَا لَك، وَلَا يَقْوَى عَلَى هَذَا إِلَاّ نَبِيٌّ أَوْ صِدِّيقٌ.

wamin al-futuwwati qaḍāʾu ḥuqūqi al-ʾikhwāni, watarku al-aʿtimādi ʿalā ʾikhwānihi fī al-takhallufi. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna ʿaliyyin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna ʿaṭāʾin yadhkuru ʿan khālihi, ʿani al-junaydi raḥimahum Allāhu ʾannahu qāla: lā taqūmu bimā ʿalayka ḥattā tatruka mā lak, walā yaqwā ʿalā hādhā ʾilā nabiyyun ʾaw ṣiddīqun.

Part of futuwwa is to meet one’s obligations to brothers without relying on their indulgence toward one’s shortcomings. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAlī say: I heard Aḥmad ibn ʿAṭāʾ report from his maternal uncle, from al-Junayd—may God have mercy on them—who said, ‘You will not fulfill what is owed by you until you relinquish what is owed to you. Only a prophet or a supremely truthful person can bear this.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ التَّوَاضُعُ لِلذَّاكِرِينَ. وَقَبُولُ الْحَقِّ مِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْفَضْلِ نَضْرُ بْنُ أَبِي نَضْرٍ الْعَطَّارُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْحَرَّانِيُّ بِالْكُوفَةِ، حَدَّثَنَا هِلالُ بْنُ الْعَلاءِ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا فَيْضُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ: سُئِلَ الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، مَا الْفُتُوَّةُ؟ قَالَ: التَّوَاضُعُ لِلذَّاكِرِينَ، وَقَبُولُ الْحَقِّ مِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْفَضْلِ نَضْرُ بْنُ أَبِي نَضْرٍ الْعَطَّارُ،

wamina al-futuwwati al-tawāḍuʿu lildhdhākirīna. waqabūlu al-ḥaqqi mina al-nāṣiḥīna. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-faḍli naḍru bnu ʾabī naḍrin al-ʿaṭṭāru, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu al-ḥusayni al-ḥarrāniyyu bi-l-kūfati, ḥaddathanā hilālu bnu al-ʿalāʾi, qāla: ḥaddathanā fayḍu bnu ʾisḥāqa, qāla: suʾila al-fuḍaylu bnu ʿiyāḍin raḥimahu Allāhu, mā al-futuwwatu? qāla: al-tawāḍuʿu lildhdhākirīna, waqabūlu al-ḥaqqi mina al-nāṣiḥīna. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-faḍli naḍru bnu ʾabī naḍrin al-ʿaṭṭāru,

Part of futuwwa is humility before those who offer reminders and accepting truth from sincere advisers. Abū al-Faḍl Naḍr ibn Abī Naḍr al-ʿAṭṭār informed us: Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Ḥarrānī told us in Kufa: Hilāl ibn al-ʿAlāʾ told us: Fayḍ ibn Isḥāq told us: al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, may God have mercy on him, was asked, ‘What is futuwwa?’ He replied, ‘Being humble before those who remind you and accepting truth from those who give you sincere counsel.’ Abū al-Faḍl Naḍr ibn Abī Naḍr al-ʿAṭṭār informed us,

حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الأُشْنَانِيِّ الْقَاضِي، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي الدُّنْيَا، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، سَمِعْتُ وَكِيعًا يَقُولُ: يَنْبَغِي لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَصْفِحَ عَنْ إِخْوَانِهِ وَأَصْدِقَائِهِ زَلَاتِهِمْ، وَلَا يَحْقَدَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ أَحْوَالِهِمْ.

ḥaddathanā ʿumaru bnu al-ʾushnāniyyi al-qāḍī, ḥaddathanā ibnu ʾabī al-dunyā, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu bnu ʾismāʿīla, samiʿtu wakīʿan yaqūlu: yanbaghī lilrrajuli ʾan yaṣfiḥa ʿan ʾikhwānihi waʾaṣdiqāʾihi zalātihim, walā yaḥqada ʿalayhim fī shayʾin min ʾaḥwālihim.

ʿUmar ibn al-Ashnānī, the judge, narrated to us; Ibn Abī al-Dunyā narrated to us; Isḥāq ibn Ismāʿīl narrated to us. I heard Wakīʿ say, ‘A person should forgive the lapses of his brothers and friends and bear no grudge against them in any circumstance.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ رُجُوعُ الْعَبْدِ إِلَى رَبِّهِ فِي كُلِّ أَسْبَابِهِ. وَالثِّقَةُ بِهِ دُونَ خَلْقِهِ. أَخْبَرَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ الصُّوفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ الْفَقِيهُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مُعَاذٍ الرَّازِيَّ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: أَرْبَعُ خِصَالٍ مِنْ صِفَةِ الأَوْلِيَاءِ: الثِّقَةُ بِاللَّهِ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَالرُّجُوعُ إِلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَالاِسْتِعَانَةُ بِهِ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ،

wamina al-futuwwati rujūʿu al-ʿabdi ʾilā rabbihi fī kulli ʾasbābihi. wa-l-thiqatu bihi dūna khalqihi. ʾakhbaranā naṣru bnu muḥammadi bni ʾaḥmada al-ṣūfiyyu, ḥaddathanā sulaymānu bnu ʾabī salamata al-faqīhu, ḥaddathanā al-qāsimu bnu ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni samiʿtu yaḥyā bna muʿādhin al-rāziyya raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: ʾarbaʿu khiṣālin min ṣifati al-ʾawliyāʾi: al-thiqatu bi-llāhi fī kulli shayʾin, wa-l-rujūʿu ʾilayhi fī kulli shayʾin, wa-l-istiʿānatu bihi fī kulli shayʾin,

Part of futuwwa is to turn to one’s Lord in every affair and trust Him rather than other people. Naṣr ibn Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Ṣūfī informed us; Sulaymān ibn Abī Salamah the jurist narrated to us; al-Qāsim ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān narrated to us. I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh al-Rāzī—may God have mercy on them—say, ‘Four traits mark God’s friends: to trust Him in everything, turn to Him in everything, seek His help in everything,

وَالاِفتِقَارُ إلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ.

wa-l-iftiqāru ʾilayhi fī kulli shayʾin.

and depend on Him in everything.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الشَّفَقَةُ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوَالِ. أَخْبَرَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ، سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ نَصْرٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: كَانَ بِنَاحِيَةِ دِمَشْقَ شَيْخٌ مِنْ شُيُوخِنَا يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو مُوسَى الْقُومُسِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، وَكَانَ مِنَ الْفِتْيَانِ، وَذَكَرَ مِنْ فَضَائِلِهِ، قَالَ: كَانَ هُوَ وَامْرَأَتُهُ فِي دَارٍ فَسَقَطَتِ الدَّارُ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَجَاءُوا يَنْحَوْنَ عَنْهُمُ الْهَدْمَ،

wamina al-futuwwati al-shafaqatu ʿalā al-khalqi fī kulli al-ʾaḥwāli. ʾakhbaranā naṣru bnu muḥammadi bni ʾaḥmada bni yaʿqūba, samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadi bni naṣrin yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: kāna bināḥiyati dimashqa shaykhun min shuyūkhinā yuqālu lahu ʾabū mūsā al-qūmusiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu, wakāna mina al-fityāni, wadhakara min faḍāʾilihi, qāla: kāna huwa wāmraʾatuhu fī dārin fasaqaṭati al-dāru ʿalayhim, fajāʾūā yanḥawna ʿanhumu al-hadma,

Part of futuwwa is compassion for all people in every circumstance. Naṣr ibn Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Yaʿqūb informed us: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn Naṣr say: I heard al-Junayd, may God have mercy on him, say, ‘Near Damascus lived one of our shaykhs, Abū Mūsā al-Qūmisī, may God have mercy on him. He was a person of futuwwa.’ He mentioned his virtues, then said, ‘He and his wife were inside their home when it collapsed on them. People came to clear away the rubble,

إِذْ وَقَعُوا عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ، فَقَالَتِ: الشَّيْخُ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو مُوسَى فَإِنَّهُ فِي تِلْكَ الزَّاوِيَةِ، فَتَرَكُوهَا وَجَاءُوا إِلَيْهِ، وَأَخَذُوا التُّرَابَ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ الشَّيْخُ: الْمَرْأَةُ الْمَرْأَةُ.

ʾidh waqaʿūā ʿalā al-marʾati, faqālati: al-shaykhu al-shaykhu ʾabū mūsā faʾinnahu fī tilka al-zāwiyati, fatarakūhā wajāʾūā ʾilayhi, waʾakhadhūā al-turāba ʿanhu faqāla al-shaykhu: al-marʾatu al-marʾatu.

and first found the woman. She called out, “The shaykh! Abū Mūsā is over in that corner!” They left her and went to him, clearing the debris from around him. The shaykh immediately called out, “The woman! The woman!”’

قَالَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ: فَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ كَانَ هَمُّهُ الشُّغْلَ بِصَاحِبِهِ. كَذَلِكَ أَهْلُ الْمُوَالَاةِ وَالْمُعَاقَدَةِ، لِلَّهِ وَفِي اللَّهِ قُلُوبُهُمْ عَلَى هَذَا النَّعْتِ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوَالِ.

qāla ʾabū al-qāsimi: fakullu wāḥidin minhum fī dhālika al-waqti kāna hammuhu al-shughla biṣāḥibihi. kadhalika ʾahlu al-muwālāti wa-l-muʿāqadati, li-llāhi wafī Allāhi qulūbuhum ʿalā hādhā al-naʿti fī kulli al-ʾaḥwāli.

Abū al-Qāsim said, ‘At that moment each of them thought only of the other. So too the hearts of those bound together in friendship and covenant for God’s sake remain in this state in every circumstance.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَسْتَخْدِمَ غَنِيٌّ فَقِيرًا فِي سَبَبٍ مِنَ الأَسْبَابِ. سَمِعْتُ مَنْصُورَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْخَوَّاصَّ.. .. جَمِيعًا فِي مَسْجِدٍ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ التَّفْلِيسِيَّ يَقُولُ: كَانَ الْجُنَيْدُ وَبِهِمْ فَاقَةٌ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ بَعْضُ أَصْدِقَائِهِمْ، فَرَأَى فِيهِمْ أَثَرَ الْجُوعِ، فَقَالَ لِبَعْضِ الْفُقَرَاءِ: قُمْ مَعِي، وَخَرَجَ إِلَى السُّوقِ، وَاشْتَرَى مَا اشْتَرَى، وَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى الْفَقِيرِ لِيَحْمِلَهُ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ بَابَ الْمَسْجِدِ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yastakhdima ghaniyyun faqīran fī sababin mina al-ʾasbābi. samiʿtu manṣūra bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-khawwāṣṣa.. .. jamīʿan fī masjidin raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-taflīsiyya yaqūlu: kāna al-junaydu wabihim fāqatun, fadakhala ʿalayhim baʿḍu ʾaṣdiqāʾihim, faraʾā fīhim ʾathara al-jūʿi, faqāla libaʿḍi al-fuqarāʾi: qum maʿī, wakharaja ʾilā al-sūqi, wāshtarā mā ashtarā, wadafaʿahu ʾilā al-faqīri liyaḥmilahu, falammā balagha bāba al-masjidi,

Part of futuwwa is for a wealthy person never to make a poor person carry out his errands. I heard Manṣūr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Khawwāṣ ... [a gap in the report] together in a mosque—may God have mercy on them—say: I heard al-Tiflīsī say: al-Junayd and his companions were in need. One of their friends visited, saw that they were hungry, and said to a poor man, ‘Come with me.’ He took him to the market, bought food, and made the poor man carry it. When they reached the mosque door,

رَآهُ الْجُنَيْدُ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ، فَقَالَ: ارْمِ وَادْخُلْ. وَأَبَوْا أَنْ يَأْكُلُوا مِنْ ذَلِكَ الطَّعَامِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ الْخَوَّاصُّ لِصَاحِبِ الطَّعَامِ: عَظَّمْ مِقْدَارَ الدُّنْيَا فِي عَيْنِكَ حَتَّى تَجْعَلَ الْفَقِيرَ حَمَّالا لِطَعَامِكَ، فَمَا ذَاقُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا.

raʾāhu al-junaydu min baʿīdin, faqāla: armi wādkhul. waʾabawā ʾan yaʾkulūā min dhālika al-ṭaʿāmi. thumma qāla al-khawwāṣṣu liṣāḥibi al-ṭaʿāmi: ʿaẓẓam miqdāra al-dunyā fī ʿaynika ḥattā tajʿala al-faqīra ḥammālā liṭaʿāmika, famā dhāqūā minhu shayʾan.

al-Junayd saw them from afar and called, ‘Put it down and come in.’ They refused to eat the food. Al-Khawwāṣ then told the donor, ‘The world has grown so great in your eyes that you made a poor man carry your food.’ They did not taste any of it.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ رُؤْيَةُ الْمَنْعِ وَالْعَطَاءِ مِنَ اللهِ لِئَلا يَخْلُقَ وَجْهَهُ بِالسُّؤَالِ وَلَا يُذِلُّ نَفْسَهُ بِالطَّمَعِ. أَنْشَدَنَا مَنْصُورُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْهَرَوِيُّ لابْنِ الرُّومِيِّ:

wamina al-futuwwati ruʾyatu al-manʿi wa-l-ʿaṭāʾi mina Allāhi liʾalā yakhluqa wajhahu bi-l-suʾāli walā yudhillu nafsahu bi-l-ṭamaʿi. ʾanshadanā manṣūru bnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-harawiyyu lābni al-rūmiyyi:

Part of futuwwa is to see both withholding and giving as coming from God, so that one does not wear away one’s dignity by asking or abase oneself through greed. Manṣūr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Harawī recited these lines by Ibn al-Rūmī to us:

لَا أَرَى مُعْطِيًا لِمَا مَنَعَ اللّهُ ... وَلَا دَافِعًا لِمَا يُعْطِيهِ

lā ʾarā muʿṭiyan limā manaʿa Allāhu ... walā dāfiʿan limā yuʿṭīhi

I know no giver of what God has withheld, nor anyone who can keep back what He gives.

إنّمَا الْجُودُ وَالسّمَاحَةُ وَالْبَذْلُ ... لِمَنْ يُعْطِكُ، عَفْوا وَمَاءُ وَجْهِك فِيهِ

ʾinnmā al-jūdu wa-l-smāḥatu wa-l-badhlu ... liman yuʿṭiku, ʿafwā wamāʾu wajhik fīhi

True generosity and openhanded giving come from one who gives freely, while your dignity remains intact.

قَبَّحَ اللّهُ نَائِلًا أَنْ يُجِيدَ ... مِنْ يَدَي مَنْ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَقْبِضِيهِ

qabbaḥa Allāhu nāʾilan ʾan yujīda ... min yaday man ʾurīdu ʾan ʾaqbiḍīhi

How ugly a gift from a hand I would rather see closed against me.

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يُشَاهِدَ الْعَبْدُ النُّقْصَانَ فِي كُلِّ أَحْوَالِهِ، وَلَا يَرْضَى مِنْ نَفْسِهِ بِمَا هُوَ فِيهِ. سَمِعْتُ مَنْصُورَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا يَعْقُوبَ النَّهْرَجُورِيَّ يَقُولُ: مِنْ عَلامَةِ مَنْ تَوَلاهُ اللَّهُ فِي أَحْوَالِهِ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ التَّقْصِيرَ فِي إخْلَاصِهِ، وَالْغَفْلَةُ فِي ذِكْرِهِ، وَالنُّقْصَانُ فِي صِدْقِهِ، وَتَكُونُ جَمِيعُ أَحْوَالِهِ غَيْرَ مَرْضِيَّةٍ، وَيَزْدَادُ فَقْرًا إِلَى اللَّهِ فِي قَصْدِهِ وَسَيْرِهِ،

wamin al-futuwwati ʾan yushāhida al-ʿabdu al-nuqṣāna fī kulli ʾaḥwālihi, walā yarḍā min nafsihi bimā huwa fīhi. samiʿtu manṣūra bna ʿabdi Allāhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā yaʿqūba al-nahrajūriyya yaqūlu: min ʿalāmati man tawalāhu Allāhu fī ʾaḥwālihi ʾan yashhada al-taqṣīra fī ʾikhlāṣihi, wa-l-ghaflatu fī dhikrihi, wa-l-nuqṣānu fī ṣidqihi, watakūnu jamīʿu ʾaḥwālihi ghayra marḍiyyatin, wayazdādu faqran ʾilā Allāhi fī qaṣdihi wasayrihi,

Part of futuwwa is to see the shortcomings in every one of one’s states and never be satisfied with oneself. I heard Manṣūr ibn ʿAbd Allāh say: I heard Abū Yaʿqūb al-Nahrajūrī say, ‘One sign of a person whom God takes under His care is that he sees how little sincerity he has, how often he forgets God in remembrance, and how imperfect his truthfulness is. None of his states satisfy him, and he grows ever more dependent on God in his intention and his path,

حَتَّى يُغْنَىَ عَنْ كُلًّ مُرَادٍ لَهُ.

ḥattā yughnaa ʿan kullan murādin lahu.

until he is freed from every desire of his own.’

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ أَجْمَعِينَ وَيَتْلُوهُ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى

wa-l-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi al-ʿālamīna waṣallā Allāhu ʿalā sayyidinā muḥammadin waʾālihi al-ṭayyibīna ʾajmaʿīna wayatlūhu ʾin shāʾa Allāhu taʿālā

Praise be to God, Lord of all worlds. May God bless our master Muḥammad and all his pure family. To be continued, God willing.

[الْجُزءُ الثَّالِثُ مِن الْكِتَابِ الْفُتُوَّةَ]

[al-juzʾu al-thālithu min al-kitābi al-futuwwata]

[Part Three of the Book of Futuwwa]

مِمَّا جَمَعَهُ الشَّيْخُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ السُّلَمِيُّ

mimmā jamaʿahu al-shaykhu muḥammadu bnu al-ḥasani al-sulamiyyu

Compiled by Shaykh Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Sulamī.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ

bismi Allāhi al-Raḥmāni al-raḥīmi ʿalayhi tawakkaltu

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. In Him I have placed my trust.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَتَغَيَّرَ لأَخِيهِ بِسَبَبٍ مِنْ أَسْبَابِ الدُّنْيَا. سَمِعْتُ مَنْصُورَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الأَخْلاطِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ بَشَّارٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ يَقُولُ: عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُوقَةَ، قَالَ: كَانَ رَجُلانِ مُتَآخِيَيْنِ، فَطَلَبَ أَحَدُهُمَا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ شَيْئًا فَمَنَعَهُ، فَلَمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ لَهُ عَنْ حَالِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا أَخِي، سَأَلَتْنِي حَاجَةً، فَمَا قَضَيْتُهَا، فَمَا تَغَيَّرْتْ لِي! فَقَالَ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yataghayyara lʾakhīhi bisababin min ʾasbābi al-dunyā. samiʿtu manṣūra bna ʿabdi Allāhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā jaʿfarin al-ʾakhlāṭiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾibrāhīma bna bashshārin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna ʿuyaynata yaqūlu: ʿan muḥammadi bni sūqata, qāla: kāna rajulāni mutaʾākhiyayni, faṭalaba ʾaḥaduhumā min ṣāḥibihi shayʾan famanaʿahu, falam yataghayyar lahu ʿan ḥālihi, faqāla lahu: yā ʾakhī, saʾalatnī ḥājatan, famā qaḍaytuhā, famā taghayyart lī! faqāla:

Part of futuwwa is not to change toward a brother over anything worldly. I heard Manṣūr ibn ʿAbd Allāh say: I heard Abū Jaʿfar al-Akhlāṭī say: I heard Ibrāhīm ibn Bashshār say: I heard Ibn ʿUyaynah relate from Muḥammad ibn Sūqah: Two men were close friends. One asked the other for something and was refused, yet his affection did not change. The man who had refused said, ‘Brother, you asked me for help and I denied it, but you have not changed toward me!’ His friend answered:

إِنَّمَا أَحْبَبْتُكَ وَوَلَّيْتُكَ الأَمْرَ فَلَمْ تَتَغَيَّرْ عَنِ الَّذِي أَحْبَبْتُكَ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَنَا لَا أَتَغَيَّرُ لَكَ، وَإِنْ مَنَعْتَنِي. فَقَالَ الآخَرُ: وَأَنَا إِنَّمَا مَنَعْتُكَ لِأَجْرِّبَكَ، فَمُدَّ يَدَكَ الآنَ إِلَى مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ مَالِي، فَخُذْهُ، فَمَا أَنَا بِأَحَقَّ بِهِ مِنْكَ.

ʾinnamā ʾaḥbabtuka wawallaytuka al-ʾamra falam tataghayyar ʿani alladhī ʾaḥbabtuka ʿalayhi, faʾanā lā ʾataghayyaru laka, waʾin manaʿtanī. faqāla al-ʾākharu: waʾanā ʾinnamā manaʿtuka liʾajrribaka, famudda yadaka al-ʾāna ʾilā mā shiʾta min mālī, fakhudhhu, famā ʾanā biʾaḥaqqa bihi minka.

‘I loved you and entrusted my affairs to you because of the person you are. You have not changed, and I will not change toward you even if you refuse my request.’ The other replied, ‘I refused only to test you. Now reach out and take whatever you wish from my wealth; my claim to it is no greater than yours.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَا ذَكَرَهُ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقُ. سَمِعْتُ مَنْصُورَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْقَاسِمَ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بِالْبَصْرَةِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ نَصْرٍ يَقُولُ: عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضَا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَقُولُ: سُئِلَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، مَا الْفُتُوَّةُ؟ فَقَالَ: الْفُتُوَّةُ لَيْسَتْ بِالْفِسْقِ وَالْفَجْرِ، وَلَكِنَّ الْفُتُوَّةَ طَعَامٌ مَصْنُوعٌ، وَنَائِلٌ مَبْذُولٌ، وَبَشَرٌ مَقْبُولٌ، وَعَفَافٌ مَعْرُوفٌ،

wamina al-futuwwati mā dhakarahu jaʿfaru bnu muḥammadin al-ṣādiqu. samiʿtu manṣūra bna ʿabdi Allāhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-qāsima bna ʿubaydi Allāhi bi-l-baṣrati yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥusayna bna naṣrin yaqūlu: ʿan ʿaliyyi bni mūsā al-riḍā raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu yaqūlu: suʾila jaʿfaru bnu muḥammadin raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu, mā al-futuwwatu? faqāla: al-futuwwatu laysat bi-l-fisqi wa-l-fajri, walakinna al-futuwwata ṭaʿāmun maṣnūʿun, wanāʾilun mabdhūlun, wabasharun maqbūlun, waʿafāfun maʿrūfun,

Part of futuwwa is what Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq described. I heard Manṣūr ibn ʿAbd Allāh say: I heard al-Qāsim ibn ʿUbayd Allāh say in Basra: I heard al-Ḥusayn ibn Naṣr relate from ʿAlī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā—may God be pleased with him—that Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad was asked, ‘What is futuwwa?’ He answered, ‘Futuwwa is no license for vice or depravity. It is a meal prepared, a gift freely offered, a welcoming face, honorable restraint,

وَأَذًىٍ مَكٍّفُوفٍ.

waʾadhan makkinfūfin.

and keeping one’s harm from others.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ آدَابِ الظَّاهِرِ وَالْبَاطِنِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَيْرِيَّ يَقُولُ: لِلدِّينِ رَأْسُ مَالِ عَشَرَةٍ: خَمْسَةٌ فِي الظَّاهِرِ، وَخَمْسَةٌ فِي الْبَاطِنِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu ʾādābi al-ẓāhiri wa-l-bāṭini. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā muḥammadin al-jurayriyya yaqūlu: lilddīni raʾsu māli ʿasharatin: khamsatun fī al-ẓāhiri, wakhamsatun fī al-bāṭini.

Part of futuwwa is to keep the manners of both outward conduct and inward life. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Abū Muḥammad al-Jurayrī say, ‘Religion has ten forms of capital: five outward and five inward.

وَأَمَّا اللَّوَاتِي فِي الظَّاهِرِ: صُدَقَ فِي اللِّسَانِ، وَسَخَاوَةٍ فِي الْمَالِ، وَتَوَاضُعٌ فِي الأَبْدَانِ، وَكَفُّ الأَذَى، وَاحْتِمَالُهَا بِلَا إبَاءٍ.

waʾammā al-lawātī fī al-ẓāhiri: ṣudaqa fī al-lisāni, wasakhāwatin fī al-māli, watawāḍuʿun fī al-ʾabdāni, wakaffu al-ʾadhā, wāḥtimāluhā bilā ʾibāʾin.

The outward five are truthfulness of speech, generosity with wealth, bodily humility, refraining from harm, and bearing harm without resistance.

وَأَمَّا اللَّوَاتِي فِي الْبَاطِنِ: فَحُبُّ وُجُودِ سَيِّدِهِ، وَخَوْفُ الْفِرَاقِ عَنْ سَيِّدِهِ، وَرَجَاءُ الْوُصُولِ إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ، وَالنَّدَمُ عَلَى فِعْلِهِ، وَالْحَيَاءُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ تَعَالَى وَتَقَدُّسُ.

waʾammā al-lawātī fī al-bāṭini: faḥubbu wujūdi sayyidihi, wakhawfu al-firāqi ʿan sayyidihi, warajāʾu al-wuṣūli ʾilā sayyidihi, wa-l-nadamu ʿalā fiʿlihi, wa-l-ḥayāʾu min rabbihi taʿālā wataqaddusu.

The inward five are love of the Master’s presence, fear of separation from Him, hope of reaching Him, regret for one’s deeds, and reverent shame before one’s Lord, exalted and holy.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الِاسْتِغْنَاءُ عَنِ الْخَلْقِ، وَالتَّعَفُّفِ عَنْ سُؤَالِهِمْ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ الْبَلْخِيُّ: مَنْ خَفَّتْ مُؤُوِّنَتُهُ، دَامَتْ مَوَدَّتُهُ، وَمَنْ عَفَّ خَفَّ عَلَى الصِّدِّيقِ لِقَاؤُهُ، وَأَخُو الْحَوَائِجِ وَجْهُهُ مَمْلُولٌ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-astighnāʾu ʿani al-khalqi, wa-l-taʿaffufi ʿan suʾālihim. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: qāla ʾabū bakrin muḥammadu bnu ʾaḥmada bni dāwuda al-balkhiyyu: man khaffat muʾuwwinatuhu, dāmat mawaddatuhu, waman ʿaffa khaffa ʿalā al-ṣiddīqi liqāʾuhu, waʾakhū al-ḥawāʾiji wajhuhu mamlūlun.

Part of futuwwa is to be independent of others and refrain from asking them for things. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Dāwūd al-Balkhī said, ‘A friendship lasts when one makes few demands. A person who refrains from asking is easy for a friend to meet; a person always needing favors soon wears out his welcome.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ التَّحَصُّنُ عَنِ الآفَاتِ بِتَرْكِ الشَّهَوَاتِ. سَمِعْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ يَحْيَى يَقُولُ: قَالَ أَبُو تُرَابٍ النَّخْشَبِيُّ: حِصْنُكَ مِنَ الآفَاتِ، حِفِظُ نَفْسَكَ مِنَ الشَّهَوَاتِ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-taḥaṣṣunu ʿani al-ʾāfāti bitarki al-shahawāti. samiʿtu al-ḥusayna bna yaḥyā yaqūlu: qāla ʾabū turābin al-nakhshabiyyu: ḥiṣnuka mina al-ʾāfāti, ḥifiẓu nafsaka mina al-shahawāti.

Part of futuwwa is to shield oneself from harm by leaving desires. I heard al-Ḥusayn ibn Yaḥyā say: Abū Turāb al-Nakhshabī said, ‘Your fortress against harm is to guard your soul against its desires.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ الاِكْتِفَاءُ بِالثِّقَةِ بِاَللَّهِ مِنْ دَعْوَى التَّوَكُّلِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَيْرِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ يَقُولُ: قَامَ الْحَقُّ بِالْكِفَايَةِ، وَالسَّيِّدُ لأَهْلِ مَمْلَكَتِهِ، فَاسْتَرَاحُوا مِنْ مُعَامَلَاتِ التَّوَكُّلِ فَلَمْ يَرْضَوْا إِلَاّ بِهِ، فَمَا أَقْبَحَ التَّقَاضِي بِأَهْلِ الصَّفَاءِ بَعْدَ ثِقَتِهِمْ بِالْمُوَالَاةِ الَّتِي أَزَالَتِ التَّوَهُّمَ عَنْ قُلُوبِ الْمُوَحِّدِينَ.

wamin al-futuwwati al-iktifāʾu bi-l-thiqati bi-llāhi min daʿwā al-tawakkuli. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā muḥammadin al-jurayriyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda yaqūlu: qāma al-ḥaqqu bi-l-kifāyati, wa-l-sayyidu lʾahli mamlakatihi, fāstarāḥūā min muʿāmalāti al-tawakkuli falam yarḍawā ʾilā bihi, famā ʾaqbaḥa al-taqāḍī biʾahli al-ṣafāʾi baʿda thiqatihim bi-l-muwālāti allatī ʾazālati al-tawahhuma ʿan qulūbi al-muwaḥḥidīna.

Part of futuwwa is to be content with real trust in God rather than claiming the station of reliance on Him. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Abū Muḥammad al-Jurayrī say: I heard al-Junayd say, ‘The Real has undertaken to provide, as a master does for those in his care. They can rest from striving to demonstrate reliance and be content with Him alone. How unbecoming to make demands of people of purity after their confidence in His friendship has dispelled doubt from the hearts of those devoted to God alone.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اخْتِيَارُ الْخَلْوَةِ وَالْعُزْلَةِ عَلَى الانْبِسَاطِ وَالصُّحْبَةِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ ابْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ اسْفِنْدِيَارَانَ بِدَامِغَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلَوَيْهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مُعَاذٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ حِصَارٌ، وَحِصَارُ النَّفْسِ الْخَلْوَةُ، وَتَرْكُ مَعَاشِرِ الْخَلْقِ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَكَ، فَهُوَ عَلَيْكَ وَالْمُعِينُونَ قَلِيلٌ، وَالزَّمَانُ غُدَارٌ، فَبَادَرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَبْدَأَكُمْ بِكَ.

wamina al-futuwwati akhtiyāru al-khalwati wa-l-ʿuzlati ʿalā al-anbisāṭi wa-l-ṣuḥbati. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi ibna muḥammadi bni asfindiyārāna bidāmighāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥasana bna ʿalawayhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu yaḥyā bna muʿādhin raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: likulli shayʾin ḥiṣārun, waḥiṣāru al-nafsi al-khalwatu, watarku maʿāshiri al-khalqi, faʾinnahu man lam yakun maʿaka, fahuwa ʿalayka wa-l-muʿīnūna qalīlun, wa-l-zamānu ghudārun, fabādara qabla ʾan yabdaʾakum bika.

Part of futuwwa is to choose solitude and retreat over easy sociability. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Isfandiyārān say in Dāmghān: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh—may God have mercy on him—say, ‘Everything has a fortress. The soul’s fortress is solitude and withdrawal from people. Whoever is not for you is against you; helpers are few and time is treacherous. Make haste before it overtakes you.’

وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ لِفَتْحِ الْمَوْصِلِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: أَوْصِنِي. فَقَالَ: اخْلُ بِنَفْسِكِ وَاعْتَزِلِ النَّاسُ، يُسَلِّمُ لَكِ دِينَكِ وَمُرُوءَتَكِ.

waqāla rajulun lifatḥi al-mawṣiliyyi raḥimahu Allāhu: ʾawṣinī. faqāla: akhlu binafsiki wāʿtazili al-nāsu, yusallimu laki dīnaki wamurūʾataki.

A man asked Fatḥ al-Mawṣilī—may God have mercy on him—for counsel. He replied, ‘Spend time alone with yourself and withdraw from people; your faith and your honor will remain safe.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَصْحِيحُ مَبَادِئِ الأَحْوَالِ لِيُتِمَّ لَكَ تَحْقِيقُ النِّهَايَاتِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَطَاءٍ يَقُولُ: لَا يَرْتَقِي فِي الدَّرَجَاتِ الْعَلِى مَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ أَوَائِلُ الْبِدَايَاتِ. وَأَوَائِلُ الْبِدَايَاتِ هِيَ الْفُرُوضُ الْوَاجِبَةُ، وَالأَوْرَادُ الزَّكِيَّةُ، وَمَطَايَا الْفَصْلِ. وَعَزَائِمُ الأَمْرِ. فَمَنْ أَحْكَمَ ذَلِكَ، مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بِمَا بَعْدَهُ.

wamin al-futuwwati taṣḥīḥu mabādiʾi al-ʾaḥwāli liyutimma laka taḥqīqu al-nihāyāti. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna ʿaṭāʾin yaqūlu: lā yartaqī fī al-darajāti al-ʿaliā man lam yaḥkum fīmā baynahu wabayna Allāhi ʾawāʾilu al-bidāyāti. waʾawāʾilu al-bidāyāti hiya al-furūḍu al-wājibatu, wa-l-ʾawrādu al-zakiyyatu, wamaṭāyā al-faṣli. waʿazāʾimu al-ʾamri. faman ʾaḥkama dhālika, manna Allāhu ʿalayhi bimā baʿdahu.

Part of futuwwa is to make the first stages of a spiritual state sound, so that its final stage can be realized. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Ibn ʿAṭāʾ say, ‘No one rises to the highest stations without first setting right the beginnings of his relationship with God. Those beginnings are the obligatory duties, pure regular devotions, the means of discernment, and firm resolve. Whoever masters these receives from God what comes next.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ السِّرِّ مَعَ اللَّهِ أَنْ يَخْتَلِجَ فِيهِ سِوَاهُ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا نَصْرٍ الطُّوسِيَّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ أَبُو الْفَرَجِ الْعُكْبَرِيُّ: قَالَ لِي الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: يَا أَبَا الْفَرَجِ، فِي مَاذَا تَذْهَبُ أَوْقَاتُكَ؟ قُلْتُ: زَوْجَةٌ وَصِبْيَانٌ. فَقَالَ: وَتَدَعُ وَقْتًا أَعَزَّ مِنَ الْكِبْرِيتِ الأَحْمَرِ أَنْ يَضِيعَ فِي غَيْرِ اللَّهِ! وَالنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ((إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَيُورٌ يُحِبُّ كُلَّ غَيْرُو،

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-sirri maʿa Allāhi ʾan yakhtalija fīhi siwāhu. samiʿtu ʾabā naṣrin al-ṭūsiyya yaqūlu: qāla ʾabū al-faraji al-ʿukbariyyu: qāla lī al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: yā ʾabā al-faraji, fī mādhā tadhhabu ʾawqātuka? qultu: zawjatun waṣibyānun. faqāla: watadaʿu waqtan ʾaʿazza mina al-kibrīti al-ʾaḥmari ʾan yaḍīʿa fī ghayri Allāhi! wa-l-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama yaqūlu: ((ʾinna Allāha ghayūrun yuḥibbu kulla ghayrū,

Part of futuwwa is to guard one’s innermost relationship with God from even a passing thought of anything else. I heard Abū Naṣr al-Ṭūsī say: Abū al-Faraj al-ʿUkbarī said: al-Shiblī—may God have mercy on him—asked me, ‘Abū al-Faraj, what takes up your time?’ ‘A wife and children,’ I answered. He said, ‘And you let time rarer than red sulfur be spent on something other than God? The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said: God is protective of what is His and loves those who are protective,

وَهُوَ أَنْ يَغَارَ عَلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِ أَنْ يُظْهَرَ عَلَّهُمْ سِوَاهُ)) . فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو الْفَرَجِ: فَأَنَا غُيُورٌ. فَقَالَ لَهُ الشِّبْلِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: غَيْرَةُ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ لِلْأَشْخَاصِ، وَغَيْرَةُ الإِلَهِيَّةِ لِلْوَقْتِ أَنْ يَضِيعَ فِيمَا سِوَى اللَّهِ.

wahuwa ʾan yaghāra ʿalā ʾawliyāʾihi ʾan yuẓhara ʿallahum siwāhu)) . faqāla lahu ʾabū al-faraji: faʾanā ghuyūrun. faqāla lahu al-shibliyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: ghayratu al-bashariyyati lilʾashkhāṣi, waghayratu al-ʾilahiyyati lilwaqti ʾan yaḍīʿa fīmā siwā Allāhi.

meaning that He guards His friends from showing attachment to anyone besides Him.’ Abū al-Faraj replied, ‘I too am protective.’ Al-Shiblī said, ‘Human possessiveness is about people; divine watchfulness concerns time lest it be spent on anything but God.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُخَالَفَةُ هَوَى النَّفْسِ لِيَظْهَرَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ طَرِيقُ النَّفْسِ. كَذَلِكَ حُكِيَ عَنْ بَعْضِ الْعَارِفِينَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَنْ وَقَعَتْ لَهُ مَسْأَلَةٌ فِي عِلْمِ الإِرَادَةِ. وَلَا يَحْضُرُهُ الدَّلِيلُ، فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَيَّ حَالٍ أَقْرَبَ إلَى هَوَى نَفْسِهِ، فَلْيُخَالِفْهَا، فَإِنَّهُ يَكْشِفُ لَهُ عَنْ حَقِيقَةِ الْوَاقِعَةِ.

wamin al-futuwwati mukhālafatu hawā al-nafsi liyaẓhara lahu bidhalika ṭarīqu al-nafsi. kadhalika ḥukiya ʿan baʿḍi al-ʿārifīna ʾannahu qāla: man waqaʿat lahu masʾalatun fī ʿilmi al-ʾirādati. walā yaḥḍuruhu al-dalīlu, falyanẓur ʾayya ḥālin ʾaqraba ʾilā hawā nafsihi, falyukhālifhā, faʾinnahu yakshifu lahu ʿan ḥaqīqati al-wāqiʿati.

Part of futuwwa is to oppose the desires of the self so that one comes to recognize its ways. A knower said: ‘When a question arises about the discipline of spiritual intention and you have no clear proof, consider which course appeals most to your own desire, then take the opposite course. The truth of the matter will become clear to you.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْقِيَامُ لِلَّهِ، وَالْقِيَامُ بِاَللَّهِ، وَالْقِيَامُ مَعَ اللَّهِ. وَعَلَامَةُ الْقِيَامِ بِاَللَّهِ أَنْ لَا يَتَهَيَّأَ لِلأَشْيَاءِ أَنْ يُزِيلَهَا، وَلَيْسَ لَهُ فِي الأَحْوَالِ اخْتِيَارٌ. وَعَلَامَةُ الْقِيَامِ لِلَّهِ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ لِقِيَامِهِ فِي الأَحْوَالِ نِهَايَةٌ، وَلَا يَسْكُنَ إلَى الْمَقَامَاتِ، وَالْكَرَامَاتِ، وَلَا يَطْلُبَ الأَعْوَاضَ. وَعَلَامَةُ الْقِيَامِ مَعَ اللَّهِ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ الأَشْيَاءُ قَائِمَةً مَعَهُ، وَلَا تَحْجُبَهُ عَنِ اللَّهِ.

wamin al-futuwwati al-qiyāmu li-llāhi, wa-l-qiyāmu bi-llāhi, wa-l-qiyāmu maʿa Allāhi. waʿalāmatu al-qiyāmi bi-llāhi ʾan lā yatahayyaʾa lilʾashyāʾi ʾan yuzīlahā, walaysa lahu fī al-ʾaḥwāli akhtiyārun. waʿalāmatu al-qiyāmi li-llāhi ʾan lā yakūna liqiyāmihi fī al-ʾaḥwāli nihāyatun, walā yaskuna ʾilā al-maqāmāti, wa-l-karāmāti, walā yaṭluba al-ʾaʿwāḍa. waʿalāmatu al-qiyāmi maʿa Allāhi ʾan lā takūna al-ʾashyāʾu qāʾimatan maʿahu, walā taḥjubahu ʿani Allāhi.

Part of futuwwa is to stand for God, by God, and with God. Standing by God means that no created thing can unsettle you and that you do not choose your spiritual states for yourself. Standing for God means that your commitment in those states has no endpoint: you do not rest in stations or extraordinary gifts, and you seek no reward. Standing with God means that other things have no standing beside Him in your sight

وَلَا تَشْغَلْهُ عَنْهُ.

walā tashghalhu ʿanhu.

and neither veil you from God nor distract you from Him.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَا سُئِلَ عَنْهَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْبُوشَنْجِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ. فَقَالَ: حُسْنُ السِّرِّ مَعَ اللَّهِ، أَنْ تُحِبَّ لإِخْوَانِكَ مَا تُحِبُّهُ لِنَفْسِكَ، بَلْ تُؤَثِّرُهُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ، لأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: {يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ} . وَالنَّبِيُّ صَلى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:

wamina al-futuwwati mā suʾila ʿanhā ʾabū al-ḥasani al-būshanjiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu. faqāla: ḥusnu al-sirri maʿa Allāhi, ʾan tuḥibba lʾikhwānika mā tuḥibbuhu linafsika, bal tuʾaththiruhum ʿalā nafsika, lʾanna Allāha taʿālā yaqūlu: {yuḥibbūna man hājara ʾilayhim walā yajidūna fī ṣudūrihim ḥājatan mimmā ʾūtūā wayuʾthirūna ʿalā ʾanfusihim walaw kāna bihim khaṣāṣatun} . wa-l-nabiyyu ṣalā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama yaqūlu:

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Būshanjī—may God have mercy on him—was asked about futuwwa. He said, ‘It is to keep a beautiful inner relationship with God: to wish for your brothers what you wish for yourself, and even to put them ahead of yourself. God Most High says: “They love those who migrated to them, harbor no desire for what the migrants were given, and give them preference over themselves even when they too are in need.” And the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said:

((لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ)) ، فَمَنْ اجْتَمَعَتْ فِيهِ هَاتَانِ الْخَصْلَتَانِ، صَحَّتْ لَهُ الْفُتُوَّةُ وَالتَّطَرُّقُ.

((lā yuʾminu ʾaḥadukum ḥattā yuḥibba liʾakhīhi mā yuḥibbu linafsihi)) , faman ajtamaʿat fīhi hātāni al-khaṣlatāni, ṣaḥḥat lahu al-futuwwatu wa-l-taṭarruqu.

“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.” Whoever combines these two qualities possesses genuine futuwwa and has entered the spiritual path.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَهْتَمَّ الْعَبْدُ فِي وَقْتٍ إِلَاّ لِوَقْتِهِ. كَذَلِكَ سُئِلَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ التُّسْتُرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، مَتَى يَسْتَرِيحُ الْفَقِيرُ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ؟ فَقَالَ: إِذَا لَمْ يَرَ لِنَفْسِهِ وَقْتًا غَيْرَ الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي هُوَ فِيهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yahtamma al-ʿabdu fī waqtin ʾilā liwaqtihi. kadhalika suʾila sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-tusturiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu, matā yastarīḥu al-faqīru min nafsihi? faqāla: ʾidhā lam yara linafsihi waqtan ghayra al-waqti alladhī huwa fīhi.

Part of futuwwa is to give your attention to the present moment. Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Tustarī—may God have mercy on him—was asked, ‘When does a person of spiritual poverty find rest from the self?’ He answered, ‘When they see no time for themselves beyond the moment they are in.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِعْمَالُ التَّظَرُّفِ فِي الأَخْلَاقِ، وَهُوَ مَا سُئِلَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْخَرَّازُ، مَا الْفُتُوَّةُ؟ فَقَالَ: تَرْكُ الْمَعْلُومِ، وَالصَّبْرُ عَلَى النَّفْسِ، وَالإِيَاسُ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ، وَتَرْكُ السُّؤَالِ وَالتَّعْرِيضِ وَكِتْمَانُ الْفَقْرِ، وَإِظْهَارُ الْغِنَى وَالتَّعَفُّفُ.

wamina al-futuwwati astiʿmālu al-taẓarrufi fī al-ʾakhlāqi, wahuwa mā suʾila ʾabū saʿīdin al-kharrāzu, mā al-futuwwatu? faqāla: tarku al-maʿlūmi, wa-l-ṣabru ʿalā al-nafsi, wa-l-ʾiyāsu mina al-khalqi, watarku al-suʾāli wa-l-taʿrīḍi wakitmānu al-faqri, waʾiẓhāru al-ghinā wa-l-taʿaffufu.

Part of futuwwa is refinement of character. When Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz was asked what futuwwa means, he answered: ‘Give up what you think you know, be patient with your own self, expect nothing from people, refrain from asking or even hinting for help, conceal your poverty, and show self-sufficiency and dignified restraint.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ التَّفْوِيضُ فِي الأَحْوَالِ كُلِّهَا. وَهُوَ مَا سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: كَتَبْتُ هَذَا مِنْ كِتَابِ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، وَذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ مِنْ كَلامِ شَاهٍ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ، قَالَ: التَّفْوِيضُ تَرْكُ الاخْتِيَارِ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-tafwīḍu fī al-ʾaḥwāli kullihā. wahuwa mā samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi al-rāziyya yaqūlu: katabtu hādhā min kitābi ʾabī ʿuthmāna, wadhakara ʾannahu min kalāmi shāhin raḥimahumu Allāhu, qāla: al-tafwīḍu tarku al-akhtiyāri.

Part of futuwwa is to entrust every state to God. I heard ʿAbd Allāh al-Rāzī say, ‘I copied this from Abū ʿUthmān’s book. He attributed it to Shāh—may God have mercy on them both: “Entrusting matters to God means giving up one’s own choice.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِعْمَالُ الْكَرْمِ، وَمُوَاصَلَةُ الْقَاطِعِ، وَإِعْطَاءُ الْمَانِعِ، وَالإِحْسَانُ إِلَى الْمُسِيءِ. كَذَلِكَ رُوِيَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

wamina al-futuwwati astiʿmālu al-karmi, wamuwāṣalatu al-qāṭiʿi, waʾiʿṭāʾu al-māniʿi, wa-l-ʾiḥsānu ʾilā al-musīʾi. kadhalika ruwiya ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama.

Part of futuwwa is to act generously, keep ties with someone who cuts you off, give to someone who withholds from you, and treat well someone who mistreats you. This is also related from the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ سُؤَالُ اللَّهِ الْعَافِيَةُ وَالشُّكْرُ عَلَيْهَا إِذَا رُزِقَ. رُوِيَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ: قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّم: أَرَأَيْتَ أَنْ وَافَقْتُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ، مَاذَا أَسْأَلُ رَبِّي؟ فَقَالَ: سَلِيَ اللَّهُ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ وَالْمُعَافَاةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرِ بْنَ أُحَيْدَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الْوَرَّاقَ يَقُولُ: كُلُّ عَافِيَةٍ بَدْؤُهَا عَفْوُ اللَّهِ،

wamina al-futuwwati suʾālu Allāhi al-ʿāfiyatu wa-l-shukru ʿalayhā ʾidhā ruziqa. ruwiya ʿan ʿāʾishata raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā ʾannahā qālat: qultu lilnnabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam: ʾaraʾayta ʾan wāfaqtu laylata al-qadri, mādhā ʾasʾalu rabbī? faqāla: saliya Allāhu al-ʿafwa wa-l-ʿāfiyata wa-l-muʿāfāta fī al-dunyā wa-l-ʾākhirati. samiʿtu ʾabā bakri bna ʾuḥayda yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-warrāqa yaqūlu: kullu ʿāfiyatin badʾuhā ʿafwu Allāhi,

Part of futuwwa is to ask God for well-being and give thanks for it when it is granted. ʿĀʾisha—may God be pleased with her—related: ‘I asked the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—“If I reach the Night of Decree, what should I ask of my Lord?” He said, “Ask God for pardon, well-being, and protection from harm in this world and the next.”’ I heard Abū Bakr ibn Uḥayd say: I heard Abū Bakr al-Warrāq say, ‘Every state of well-being begins with God’s pardon,

وَلَوْلَا عَفْوُ اللَّهِ لَمْ تَكُنْ عَافِيَةً قَطُّ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ بْنَ مِقْسَمٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ الْخُلَدِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْخَوَّاصَّ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: الْعَافِيَةُ لَا يُحِلُّهَا إِلَاّ نَبِيٌّ أَوْ صِدِّيقٌ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُثْمَانَ الْمَغْرِبِيَّ يَقُولُ: أَكِيَسُ النَّاسِ مَنْ قَدَرَ عَلَى صُحْبَةِ الْعَافِيَةِ.

walawlā ʿafwu Allāhi lam takun ʿāfiyatan qaṭṭu. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni bna miqsamin yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara al-khuladiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾibrāhīma al-khawwāṣṣa raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: al-ʿāfiyatu lā yuḥilluhā ʾilā nabiyyun ʾaw ṣiddīqun. samiʿtu ʾabā ʿuthmāna al-maghribiyya yaqūlu: ʾakiyasu al-nāsi man qadara ʿalā ṣuḥbati al-ʿāfiyati.

and without God’s pardon there could be no well-being at all.’ I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn ibn Miqsam say: I heard Jaʿfar al-Khuldī say: I heard Ibrāhīm al-Khawwāṣ—may God have mercy on them—say, ‘No one is fit to enjoy untroubled well-being except a prophet or a supremely truthful person.’ I heard Abū ʿUthmān al-Maghribī say, ‘The wisest person is one who knows how to live with well-being.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا تَبْخَلَ بِمَا مَعَكَ إِذَا قَدَرْتْ عَلَى بَذْلِهِ. ((قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِرَجُلٍ: مِنْ سَيِّدِكُمْ؟ قَالَ: الْجَدُّ بْنُ قَيْسٍ عَلَى إِنَّ فِيهِ بُخْلا. قَالَ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: وَأَيُّ دَاءٍ أَدْوَى مِنَ الْبُخْلِ)) سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ الْبَغْدَادِيَّ يَقُولُ: أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْفَرْغَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي نَصْرٍ الْمُحِبِّ فِي بَعْضِ طُرُقَاتِ بَغْدَادَ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā tabkhala bimā maʿaka ʾidhā qadart ʿalā badhlihi. ((qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama lirajulin: min sayyidikum? qāla: al-jaddu bnu qaysin ʿalā ʾinna fīhi bukhlā. qāla al-nabiyyu ʿalayhi al-salāmu: waʾayyu dāʾin ʾadwā mina al-bukhli)) samiʿtu ʾabā al-ʿabbāsi al-baghdādiyya yaqūlu: ʾakhbaranī muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-farghāniyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu masrūqin, qāla: kuntu maʿa ʾabī naṣrin al-muḥibbi fī baʿḍi ṭuruqāti baghdāda,

Part of futuwwa is not to hoard what you have when you can give it. The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—asked a man, ‘Who is your leader?’ He replied, ‘Al-Jadd ibn Qays, although he is miserly.’ The Prophet said, ‘What illness is worse than miserliness?’ I heard Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Baghdādī say: Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Farghānī told me: Aḥmad ibn Masrūq told us, ‘I was walking with Abū Naṣr al-Muḥibb along a street in Baghdad.

وَكَانَ عَلَيْهِ إِزَارٌ جَدِيدٌ قِيمَتُهُ ثَمَانِيَةُ دَنَانِيرَ، فَاسْتَقْبَلْنَا سَائِلٌ يَسْأَلُ بِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَخَذَ الإِزَارَ وَطَوَاهُ بِاثْنَيْنِ وَشَقَّهُ وَأَعْطَاهُ النِّصْفَ، وَمَشَى خُطُوَاتٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ هَذِهِ نَذَالَةٌ. وَرَجَعَ وَطَرَحَ عَلَيْهِ النِّصْفَ الآخَرَ.

wakāna ʿalayhi ʾizārun jadīdun qīmatuhu thamāniyatu danānīra, fāstaqbalnā sāʾilun yasʾalu bimuḥammadin ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, faʾakhadha al-ʾizāra waṭawāhu biāthnayni washaqqahu waʾaʿṭāhu al-niṣfa, wamashā khuṭuwātin, thumma qāla hādhihii nadhālatun. warajaʿa waṭaraḥa ʿalayhi al-niṣfa al-ʾākhara.

He wore a new wrap worth eight dinars. A beggar approached us, invoking Muḥammad—may God bless him and grant him peace—as he asked for help. Abū Naṣr took off his wrap, folded it in two, tore it, and gave the beggar half. After a few steps he said, “That was petty of me.” He went back and gave the man the other half.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْقَنَاعَةُ وَالرِّضَا بِالْقَلِيلِ لِئَلا يَكُونَ مُسْتَعْبَدًا. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ ابْنَ الْحَسَنِ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ الْمَسَوحِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنِي بِشْرُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَرَآنِي يَوْمًا بَارِدًا، وَعَلَيَّ خُلُقٌ، وَأَنَا أَرْتَعِدُ مِنَ الْبَرْدِ، فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ وَأَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ:

wamina al-futuwwati al-qanāʿatu wa-l-riḍā bi-l-qalīli liʾalā yakūna mustaʿbadan. samiʿtu muḥammada ibna al-ḥasani yaqūlu: ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni ṣāliḥin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdūnin, ḥaddathanā ḥasanun al-masawḥiyyu, ʾakhbaranī bishru bnu al-ḥārithi, waraʾānī yawman bāridan, waʿalayya khuluqun, waʾanā ʾartaʿidu mina al-bardi, fanaẓara ʾilayya waʾanshaʾa yaqūlu:

Part of futuwwa is to be content with little, so that one does not become enslaved. I heard Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan say: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ told us: Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdūn told us: Ḥasan al-Masūḥī told us, ‘Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith spoke to me. He saw me one cold day, dressed in worn clothes and trembling. He looked at me and recited:

قَطْعَ اللّيَالِي مَعَ الْأَيّامِ فِي خَلُقٍ ... وَالنّوْمُ تَحْتَ رَوَاقِ الْهَمّ وَالْقَلْقُ

qaṭʿa al-lyālī maʿa al-ʾayyāmi fī khaluqin ... wa-l-nwmu taḥta rawāqi al-hamm wa-l-qalqu

To pass the nights and days in threadbare clothes, / to sleep beneath a canopy of worry and unease,

أَحْرَى وَأَعْذَرَ بِي مِنْ أَنْ يُقَالَ غَدًا ... إنِّي الْتَمَسْت الْغِنَى مِنْ كَفٍّ مُخْتَلِقً

ʾaḥrā waʾaʿdhara bī min ʾan yuqāla ghadan ... ʾinnī al-tamast al-ghinā min kaffin mukhtaliqan

would be more fitting, and leave me less to answer for, / than to be told tomorrow: “You sought riches from the hand of a created being.”

قَالُوا رَضِيت بِذِي قُلْت الْقُنُوعُ غِنًى ... لَيْسَ الْغِنَى كَثْرَةَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْوَرِقِ

qālūā raḍīt bidhī qult al-qunūʿu ghinan ... laysa al-ghinā kathrata al-ʾamwāli wa-l-wariqi

They ask, “You are content with this?” I say, “Contentment is wealth; / wealth is not an abundance of money and silver.”

رَضِيت بِاَللّهِ فِي يَسْرِي وَفِي عَسْرِي ... فَلَسْت أَسْأَلُك إلّا وَاضِحَ الطّرُقِ

raḍīt bi-llāhi fī yasrī wafī ʿasrī ... falast ʾasʾaluk ʾillā wāḍiḥa al-ṭruqi

I am content with God in ease and hardship alike; / I ask of You only a clear path.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ خِصَالٌ عَدَّهَا سَرِيٌّ السَّقَطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِيمَا أَخْبَرَنِي عَنْهُ مُحَمَّدُ ابْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْخَالِدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبْدُوسُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ سَرِي السَّقَطِيَّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: خَمْسُ خِصَالٍ فِيهِنَّ الرَّاحَةُ: تَرْكُ خُلَطَاءِ السُّوءِ، وَالزُّهْدُ فِي النَّاسِ، وَحَلاوَةُ الْعَمَلِ إِذَا غَابَ عَنْ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ،

wamina al-futuwwati khiṣālun ʿaddahā sariyyun al-saqaṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu fīmā ʾakhbaranī ʿanhu muḥammadu ibnu al-ḥasani al-khālidiyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni ṣāliḥin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdūnin, ḥaddathanā ʿubdūsu bnu al-qāsimi, qāla: samiʿtu sarī al-saqaṭiyya raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: khamsu khiṣālin fīhinna al-rāḥatu: tarku khulaṭāʾi al-sūʾi, wa-l-zuhdu fī al-nāsi, waḥalāwatu al-ʿamali ʾidhā ghāba ʿan ʾaʿyuni al-nāsi,

Part of futuwwa consists of the qualities enumerated by Sarī al-Saqaṭī—may God have mercy on him—as related to me by Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Khālidī: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ told us: Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdūn told us: ʿAbdūs ibn al-Qāsim told us, ‘I heard Sarī al-Saqaṭī say: “Five qualities bring relief: leaving bad companions, giving up dependence on people, finding sweetness in deeds done beyond their sight,

وَتَرْكَ الإِزْرَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ حَتَّى لَا يَدْرِيَ أَنَّ أَحَدًا يَعْصِي اللهَ وَيُسْقِطُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ خُمْسًا: الرِّيَاءُ، وَالْجَدَلُ، وَالْمِرَاءُ، وَالتَّصَنُّعُ، وَحَبَّ الْمَنْزِلَةِ. وَيَسْتَرِيحُ مِنْ خَمْسٍ: مِنَ الْبُخْلِ، وَالْحِرْصِ، وَالْغَضَبِ، وَالطَّمَعِ، وَالشَّرَهِ.

watarka al-ʾizrāʾa ʿalā al-nāsi ḥattā lā yadriya ʾanna ʾaḥadan yaʿṣī Allāha wayusqiṭu ʿan nafsihi khumsan: al-riyāʾu, wa-l-jadalu, wa-l-mirāʾu, wa-l-taṣannuʿu, waḥabba al-manzilati. wayastarīḥu min khamsin: mina al-bukhli, wa-l-ḥirṣi, wa-l-ghaḍabi, wa-l-ṭamaʿi, wa-l-sharahi.

and refraining from disparaging others until one scarcely notices anyone’s disobedience to God. One then casts off five things: showing off, contentiousness, quarrelling, pretension, and love of status; and finds relief from five more: miserliness, acquisitiveness, anger, covetousness, and voracity.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَصْحِيحُ الأَفْعَالِ وَالأَحْوَالِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ بْنُ الْخَشَّابِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْفَضْلِ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ ذَا النُّونِ الْمِصْرِيَّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ يَقُولُ: مَنْ صَحَّحَ اسْتَرَاحَ، وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ قَرُبَ، وَمَنْ صَفَا صَفِيٌّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ تَوَكَّلَ وَثِقَ، وَمَنْ تَكَلَّفَ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ ضَيَّعَ مَا يَعْنِيهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati taṣḥīḥu al-ʾafʿāli wa-l-ʾaḥwāli. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-ʿabbāsi bnu al-khashshābi, ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-faḍli al-naysābūriyyu, ḥaddathanā saʿīdu bnu ʿuthmāna, qāla: samiʿtu dhā al-nūni al-miṣriyya raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: man ṣaḥḥaḥa astarāḥa, waman taqarraba qaruba, waman ṣafā ṣafiyyun lahu, waman tawakkala wathiqa, waman takallafa mā lā yaʿnīhi ḍayyaʿa mā yaʿnīhi.

Part of futuwwa is to put one’s actions and spiritual states in order. Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn al-Khashshāb informed us: Abū al-Faḍl al-Nīsābūrī told us: Saʿīd ibn ʿUthmān told us, ‘I heard Dhū al-Nūn al-Miṣrī—may God have mercy on him—say: “Whoever puts things right finds rest. Whoever draws near is brought near. Whoever becomes pure is treated with purity. Whoever trusts is secure. Whoever burdens himself with what does not concern him neglects what does.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ التَّوَاضُعُ وَهُوَ قَبُولُ الْحَقِّ. وَاسْتِعْمَالُ الْخَلْقِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ

wamina al-futuwwati al-tawāḍuʿu wahuwa qabūlu al-ḥaqqi. wāstiʿmālu al-khalqi. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-ʿabbāsi muḥammadu bnu al-ḥasani bni muḥammadi bni khālidin, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni ṣāliḥin, ḥaddathanā ibnu

Part of futuwwa is humility: accepting the truth and practicing good character. Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn Khālid informed us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ told us: Ibn [continued from another edition below]

يَزْدَانِيَارَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ هَارُونَ، قَالَ: سُئِلَ الْفُضَيْلُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوَاضُعِ، فَقَالَ: «أَنْ يَخْضَعَ لِلْحَقِّ وَيَنْقَادَ لَهُ وَيَقْبَلَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَنْ سَمِعَهُ عَنْهُ». وَسُئِلَ عَنِ الْفُتُوَّةِ، فَقَالَ: «اسْتِعْمَالُ الْخُلُقِ مَعَ الْخَلْقِ».

yazdāniyāra, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu jaʿfari bni hārūna, qāla: suʾila al-fuḍaylu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-tawāḍuʿi, faqāla: «ʾan yakhḍaʿa lilḥaqqi wayanqāda lahu wayaqbalahu min kulli man samiʿahu ʿanhu». wasuʾila ʿani al-futuwwati, faqāla: «astiʿmālu al-khuluqi maʿa al-khalqi».

Yazdāniyār told us: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn Hārūn told us: Al-Fuḍayl—may God have mercy on him—was asked about humility. He answered, “It is to submit to the truth, follow it, and accept it from anyone through whom you hear it.” Asked about futuwwa, he answered, “It is to practice good character with other people.”

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يُؤَثِرَ إِخْوَانَهُ بِالرَّاحَاتِ. وَيَحْمِلَ عَنْهُمُ الْمَشَقَّاتُ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ الْمُخَرِّمِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْفَرْغَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الْحَدَّادَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ [يَقُولِ] : بِضْعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً اعْتَقَدْتُ التَّوَكُّلَ، وَأَنَا أَعْمَلُ فِي السُّوقِ، فَآخُذُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ أُجْرَتِي، وَلَا أَسْتَرْوِحُ مِنْهَا إِلَى شَرْبَةِ مَاءٍ، وَلَا إِلَى دَخْلَةِ حَمَّامٍ. وَكُنْتُ أَجِيءُ بِأُجْرَتِي إِلَى الْفُقَرَاءِ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yuʾathira ʾikhwānahu bi-l-rāḥāti. wayaḥmila ʿanhumu al-mashaqqātu. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ʿabbāsi al-mukharrimiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-farghāniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā jaʿfarin al-ḥaddāda raḥimahu Allāhu [yaqūli] : biḍʿa ʿashrata sanatan aʿtaqadtu al-tawakkula, waʾanā ʾaʿmalu fī al-sūqi, faʾākhudhu kulla yawmin ʾujratī, walā ʾastarwiḥu minhā ʾilā sharbati māʾin, walā ʾilā dakhlati ḥammāmin. wakuntu ʾajīʾu biʾujratī ʾilā al-fuqarāʾi,

Part of futuwwa is to give one’s brothers comfort and shoulder hardships for them. I heard Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Makhramī say: I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Farghānī say: I heard Abū Jaʿfar al-Ḥaddād—may God have mercy on him—say, ‘For more than ten years I practiced trust in God while working in the market. I took my daily wage but did not use any of it even for a drink of water or a visit to the bathhouse. I brought my wages to the poor

فَأُوَاسِيهِمْ بِهَا فِي الشُّونِيزِيَّةِ وَغَيْرِهَا. وَأَكُونُ عَلَى حَالِي، فَإِذَا جَاءَ الْعِشَاءُ كُنْتَ أَتَقَدَّمُ إِلَى الأَبْوَابِ، أَسَأَلُ كَسْرَاتٍ فَأَفْطَرَ عَلَيْهَا.

faʾuwāsīhim bihā fī al-shūnīziyyati waghayrihā. waʾakūnu ʿalā ḥālī, faʾidhā jāʾa al-ʿishāʾu kunta ʾataqaddamu ʾilā al-ʾabwābi, ʾasaʾalu kasrātin faʾafṭara ʿalayhā.

and shared them with people at al-Shūnīziyya and elsewhere. I continued in this way. When evening came, I went to people’s doors, asked for scraps of bread, and broke my fast on them.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الصَّبْرُ عَلَى مُعَاشَرَةِ الْخَلْقِ وَالاكْتِفَاءِ لِمَنْ لابَدَّ مِنْهُ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ اسْفِنْدِيَارَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلَوَيْهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مُعَاذٍ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: مُعَاشَرَةُ الْخَلْقِ بَلاءٌ، وَفِي الصَّبْرِ فِيهِمْ عَنَاءٌ، فَإِنْ كَانَ لابُدَ، فَاصْحَبِ الأَتْقِيَاءَ، وَتَأَدَّبْ بِآدَابِهِمْ، وَتَخَلَّقْ بِأَخْلاقِهِمْ، تَكُنْ مِنَ الأَبْرَارِ فِي [يُومَ] الْقِيَامَةِ غَدًا.

wamina al-futuwwati al-ṣabru ʿalā muʿāsharati al-khalqi wa-l-aktifāʾi liman lābadda minhu. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna muḥammadi bni asfindiyārāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥasana bna ʿalawayhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu yaḥyā bna muʿādhin raḥimahumu Allāhu yaqūlu: muʿāsharatu al-khalqi balāʾun, wafī al-ṣabri fīhim ʿanāʾun, faʾin kāna lābuda, fāṣḥabi al-ʾatqiyāʾa, wataʾaddab biʾādābihim, watakhallaq biʾakhlāqihim, takun mina al-ʾabrāri fī [yūma] al-qiyāmati ghadan.

Part of futuwwa is to bear living with people patiently and keep company only as needed. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Isfandiyārān say: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh—may God have mercy on them—say, ‘Living with people is a trial, and patience with them takes effort. If you must have company, keep company with the God-fearing. Learn their manners and take on their character, and tomorrow, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be among the righteous.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ التَّوَاضُعُ وَتَرْكُ التَّكَبُّرِ مَعَ الإِخْوَانِ. سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَزْوِينِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْمَالِكِيَّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ بَعْضُ الْحُكَمَاءِ: لَيْسَ عُقُوبَاتِ التَّكَبُّرِ أَنْ يَسْتَصْغِرَ النَّاسُ قَدْرَ صَاحِبِهِ وَيَسْتَثْقِلُوا أَمْرَهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-tawāḍuʿu watarku al-takabburi maʿa al-ʾikhwāni. samiʿtu ʿaliyya bna muḥammadin al-qazwīniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-mālikiyya yaqūlu: qāla baʿḍu al-ḥukamāʾi: laysa ʿuqūbāti al-takabburi ʾan yastaṣghira al-nāsu qadra ṣāḥibihi wayastathqilūā ʾamrahu.

Part of futuwwa is to be humble and give up arrogance toward one’s companions. I heard ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Qazwīnī say: I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Mālikī say: A sage said, ‘The penalty for arrogance is not merely that people think little of the arrogant person’s standing and find his conduct tiresome.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ إِتْمَامُ الصَّنِيعَةِ إِذَا ابْتَدَأَتْ بِهِ. أَنْشَدَنِي سَعِيدٌ الْمَعْدَانِيُّ لأَبِي الْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْفَضْلِ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾitmāmu al-ṣanīʿati ʾidhā abtadaʾat bihi. ʾanshadanī saʿīdun al-maʿdāniyyu lʾabī al-ḥasani bni ʾabī al-faḍli:

Part of futuwwa is to finish an act of kindness once you have begun it. Saʿīd al-Maʿdānī recited these verses by Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Abī al-Faḍl to me:

بَدَأْت بِفَضْلٍ صَارَ فَرْضًا تَمَامَهُ ... وَأَنْتَ لَمَفْرُوضُ الْعَوَائِدِ عَائِدُ

badaʾt bifaḍlin ṣāra farḍan tamāmahu ... waʾanta lamafrūḍu al-ʿawāʾidi ʿāʾidu

You began a generous act, and completing it has become a duty; / you have always returned to fulfill the obligations of your kindness.

فَاخْطُرْ بِبَالِ مِنْك أَمْرِي فَإِنّهُ ... سَيُبْقِي لَك الشّكْرَ الْأَيَادِي الْخَوَالِدِ

fākhṭur bibāli mink ʾamrī faʾinnhu ... sayubqī lak al-shkra al-ʾayādī al-khawālidi

Let my situation cross your mind: / your lasting favors will earn you lasting thanks.

تَلَطّفُ بِمَا فِيهِ صَلَاحِي وَاتّخَذْ ... يَدًا فَإِنَّ الْأَيَادِيَ فِي الرِّقَابِ الْقَلَائِدِ

talaṭṭfu bimā fīhi ṣalāḥī wāttkhadh ... yadan faʾinna al-ʾayādiya fī al-riqābi al-qalāʾidi

Gently attend to what will put my affairs right, and do me a favor: / good deeds hang like necklaces around the necks of those who receive them.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَزْدَرِيَ بِأَحَدٍ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَخِي، أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: قَامَ بَنَانُ الْحَمَّالِ إِلَى مُخَنَّثٍ، فَأَمَرَهُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمُخَنَّثُ: ارْجِعْ، كَفَاكَ مَا بِكَ وَمَا بِي، وَيْلَكَ. قَالَ: إِنَّكَ خَرَجْتَ مِنْ بَيْتِكَ، وَعِنْدَكَ أَنَّكَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي، يَكْفِيكَ هَذَا.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yazdariya biʾaḥadin mina al-khalqi. samiʿtu ʾabā al-qāsimi jaʿfara bna ʾaḥmada al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾakhī, ʾabā ʿabdi Allāhi yaqūlu: qāma banānu al-ḥammāli ʾilā mukhannathin, faʾamarahu bi-l-maʿrūfi. faqāla lahu al-mukhannathu: arjiʿ, kafāka mā bika wamā bī, waylaka. qāla: ʾinnaka kharajta min baytika, waʿindaka ʾannaka khayrun minnī, yakfīka hādhā.

Part of futuwwa is never to look down on anyone. I heard Abū al-Qāsim Jaʿfar ibn Aḥmad al-Rāzī say: I heard my brother Abū ʿAbd Allāh say, ‘Bunān al-Ḥammāl went up to an effeminate man and urged him to do what was right. The man answered, “Go back. Your own faults and mine are enough for you—shame on you! You left your house thinking you were better than I am. That is trouble enough for you.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَصْدِيقُ الصَّادِقِينَ فِي الإِخْبَارِ عَنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَشَايِخِهِمْ. وَتَرْكُ الإِنْكَارِ عَلَيْهِمْ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ الْمُقْرِئَ يَقُولُ: أَوَائِلُ بَرَكَةِ الدُّخُولِ فِي التَّصَوُّفِ، تَصْدِيقُ الصَّادِقِينَ فِي الإِخْبَارِ عَنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ، وَمَشَايِخِهِمْ بِنِعَمِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَإِظْهَارِ كَرَامَاتِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ.

wamina al-futuwwati taṣdīqu al-ṣādiqīna fī al-ʾikhbāri ʿan ʾanfusihim wamashāyikhihim. watarku al-ʾinkāri ʿalayhim. samiʿtu ʾabā al-qāsimi al-muqriʾa yaqūlu: ʾawāʾilu barakati al-dukhūli fī al-taṣawwufi, taṣdīqu al-ṣādiqīna fī al-ʾikhbāri ʿan ʾanfusihim, wamashāyikhihim biniʿami Allāhi ʿalayhim, waʾiẓhāri karāmātihi ʿalayhim.

Part of futuwwa is to trust truthful people when they speak of themselves and their teachers, without denying their accounts. I heard Abū al-Qāsim al-Muqriʾ say, ‘One of the first blessings of entering the Sufi path is to believe truthful people when they tell of God’s gifts to them and their teachers, and of the extraordinary graces He has shown them.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُقَابَلَةُ جَفْوَةِ الإِخْوَانِ بِالإِحْسَانِ وَالْعَتَبِ بِالاعْتِذَارِ. سَمِعْتُ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ نُصَيْرِ بْنِ مَسْرُوقٍ يَقُولُ: جَفَوْتُ مَرَّةً أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ الْحَدَّادَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ:

wamina al-futuwwati muqābalatu jafwati al-ʾikhwāni bi-l-ʾiḥsāni wa-l-ʿatabi bi-l-aʿtidhāri. samiʿtu ʿubayda Allāhi bna ʿuthmāna bni yaḥyā yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadi bni nuṣayri bni masrūqin yaqūlu: jafawtu marratan ʾabā al-qāsimi al-ḥaddāda raḥimahu Allāhu, fakataba ʾilayya:

Part of futuwwa is to answer a friend’s coldness with kindness and reproach with an apology. I heard ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUthmān ibn Yaḥyā say: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn Naṣīr ibn Masrūq say, ‘Once I treated Abū al-Qāsim al-Ḥaddād—may God have mercy on him—coldly, and he wrote me these lines:

سَتَذْكُرُنِي إذَا جَرَبْت غَيْرِي ... وَتَعْلَمُ أَنّنِي لَك كُنْتُ كَنْزًا

satadhkurunī ʾidhā jarabt ghayrī ... wataʿlamu ʾannnī lak kuntu kanzan

You will remember me when you have tried others, / and know that I was a treasure to you.

بَذَلْتُ لَك الصّفَاءَ بِكُلّ وُدٍّ ... وَكُنْتُ كَمَا هَوَيْتُ، فَصِرْتُ حَزَا

badhaltu lak al-ṣfāʾa bikull wuddin ... wakuntu kamā hawaytu, faṣirtu ḥazā

I gave you my pure friendship with all affection; / I was as you wished, yet came away wounded.

وَهَنْت إذَا عَزَزْت وَكُنْت مِمّنْ ... يَهُونُ إذَا أَخُوهُ عَلَيْهِ عَزَا

wahant ʾidhā ʿazazt wakunt mimmn ... yahūnu ʾidhā ʾakhūhu ʿalayhi ʿazā

I lowered myself as you grew dear to me; / a person grows humble when a brother becomes precious to him.

سَتَنْكِتُ نَادِمًا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنّي ... أَتَعْلَمُ أَنّ رَأْيَك كَانَ عَجْزًا

satankitu nādiman fī al-ʾarḍi minny ... ʾataʿlamu ʾann raʾyak kāna ʿajzan

You will scratch at the earth in regret over me / and realize that your judgment was mistaken.’

فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ، قَالَ: مَا هَزَّزْتُكَ لِلاعْتِذَارِ، لَكِنِ اشْتَمَلْتُ بِكَ إِلَى الْوَفَاءِ.

farajaʿtu ʾilayhi, qāla: mā hazzaztuka lilāʿtidhāri, lakini ashtamaltu bika ʾilā al-wafāʾi.

I returned to him. He said, ‘I did not stir you to make you apologize. I only drew you back into loyal friendship.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ كَرَمُ الصُّحْبَةِ وَالْقِيَامُ بِحُسْنِ الأَدَبِ فِيهَا. وَهُوَ أَنْ يَصْحَبَ مَنْ فَوْقَهُ بِالتَّعْظِيمِ، وَيَصْحَبُ أَشْكَالَهُ بِالْمُوَافَقَةِ وَالأُلْفَةِ، وَيَصْحَبُ مِنْ دُونِهِ بِالْعَطْفِ وَالشَّفَقَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ، وَيَصْحَبُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ بِالْخُضُوعِ وَالْمُطَاوَعَةِ، وَيَصْحَبُ الأَوْلَادَ بِالرَّحْمَةِ، وَحُسْنَ التَّأْدِيبِ، وَيَصْحَبُ الأَهْلَ بِحُسْنِ الْمُدَارَاةِ، وَيَصْحَبُ الأَقَارِبَ بِالْبِرِّ وَالصِّلَةِ، وَيَصْحَبُ الإِخْوَانَ بِصِدْقِ الْمَوَدَّةِ،

wamina al-futuwwati karamu al-ṣuḥbati wa-l-qiyāmu biḥusni al-ʾadabi fīhā. wahuwa ʾan yaṣḥaba man fawqahu bi-l-taʿẓīmi, wayaṣḥabu ʾashkālahu bi-l-muwāfaqati wa-l-ʾulfati, wayaṣḥabu min dūnihi bi-l-ʿaṭfi wa-l-shafaqati wa-l-raḥmati, wayaṣḥabu al-wālidayni bi-l-khuḍūʿi wa-l-muṭāwaʿati, wayaṣḥabu al-ʾawlāda bi-l-raḥmati, waḥusna al-taʾdībi, wayaṣḥabu al-ʾahla biḥusni al-mudārāti, wayaṣḥabu al-ʾaqāriba bi-l-birri wa-l-ṣilati, wayaṣḥabu al-ʾikhwāna biṣidqi al-mawaddati,

Part of futuwwa is generous companionship and good manners in every relationship: to treat those above you with respect, your peers with warmth and understanding, and those below you with tenderness and mercy; to treat your parents with humility and obedience, your children with kindness and sound guidance, your household with consideration, your relatives with care and continued contact, and your friends with sincere affection

وَدَفْعُ الْمَجْهُودِ فِي الْمَحَبَّةِ، وَيَصْحَبُ الْجِيرَانَ بِكَفِّ الأَذَى، وَيَصْحَبُ الْعَامَّةَ بِبَشَاشَةِ الْوَجْهِ، وَلِينِ الْكَفِّ، وَيَصْحَبُ الْفُقَرَاءَ بِتَعْظِيمِ حُرُمَاتِهِمْ وَمَعْرِفَةِ أَقْدَارِهِمْ، وَيَصْحَبُ الأَغْنِيَاءَ بِإِظْهَارِ الِاسْتِغْنَاءِ عَنْهُمْ، وَيَصْحَبُ الْعُلَمَاءُ بِقَبُولِ مَا يُشِيرُونَ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ، وَيَصْحَبُ الأَوْلِيَاءَ بِالتَّذَلُّلِ وَالِانْقِيَادِ لَهُمْ، وَتَرْكُ الإِنْكَارِ عَلَيْهِمْ،

wadafʿu al-majhūdi fī al-maḥabbati, wayaṣḥabu al-jīrāna bikaffi al-ʾadhā, wayaṣḥabu al-ʿāmmata bibashāshati al-wajhi, walīni al-kaffi, wayaṣḥabu al-fuqarāʾa bitaʿẓīmi ḥurumātihim wamaʿrifati ʾaqdārihim, wayaṣḥabu al-ʾaghniyāʾa biʾiẓhāri al-astighnāʾi ʿanhum, wayaṣḥabu al-ʿulamāʾu biqabūli mā yushīrūna bihi ʿalayhi, wayaṣḥabu al-ʾawliyāʾa bi-l-tadhalluli wāliānqiyādi lahum, watarku al-ʾinkāri ʿalayhim,

and wholehearted devotion. Treat neighbors without causing them harm; meet people at large with a cheerful face and a generous hand; honor the dignity and standing of the poor; show the wealthy that you need nothing from them; accept the counsel of scholars; and approach God’s friends with humility, follow their guidance, and refrain from rejecting them.

وَيَجْتَنِبُ فِي أَوْقَاتِهِ صُحْبَةَ الْمُبْتَدِعِينَ وَالْمُدَّعِينَ وَالْمُظْهِرِينَ بِالزُّهْدِ رَغْبَةً فِي اسْتِتْبَاعِ النَّاسِ، وَأَخْذِ مَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ.

wayajtanibu fī ʾawqātihi ṣuḥbata al-mubtadiʿīna wa-l-muddaʿīna wa-l-muẓhirīna bi-l-zuhdi raghbatan fī astitbāʿi al-nāsi, waʾakhdhi mā fī ʾaydīhim.

Avoid spending time with innovators, false claimants, and those who put on a show of renunciation merely to gain followers and take what people possess.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَعْرِفَةُ أَقْدَارِ الرِّجَالِ. سَمِعْتُ جَدِّي يَقُولُ: كَانَ أَبُو عُثْمَانَ يَقُولُ مَنْ جَلَّ مِقْدَارَهُ فِي نَفْسِهِ، جَلَّتْ أَقْدَارُ النَّاسِ عِنْدَهُ. وَمَنْ صَغُرَتْ قَدْرُهُ فِي نَفْسِهِ، صِغُرَ أَقْدَارِ النَّاسِ عِنْدَهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati maʿrifatu ʾaqdāri al-rijāli. samiʿtu jaddī yaqūlu: kāna ʾabū ʿuthmāna yaqūlu man jalla miqdārahu fī nafsihi, jallat ʾaqdāru al-nāsi ʿindahu. waman ṣaghurat qadruhu fī nafsihi, ṣighura ʾaqdāri al-nāsi ʿindahu.

Part of futuwwa is to recognize the worth of others. I heard my grandfather say: Abū ʿUthmān used to say, ‘When a person has a high estimation of his own worth, he holds others in high esteem; when he thinks little of his own worth, he thinks little of others.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَخُونَ الأَصْحَابَ وَالإِخْوَانَ فِيمَا يُفْتَحُ لَهُمْ. سَمِعْتُ مَنْصُورَ ابْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ رَبِيعَ الْكَامِخِيَّ بِالرَّمْلَةِ يَقُولُ: كُنْتُ أُجَالِسُ الْفُقَرَاءَ، فَفَتَحَ عَلَيٌّ بَدُرَيْهِمَاتٍ، فَخَرَجْتُ بِهَا إِلَيْهِمْ، فَخَاطَبَتْنِي نَفْسِي أَنْ آخُذَ مِنْهَا دِرْهَمًا لِنَفْسِي، فَأَخَذْتُ دِرْهَمًا، فَخَرَجْتُ بِهَا إِلَيْهِمْ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ، هَاجَ فِي قَلْبِي شَهْوَةً، فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ، فَدَفَعْتُهَا إِلَى الْبَقَّالِ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yakhūna al-ʾaṣḥāba wa-l-ʾikhwāna fīmā yuftaḥu lahum. samiʿtu manṣūra ibna ʿabdi Allāhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu rabīʿa al-kāmikhiyya bi-l-ramlati yaqūlu: kuntu ʾujālisu al-fuqarāʾa, fafataḥa ʿalayyun badurayhimātin, fakharajtu bihā ʾilayhim, fakhāṭabatnī nafsī ʾan ʾākhudha minhā dirhaman linafsī, faʾakhadhtu dirhaman, fakharajtu bihā ʾilayhim, falammā kāna baʿda ʾayyāmin, hāja fī qalbī shahwatan, fakharajtu ʾilā al-sūqi, fadafaʿtuhā ʾilā al-baqqāli,

Part of futuwwa is not to betray one’s companions when a gift comes one’s way for them. I heard Manṣūr ibn ʿAbd Allāh say: I heard Rabīʿ al-Kāmakhī in Ramla say, ‘I used to sit with the poor. When a few coins came to me, I set out to bring them to my companions. My own self urged me to keep one dirham. I took it and gave them the rest. Days later I felt a craving, went to the market, and handed that coin to a grocer.

فَإِذَا الدِّرْهَمُ قَدْ صَارَ نُحَاسًا، فَرَدَّهَا عَلَيَّ، فَتَرَدَّدْتُ إِلَى السُّوقِ مِرَارًا، كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَرُدُّ عَلَيَّ، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى الأَصْحَابِ، وَقُلْتُ: يَا أَصْحَابَنَا، اجْعَلُونِي فِي حِلٍّ، فَقَدْ غَشِشْتُكُمْ بِهَذَا الدِّرْهَمِ، فَاسْتَلَبُوا الدِّرْهَمَ مِنْ يَدِي، وَخَرَجُوا بِهِ إِلَى السُّوقِ، وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ خُبْزًا وَعِنَبًا، فَجَاءُوا بِهِ، فَجَلَسْنَا وَأَكَلْنَا.

faʾidhā al-dirhamu qad ṣāra nuḥāsan, faraddahā ʿalayya, fataraddadtu ʾilā al-sūqi mirāran, kullu dhālika yaruddu ʿalayya, farajaʿtu ʾilā al-ʾaṣḥābi, waqultu: yā ʾaṣḥābanā, ajʿalūnī fī ḥillin, faqad ghashishtukum bihadhā al-dirhami, fāstalabūā al-dirhama min yadī, wakharajūā bihi ʾilā al-sūqi, wāshtarawā bihi khubzan waʿinaban, fajāʾūā bihi, fajalasnā waʾakalnā.

It had turned to copper, so he gave it back. I tried repeatedly to spend it, and each time it was refused. I went back to my companions and said, “Friends, please forgive me. I cheated you out of this dirham.” They took it from my hand, went to the market, and bought bread and grapes with it. They brought them back, and we sat down and ate together.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ إِسْقَاطُ الْعَجَبِ عَنِ النَّفْسِ جَهْدَهُ. كَذَلِكَ قَالَ إبْرَاهِيمُ الْخَوَّاصُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: الْعَجَبُ يَمْنَعُ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ قَدْرِ النَّفْسِ، وَالْعَجَلَةُ تَمْنَعُ مِنْ إصَابَةِ الْحَقِّ، وَالرِّفْقُ وَالْحَزْمُ يُمْنَعَانِ مِنْ النَّدَامَةِ، وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَاّ بِاَللَّهِ.

wamin al-futuwwati ʾisqāṭu al-ʿajabi ʿani al-nafsi jahdahu. kadhalika qāla ʾibrāhīmu al-khawwāṣṣu raḥimahu Allāhu: al-ʿajabu yamnaʿu min maʿrifati qadri al-nafsi, wa-l-ʿajalatu tamnaʿu min ʾiṣābati al-ḥaqqi, wa-l-rifqu wa-l-ḥazmu yumnaʿāni min al-nadāmati, walā quwwata ʾilā bi-llāhi.

Part of futuwwa is to strive to cast off self-admiration. Ibrāhīm al-Khawwāṣ—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Self-admiration prevents you from knowing your own measure; haste prevents you from finding what is right; gentleness and good judgment guard against regret. There is no strength except through God.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا تُلْجِئَ إِخْوَانَكَ إِلَى الاعْتِذَارِ، سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الدَّامِغَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلَوَيْهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مُعَاذٍ الرَّازِيَّ رَحِمَهُ [اللَّهُ] يَقُولُ: لَيْسَ بِصِدِّيقٍ مَنْ أَلْجَأَكَ إِلَى الاِعْتِذَارِ، وَلَيْسَ بِصِدِيقِ مَنْ لَمْ يُعْطِكَ قَبْلَ السُّؤَالِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā tuljiʾa ʾikhwānaka ʾilā al-aʿtidhāri, samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna muḥammadin al-dāmighāniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥasana bna ʿalawayhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu yaḥyā bna muʿādhin al-rāziyya raḥimahu [Allāhu] yaqūlu: laysa biṣiddīqin man ʾaljaʾaka ʾilā al-iʿtidhāri, walaysa biṣidīqi man lam yuʿṭika qabla al-suʾāli.

Part of futuwwa is never to put a friend in a position where they must apologize. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Dāmghānī say: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh al-Rāzī—may God have mercy on him—say, ‘Someone who makes you apologize is no friend; nor is someone who fails to give before you have to ask.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُجَانَبَةُ الْحَسَدِ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّصْرَآبَاذِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ يَقُولُ: مِنْ عَلامَةِ الْفِتْيَانِ أَنْ لَا يَحْسُدُوا أَحَدًا عَلَى مَا أَتَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ، وَلَا يُعِيرُوا أَحَدًا عَلَى ذَنْبٍ، مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُبْلِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِمِثْلِهِ. وَأَنْ يَرْضَوْا بِمَا قَضَى اللَّهُ لَهُمْ وَعَلَيْهِمْ.

wamina al-futuwwati mujānabatu al-ḥasadi, samiʿtu ʾabā al-qāsimi ʾibrāhīma bna muḥammadin al-naṣraʾābādhiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿabda al-Raḥmāni bna ʾabī ḥātimin yaqūlu: min ʿalāmati al-fityāni ʾan lā yaḥsudūā ʾaḥadan ʿalā mā ʾatāhu Allāhu min faḍlihi, walā yuʿīrūā ʾaḥadan ʿalā dhanbin, makhāfata ʾan yubliyahumu Allāhu bimithlihi. waʾan yarḍawā bimā qaḍā Allāhu lahum waʿalayhim.

Part of futuwwa is to avoid envy. I heard Abū al-Qāsim Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad al-Naṣrābādhī say: I heard ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim say, ‘One sign of people of futuwwa is that they envy no one for a favor God has given, shame no one for a sin lest God test them with the same, and accept what God decrees both for and against them.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِعْمَالُ الأَخْلاقِ الْجَمِيلَةِ. سَمِعْتُ النَّصْرَ آبَاذِي يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ بَعْضَ فِتْيَانِنَا يَقُولُ: حُسْنُ الْخَلْقِ هُوَ التَّمَسُّكُ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ، وَاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَليهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبَسْطِ الْوَجْهِ، وَكَفِّ الأَذَى، وَبَذْلِ الْمَعْرُوفِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي اخْتَارَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِنَبِيِّهِ عَلَيه السَّلامُ، بِقَوْلِهِ: {خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ} .

wamina al-futuwwati astiʿmālu al-ʾakhlāqi al-jamīlati. samiʿtu al-naṣra ʾābādhī yaqūlu: samiʿtu baʿḍa fityāninā yaqūlu: ḥusnu al-khalqi huwa al-tamassuku bikitābi Allāhi, wāttibāʿi sunnati rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalyhi wasallama, wabasṭi al-wajhi, wakaffi al-ʾadhā, wabadhli al-maʿrūfi, wahuwa alladhī akhtārahu Allāhu taʿālā linabiyyihi ʿalayh al-salāmu, biqawlihi: {khudhi al-ʿafwa waʾmur bi-l-ʿurfi waʾaʿriḍ ʿani al-jāhilīna} .

Part of futuwwa is to cultivate beautiful character. I heard al-Naṣrābādhī say: I heard one of our young companions say, ‘Good character means holding fast to God’s Book, following the practice of the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—meeting others with an open face, refraining from harm, and doing good. It is the character God chose for His Prophet when He said: “Accept what people readily offer, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَا ذَكَرَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْوَرَّاقُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ. قَالَ: كَانَ الْفِتْيَانُ فِي الزَّمَنِ الأَوَّلِ يَمْدَحُونَ الإِخْوَانَ وَيُذَمُّونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ، فَالْيَوْمَ يَمْدَحُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَيُذَمُّونَ إِخْوَانَهُمْ. وَكَانُوا يَخْتَارُونَ لِلإِخْوَانِ التَّنَعُّمَ وَالرَّاحَةَ، وَلأَنْفُسِهِمُ الشِّدَّةَ وَالْمُكَابَدَةَ. وَالآنَ يَخْتَارُونَ لِلإِخْوَانِ الشِّدَّةَ وَلأَنْفُسِهِمُ التَّنَعُّمَ وَالرَّاحَةَ.

wamina al-futuwwati mā dhakarahu ʾabū bakrin al-warrāqu raḥimahu Allāhu. qāla: kāna al-fityānu fī al-zamani al-ʾawwali yamdaḥūna al-ʾikhwāna wayudhammūna ʾanfusahum, fa-l-yawma yamdaḥūna ʾanfusahum wayudhammūna ʾikhwānahum. wakānūā yakhtārūna lilʾikhwāni al-tanaʿʿuma wa-l-rāḥata, walʾanfusihimu al-shiddata wa-l-mukābadata. wa-l-ʾāna yakhtārūna lilʾikhwāni al-shiddata walʾanfusihimu al-tanaʿʿuma wa-l-rāḥata.

Part of futuwwa is what Abū Bakr al-Warrāq—may God have mercy on him—described: ‘In earlier times, people of futuwwa praised their friends and criticized themselves; today they praise themselves and criticize their friends. They used to choose comfort and ease for their friends and hardship and effort for themselves. Now they choose hardship for their friends and comfort for themselves.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَشْتَغِلَ الإِنْسَانُ بِوَقْتِهِ دُونَ ذِكْرِ مَا مَضَى. وَمَا هُوَ آتٍ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ يَحْيَى يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ الْخُلَدِيَّ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ شَاهَوَيْهِ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، قَالَ: حَسْرَةُ أُمُورٍ مَضَتْ، وَتَدْبِيرُ أُمُورٍ بَقِيَتْ، أَذْهَبْتُ بِبَرَكَةِ عُمْرِكَ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yashtaghila al-ʾinsānu biwaqtihi dūna dhikri mā maḍā. wamā huwa ʾātin. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna yaḥyā yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara al-khuladiyya yaqūlu: ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-faḍli, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu shāhawayhi, ḥaddathanā yaḥyā bnu muʿādhin raḥimahu Allāhu, qāla: ḥasratu ʾumūrin maḍat, watadbīru ʾumūrin baqiyat, ʾadhhabtu bibarakati ʿumrika.

Part of futuwwa is to attend to the present instead of dwelling on the past or the future. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Yaḥyā say: I heard Jaʿfar al-Khuldī say: Muḥammad ibn al-Faḍl told us: Aḥmad ibn Shāhawayh told us: Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh—may God have mercy on him—told us, ‘Regret over what is past and schemes for what is yet to come have taken the blessing out of your life.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَا سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ يَحْيَى، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ خَلَفٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ شَاهَوَيْهِ، سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مُعَاذٍ يَقُولُ: ثَلاثُ خِصَالٍ تَصْلُحُ لَكَ أَعْمَالَكَ وَأَخْلاقُكَ، أَنْ تُلاحِظَ الأَغْنِيَاءُ بِعَيْنِ النَّصِيحَةِ لَا بِعَيْنِ الْبَغْيِ، وَتَلاحِظُ الْفُقَرَاءُ بِعَيْنِ التَّوَاضُعِ لَا بِعَيْنِ الْكِبَرِ، وَتَلاحِظُ النِّسَاءُ بِعَيْنِ الشَّفَقَةِ لَا بِعَيْنِ الشَّهْوَةِ.

wamina al-futuwwati mā samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna yaḥyā, qāla: samiʿtu jaʿfara yaqūlu: ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-faḍli, ʿan ʾaḥmada bni khalafin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾaḥmada bna shāhawayhi, samiʿtu yaḥyā bna muʿādhin yaqūlu: thalāthu khiṣālin taṣluḥu laka ʾaʿmālaka waʾakhlāquka, ʾan tulāḥiẓa al-ʾaghniyāʾu biʿayni al-naṣīḥati lā biʿayni al-baghyi, watalāḥiẓu al-fuqarāʾu biʿayni al-tawāḍuʿi lā biʿayni al-kibari, watalāḥiẓu al-nisāʾu biʿayni al-shafaqati lā biʿayni al-shahwati.

Part of futuwwa is what I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Yaḥyā say: I heard Jaʿfar say: Muḥammad ibn al-Faḍl told us, from Aḥmad ibn Khalaf, who said: I heard Aḥmad ibn Shāhawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh say, ‘Three habits put your actions and character right: look upon the wealthy with a wish for their good, never with resentment; upon the poor with humility, never with pride; and upon women with compassion, never with lust.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الإِنْفَاقُ عَلَى الإِخْوَانِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْكَتَّانِيَّ يَقُولُ: كُلُّ نَفَقَةِ الْعَبْدِ يَسْأَلُ عَنْهَا، إِلَاّ نَفَقَةَ الأَخِ عَلَى أَخِيهِ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْتَحِي أَنْ يَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهَا.

wamina al-futuwwati al-ʾinfāqu ʿalā al-ʾikhwāni. samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-kattāniyya yaqūlu: kullu nafaqati al-ʿabdi yasʾalu ʿanhā, ʾilā nafaqata al-ʾakhi ʿalā ʾakhīhi, faʾinna Allāha yastaḥī ʾan yasʾalahu ʿanhā.

Part of futuwwa is to spend on one’s friends. I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Kattānī say, ‘A person will be questioned about every expense except what one friend spends on another. God is too gracious to question him about that.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الشَّفَقَةُ عَلَى الْمُطِيعِينَ وَالْعُصَاةِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الْحَرْبِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الأُطْرُوشَ يَقُولُ: كُنَّا قُعُودًا مَعَ مَعْرُوفٍ الْكَرْخِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى الدِّجْلَةِ، إِذْ مَرَّ بِنَا قَوْمٌ أَحْدَاثٌ فِي سِمَارِيَّةٍ يَلْعَبُونَ وَيَضْرِبُونَ بِالدُّفِّ، وَيَشْرَبُونَ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ: يَا أَبَا مَحْفُوظٍ أَمَا تَرَى إِلَى هَؤُلاءِ فِي هَذَا الْبَحْرِ يَعْصُونَ رَبَّهُمْ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-shafaqatu ʿalā al-muṭīʿīna wa-l-ʿuṣāti. samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi bni shādhāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-ḥarbiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾibrāhīma al-ʾuṭrūsha yaqūlu: kunnā quʿūdan maʿa maʿrūfin al-karkhiyyi raḥimahu Allāhu ʿalā al-dijlati, ʾidh marra binā qawmun ʾaḥdāthun fī simāriyyatin yalʿabūna wayaḍribūna bi-l-duffi, wayashrabūna, faqāla baʿḍu ʾaṣḥābihi: yā ʾabā maḥfūẓin ʾamā tarā ʾilā haʾulāʾi fī hādhā al-baḥri yaʿṣūna rabbahum.

Part of futuwwa is compassion for the obedient and the disobedient alike. I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Shādhān say: I heard Abū Bakr al-Ḥarbī say: I heard Ibrāhīm al-Aṭrash say, ‘We were sitting with Maʿrūf al-Karkhī—may God have mercy on him—beside the Tigris when some young men passed by in a boat, playing, beating a tambourine, and drinking. One of his companions said, “Abū Maḥfūẓ, do you not see these men disobeying their Lord out on the river?

ادعُ اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِمْ. قَالَ:

adʿu Allāha ʿalayhim. qāla:

Pray against them!” He replied—

فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، وَقَالَ: إِلَهِي وَسَيِّدِي أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَفْرَحَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ، كَمَا فَرَّحْتَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا. فَقَالَ لَهُ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ: إِنَّمَا قُلْنَا ادْعُ اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِمْ. فَقَالَ: إِخْوَانِي، إِذَا فَرِحَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ، تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

farafaʿa yadahu ʾilā al-samāʾi, waqāla: ʾilahī wasayyidī ʾasʾaluka ʾan tafraḥahum fī al-ʾākhirati, kamā farraḥtahum fī al-dunyā. faqāla lahu baʿḍu ʾaṣḥābihi: ʾinnamā qulnā adʿu Allāha ʿalayhim. faqāla: ʾikhwānī, ʾidhā fariḥahum fī al-ʾākhirati, tāba ʿalayhim.

then raised his hands to heaven and said, “My God and Master, I ask You to make them joyful in the next life as You have made them joyful in this one.” One of his companions said, “We meant for you to pray against them!” He answered, “Brothers, if He makes them joyful in the next life, He will first lead them to repentance.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ تَنْسَى مَعْرُوفَكَ عِنْدَ إِخْوَانِكَ. وَتَعْرِفُ مَقَادِيرَهُمْ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ إِسْحَاقَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ يَقُولُ: قُلْتُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ الْوَرَّاقِ وَقْتُ مُفَارَقَتِي إِيَّاهُ: مَنْ أَصْحَبُ؟ قَالَ: اصْحَبْ مَنْ يَنْسَى مَعْرُوفَهُ عِنْدَكَ، وَإِيَّاكَ وَمَنْ يَحْفَظُ مَسَاوِئَكَ، وَيُعَدِّدْ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ لِيُلاقِيَكَ أَوْ يَقُولَ ذَلِكَ فِيكَ، وَلَا تَصْحَبْ مِنْ قَدْرِكَ عِنْدَهُ عَلَى قَدْرِ حَاجَتِهِ إِلَيْكَ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan tansā maʿrūfaka ʿinda ʾikhwānika. wataʿrifu maqādīrahum. samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin muḥammada bna ʿabdi al-ʿazīzi yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā al-qāsimi ʾisḥāqa bna muḥammadin yaqūlu: qultu lʾabī bakrin al-warrāqi waqtu mufāraqatī ʾiyyāhu: man ʾaṣḥabu? qāla: aṣḥab man yansā maʿrūfahu ʿindaka, waʾiyyāka waman yaḥfaẓu masāwiʾaka, wayuʿaddid dhālika ʿalayka liyulāqiyaka ʾaw yaqūla dhālika fīka, walā taṣḥab min qadrika ʿindahu ʿalā qadri ḥājatihi ʾilayka.

Part of futuwwa is to forget the favors you have done for your friends and appreciate their worth. I heard Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz say: I heard Abū al-Qāsim Isḥāq ibn Muḥammad say, ‘As I was leaving Abū Bakr al-Warrāq, I asked, “Whose company should I keep?” He replied, “Keep company with someone who forgets the favors he has done you. Beware of a person who remembers your faults and recites them to your face or speaks of them behind your back. And do not befriend someone who values you only as long as he needs you.”’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يُرَاعِيَ الْعَبْدُ سِرَّهُ وَبَاطِنُهُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مُرَاعَاةِ ظَاهِرِهِ لأنَّ السِّرَّ مَوْضِعُ نَظَرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَالظَّاهِرُ مَوْضِعُ نَظَرِ الْخَلْقِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا يَعْقُوبَ السُّوسِيَّ يَقُولُ: مِنْ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَجْتَهِدُ فِي حِفْظِ لِسَانِهِ خَمْسِينَ سَنَةً أَنْ يَجْرِيَ عَلَيْهِ لَحْنٌ، وَلَا يُحْفَظُ سِرَّهُ حَتَّى لَا يَجْرِيَ عَلَيْهِ لَحْنٌ، وَالْمَغْبُونُ مَنْ يَكُونُ هَذِهِ صِفَتَهُ.

wamin al-futuwwati ʾan yurāʿiya al-ʿabdu sirrahu wabāṭinuhu ʾakthara min murāʿāti ẓāhirihi lʾnna al-sirra mawḍiʿu naẓari Allāhi taʿālā wa-l-ẓāhiru mawḍiʿu naẓari al-khalqi. samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā yaʿqūba al-sūsiyya yaqūlu: min al-nāsi man yajtahidu fī ḥifẓi lisānihi khamsīna sanatan ʾan yajriya ʿalayhi laḥnun, walā yuḥfaẓu sirrahu ḥattā lā yajriya ʿalayhi laḥnun, wa-l-maghbūnu man yakūnu hādhihii ṣifatahu.

Part of futuwwa is to watch over one’s inner life even more carefully than one’s outward conduct: the inward is where God looks, while the outward is where people look. I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard Abū Yaʿqūb al-Sūsī say, ‘Some people spend fifty years guarding their speech against a slip of grammar yet do not guard their innermost self against a slip. What a loss for anyone who lives like that.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الآدَابِ فِي الْعَشَرَةِ. كَمَا قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: عَاشِرُ أَعْدَاءَكَ بِالْعَدْلِ، وَأَصْدِقَاءَكَ بِالْكَرْمِ وَالْوَفَاءِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-ʾādābi fī al-ʿasharati. kamā qāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi: ʿāshiru ʾaʿdāʾaka bi-l-ʿadli, waʾaṣdiqāʾaka bi-l-karmi wa-l-wafāʾi.

Part of futuwwa is to maintain good manners in company. As Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh said, ‘Treat your enemies justly and your friends generously and faithfully.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الأَدَبِ فِي الْخَلَوَاتِ مَعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا نَصْرٍ الأَصْبَهَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَيْرِيَّ يَقُولُ: مَا مَدَدْتُ رِجْلِي فِي الْخَلْوَةِ قَطُّ. وَاسْتِعْمَالُ الآدَابِ مَعَ اللَّهِ أَوْلَى، وَسَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ الْبِسْطَامِيَّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا يَزِيدَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: قُمْتُ لَيْلَةً أُصَلِّي فَعُيَيتُ، فَجَلَسْتُ وَمَدَدْتُ رِجْلِي،

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-ʾadabi fī al-khalawāti maʿa Allāhi taʿālā. samiʿtu ʾabā naṣrin al-ʾaṣbahāniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā muḥammadin al-jurayriyya yaqūlu: mā madadtu rijlī fī al-khalwati qaṭṭu. wāstiʿmālu al-ʾādābi maʿa Allāhi ʾawlā, wasamiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʿumara al-bisṭāmiyya raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabī yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā yazīda raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: qumtu laylatan ʾuṣallī faʿuyaytu, fajalastu wamadadtu rijlī,

Part of futuwwa is to show proper respect when alone with God Most High. I heard Abū Naṣr al-Iṣfahānī say: I heard Abū Muḥammad al-Jurayrī say, ‘I have never stretched out my legs when alone. Good manners before God are all the more fitting.’ I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard ʿUmar al-Bisṭāmī—may God be pleased with him—say: I heard my father say: I heard Abū Yazīd—may God have mercy on him—say, ‘One night I stood to pray and grew tired. I sat down and stretched out my legs.

فَسَمِعْتُ قَائِلاً يَقُولُ أَوْ هَاتِفًا: مَنْ يُجَالِسُ الْمُلُوكَ يَجِبُ أَنْ يُجَالِسَهُمْ بِحُسْنِ الأَدَبِ.

fasamiʿtu qāʾil yaqūlu ʾaw hātifan: man yujālisu al-mulūka yajibu ʾan yujālisahum biḥusni al-ʾadabi.

Then I heard a voice say, “Those who sit with kings must sit with due respect.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الْمَوَدَّةِ الْقَدِيمَةِ. كَذَلِكَ رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ: ((إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ حِفْظَ الْوُدِّ الْقَدِيمِ)) . سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الرَّازِيَّ [يَقُولِ] : سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ نُصَيْرٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَغَازِلِيَّ يَقُولُ: مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ تَدُومَ لَهُ الْمَوَدَّةُ، فَلْيَحِظْ مَوَدَّةَ إِخْوَانِهِ الْقُدَمَاءَ.

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-mawaddati al-qadīmati. kadhalika ruwiya ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasalm ʾannahu qāla: ((ʾinna Allāha yuḥibbu ḥifẓa al-wuddi al-qadīmi)) . samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin al-rāziyya [yaqūli] : samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadi bni nuṣayrin yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā muḥammadin al-maghāziliyya yaqūlu: man ʾarāda ʾan tadūma lahu al-mawaddatu, falyaḥiẓ mawaddata ʾikhwānihi al-qudamāʾa.

Part of futuwwa is to preserve old friendships. The Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—is reported to have said, ‘God loves faithfulness to longstanding affection.’ I heard Abū Bakr al-Rāzī say: I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh say: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn Naṣīr say: I heard Abū Muḥammad al-Maghāzilī say, ‘If you want affection to last, safeguard the affection of your oldest friends.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ سِتْرُ الأَحْوَالِ. كَمَا قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: خَمْسَةُ أَشْيَاءَ فِيهَا جَوْهَرُ النَّفْسِ: فَقِيرٌ يُظْهِرُ الْغِنَى، وَجَائِعٌ يُظْهِرُ الشِّبَعَ، وَمَحْزُونٌ يَظْهَرُ الْفَرَحَ، وَرَجُلٌ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ إِنْسَانٍ عَدَاوَةٌ فَيُظْهَرُ لَهُ الْمَحَبَّةَ، وَرَجُلٌ يَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَيَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَلَا يُظْهِرُ ضَعْفًا.

wamina al-futuwwati sitru al-ʾaḥwāli. kamā qāla sahlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi: khamsatu ʾashyāʾa fīhā jawharu al-nafsi: faqīrun yuẓhiru al-ghinā, wajāʾiʿun yuẓhiru al-shibaʿa, wamaḥzūnun yaẓharu al-faraḥa, warajulun baynahu wabayna ʾinsānin ʿadāwatun fayuẓharu lahu al-maḥabbata, warajulun yaṣūmu al-nahāra wayaqūmu al-layla walā yuẓhiru ḍaʿfan.

Part of futuwwa is to keep one’s private states hidden. Sahl ibn ʿAbd Allāh said, ‘Five kinds of people show nobility of soul: one who is poor but appears self-sufficient; one who is hungry but appears full; one who is grieving but appears cheerful; one who shows goodwill toward a person despite an enmity between them; and one who fasts by day and prays by night without displaying weakness.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُرَاقَبَةُ الظَّاهِرِ وَالْبَاطِنِ. قَالَ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْجُوزَجَانِيُّ: إِنَّ الاِسْتِقَامَةَ: هِيَ إقَامَةُ الْقَلْبِ مَعَ اللَّهِ بِالْمُوَافَقَةِ، وَمُجَاهَدَةُ الظَّاهِرِ بِالْمُخَالَصَةِ.

wamina al-futuwwati murāqabatu al-ẓāhiri wa-l-bāṭini. qāla ʾabū ʿaliyyin al-jūzajāniyyu: ʾinna al-istiqāmata: hiya ʾiqāmatu al-qalbi maʿa Allāhi bi-l-muwāfaqati, wamujāhadatu al-ẓāhiri bi-l-mukhālaṣati.

Part of futuwwa is to watch over both outward conduct and inward life. Abū ʿAlī al-Jūzajānī said, ‘Uprightness means keeping the heart in agreement with God while striving to make one’s outward actions sincere.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُجَانَبَةُ الْهَوَى وَإِزَالَةُ الْمُعَاتَبَةِ لَا تَدَعُ ذِمَامَكَ فِي يَدَيْ هَوَاكَ، فَيَكُونُ قَائِدُكَ إِلَى الظُّلَمَةِ، لِأَنَّهَا خُلِقَتْ مِنَ الظُّلَمَةِ. وَاتَّبَعَ الْعَقْلَ، فَإِنَّ الْعَقْلَ يَقُودُكَ إِلَى الْأَنْوَارِ، وَالْمُوَاصَلَةُ إِلَى الْجَبَّارِ.

wamina al-futuwwati mujānabatu al-hawā waʾizālatu al-muʿātabati lā tadaʿu dhimāmaka fī yaday hawāka, fayakūnu qāʾiduka ʾilā al-ẓulamati, liʾannahā khuliqat mina al-ẓulamati. wāttabaʿa al-ʿaqla, faʾinna al-ʿaqla yaqūduka ʾilā al-ʾanwāri, wa-l-muwāṣalatu ʾilā al-jabbāri.

Part of futuwwa is to avoid selfish desire and set aside reproach. Do not place your reins in the hands of desire: it will lead you into darkness, for it was created from darkness. Follow reason instead; it leads toward light and brings you closer to the Almighty.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَطْهِيرُ الْبَدَنِ مِنَ الْمُخَالَفَاتِ وَتَزْيِينُهَا بِالْمُوَافَقَاتِ. لِذَلِكَ حُكِيَ عَنْ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ الْجُوزَجَانِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: زَيِّنْ نَفْسَكَ بِالْوَرَعِ وَالزُّهْدِ، وَاغْسِلْهَا بِالْخَوْفِ وَالْحُزْنِ، وَأَلْبِسْهَا ثَوَابَ الْحَيَاءِ وَالْحَبِّ، ثُمَّ سَلِّمْهَا إِلَى رَبِّكَ بِالرِّضَا وَالتَّفْوِيضِ لِيَحُوطَهَا لَك.

wamina al-futuwwati taṭhīru al-badani mina al-mukhālafāti watazyīnuhā bi-l-muwāfaqāti. lidhalika ḥukiya ʿan ʾabī ʿaliyyin al-jūzajāniyyi ʾannahu qāla: zayyin nafsaka bi-l-waraʿi wa-l-zuhdi, wāghsilhā bi-l-khawfi wa-l-ḥuzni, waʾalbishā thawāba al-ḥayāʾi wa-l-ḥabbi, thumma sallimhā ʾilā rabbika bi-l-riḍā wa-l-tafwīḍi liyaḥūṭahā lak.

Part of futuwwa is to cleanse the body of disobedience and adorn it with obedience. Abū ʿAlī al-Jūzajānī is reported to have said, ‘Adorn your soul with scrupulousness and detachment. Wash it with fear and sorrow. Clothe it in modesty and love. Then entrust it to your Lord in contentment and surrender, and He will keep it safe for you.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مُجَانَبَةُ قَرْنَاءِ السُّوءِ لِئَلا يَقَعَ فِي بَلِيَّةٍ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ ابْنَ اسْفِنْدِيَارَانَ الدَّامَغَانِيَّ بِهَا يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلَوَيْهِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مُعَاذٍ يَقُولُ: عَلَى قَدْرِ اخْتِلاطِكَ بِخُلَطَاءِ السُّوءِ، تَقَعُ فِي التَّخْلِيطِ. وَمَنْ حَفِظَ ظَاهِرَهُ عَنْ صُحْبَتِهِمْ وَمُخَالَطَتِهِمْ، حَفِظَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بَاطِنَةً أَنْ يَرْغَبَ فِيهِمْ وَيَمِيلَ إِلَيْهِمْ.

wamina al-futuwwati mujānabatu qarnāʾi al-sūʾi liʾalā yaqaʿa fī baliyyatin. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna muḥammadin ibna asfindiyārāna al-dāmaghāniyya bihā yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥasana bna ʿalawayhi yaqūlu: samiʿtu yaḥyā bna muʿādhin yaqūlu: ʿalā qadri akhtilāṭika bikhulaṭāʾi al-sūʾi, taqaʿu fī al-takhlīṭi. waman ḥafiẓa ẓāhirahu ʿan ṣuḥbatihim wamukhālaṭatihim, ḥafiẓa Allāhu ʿalayhi bāṭinatan ʾan yarghaba fīhim wayamīla ʾilayhim.

Part of futuwwa is to avoid bad companions lest you fall into trouble. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Isfandiyārān say in Dāmghān: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh say, ‘The more you mix with bad company, the more confusion you fall into. If you keep your outward life free of their company, God will protect your inner life from longing for them or inclining toward them.’

مِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَبْخَلَ الْعَبْدُ بِدَيْنِهِ. وَيَجُودَ بِمَالِهِ. كَذَلِكَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ ابْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ اسْفِنْدِيَارَانَ الدَّامَغَانِيَّ بِهَا يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلَوَيْهِ، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ مُعَاذٍ الرَّازِيَّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: الْمُؤْمِنُ يُخْدَعُ عَنْ مَالِهِ وَلَا يُخْدَعُ عَنْ دِينِهِ، وَالْمُنَافِقُ يُخْدَعُ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَلَا يُخْدَعُ عَنْ مَالِهِ.

mina al-futuwwati ʾan yabkhala al-ʿabdu bidaynihi. wayajūda bimālihi. kadhalika samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi ibna muḥammadi bni asfindiyārāna al-dāmaghāniyya bihā yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥasana bna ʿalawayhi, yaqūlu: samiʿtu yaḥyā bna muʿādhin al-rāziyya raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: al-muʾminu yukhdaʿu ʿan mālihi walā yukhdaʿu ʿan dīnihi, wa-l-munāfiqu yukhdaʿu ʿan dīnihi walā yukhdaʿu ʿan mālihi.

Part of futuwwa is to guard one’s faith jealously while giving freely of one’s money. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Isfandiyārān say in Dāmghān: I heard al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlawayh say: I heard Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh al-Rāzī—may God have mercy on him—say, ‘A believer may be talked out of his money but cannot be talked out of his faith. A hypocrite may be talked out of his faith but not out of his money.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَخْتَارَ الْعَبْدُ سَيِّدَهُ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَحْوَالِ وَالْعُرُوضِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَلِيٍّ الْبَيْهَقِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ يَحْيَى الصُّولِيَّ يَقُولُ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْمَأْمُونَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ دَخَلَ يَوْمًا دَارَهِ، فَقَالَ لِحَاشِيَتِهِ وَغِلْمَانِهِ: مَنْ أَخَذَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الدَّارِ شَيْئًا فَهِيَ لَهُ. قَالَ: فَعَدَا كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَأَخَذَ مِنْهَا مَا أَمْكَنَهُ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yakhtāra al-ʿabdu sayyidahu ʿalā jamīʿi al-ʾaḥwāli wa-l-ʿurūḍi. samiʿtu ʾabā ʿaliyyin al-bayhaqiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā bakrin muḥammada bna yaḥyā al-ṣūliyya yaqūlu: balaghanī ʾanna ʾamīra al-muʾminīna al-maʾmūna raḥimahu Allāhu dakhala yawman dārahi, faqāla liḥāshiyatihi waghilmānihi: man ʾakhadha min hādhihii al-dāri shayʾan fahiya lahu. qāla: faʿadā kullu wāḥidin minhum, waʾakhadha minhā mā ʾamkanahu,

Part of futuwwa is to choose one’s master over every possession and circumstance. I heard Abū ʿAlī al-Bayhaqī say: I heard Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Ṣūlī say, ‘I was told that one day the Commander of the Faithful, al-Maʾmūn—may God have mercy on him—entered his residence and told his attendants and servants, “Anything you take from this house is yours.” Everyone rushed off and took whatever they could.

وَكَانَ غُلامٌ وَاقِفًا عَلَى رَأْسِهِ لَا يَلْتَفَتُ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَلَا إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِمَّا أَخَذُوهُ. فَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ لِلْغُلامِ: خُذْ أَنْتَ أَيْضًا شَيْئًا. فَقَالَ: حَقِيقَةً تَقُولُهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. إِنَّ مَا أَخَذْتُهُ فَهُوَ لِي؟ فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَقَالَ: فَجَاءَ الْغُلامُ وَعَانَقَ الْمَأْمُونُ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَتَعَلَّقَ بِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَنَا لَا أُرِيدُ غَيْرَكَ، فَأَعْطَاهُ أَضْعَافَ مَا أَخَذَ الْجَمَاعَةَ، وَكَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لَا يَرَى بِهِ أَحَدًا.

wakāna ghulāmun wāqifan ʿalā raʾsihi lā yaltafatu ʾilayhim, walā ʾilā shayʾin mimmā ʾakhadhūhu. faqāla al-maʾmūnu lilghulāmi: khudh ʾanta ʾayḍan shayʾan. faqāla: ḥaqīqatan taqūluhu yā ʾamīra al-muʾminīna. ʾinna mā ʾakhadhtuhu fahuwa lī? faqāla: naʿam. faqāla: fajāʾa al-ghulāmu waʿānaqa al-maʾmūnu ʾamīra al-muʾminīna wataʿallaqa bihi, faqāla: ʾanā lā ʾurīdu ghayraka, faʾaʿṭāhu ʾaḍʿāfa mā ʾakhadha al-jamāʿata, wakāna baʿda dhālika lā yarā bihi ʾaḥadan.

One young servant remained standing beside him, paying no attention to the others or to their prizes. Al-Maʾmūn said, “You, too, should take something.” The boy asked, “Do you truly mean, Commander of the Faithful, that whatever I take is mine?” “Yes,” he said. The boy embraced al-Maʾmūn and held fast to him. “I want no one but you.” The caliph gave him many times what all the others had taken, and thereafter he alone was seen at his side.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَغْفُلَ عَنْ إِخْوَانِهِ فِي وَقْتٍ مِنَ الأَوْقَاتِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yaghfula ʿan ʾikhwānihi fī waqtin mina al-ʾawqāti.

Part of futuwwa is never to forget one’s friends, at any time.

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ

wa-l-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi al-ʿālamīna waṣallā Allāhu ʿalā sayyidinā muḥammadin waʾālihi ʾajmaʿīna

Praise be to God, Lord of all worlds. May God bless our master Muḥammad and all his family.

[الْجُزْءُ الرَّابِعُ مِن الْكِتَابِ الْفُتُوَّةِ]

[al-juzʾu al-rābiʿu min al-kitābi al-futuwwati]

Part Four of Kitāb al-Futuwwa

مِمَّا جَمَعَهُ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ السُّلَمِيُّ

mimmā jamaʿahu al-shaykhu ʾabū ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni muḥammadu bnu al-ḥusayni al-sulamiyyu

Compiled by Shaykh Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Sulamī.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ، وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

bismi Allāhi al-Raḥmāni al-raḥīmi ʿalayhi tawakkaltu, waʾilayhi ʾunību

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. In Him I place my trust, and to Him I turn.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَغْفُلَ عَنْ إِخْوَانِهِ فِي وَقْتٍ مِنْ الأَوْقَاتِ. قَالَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ: الْوَفَاءُ هُوَ إقَامَةُ السِّرِّ عَنْ رَقْدَةِ الْغَفَلَاتِ، وَفَرَاغُ الْهَمِّ عَنْ فُضُولِ الآفَاتِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yaghfula ʿan ʾikhwānihi fī waqtin min al-ʾawqāti. qāla ʾabū muḥammadin al-jurayriyyu: al-wafāʾu huwa ʾiqāmatu al-sirri ʿan raqdati al-ghafalāti, wafarāghu al-hammi ʿan fuḍūli al-ʾāfāti.

Part of futuwwa is never to forget one’s friends. Abū Muḥammad al-Jurayrī said, ‘Loyalty is to keep the innermost self awake from the sleep of heedlessness and free one’s concern from needless distractions.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الاسْتِغْنَاءُ عَنِ النَّاسِ، وَأَنْ لَا يَذِلَّ لَهُمْ بِسَبَبِ طَمَعٍ. لِذَلِكَ قَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَنْ قَبِلَ صِلَتَكَ فَقَدْ بَاعَكَ مُرُوءَتَهُ، وَأَذَلَّ لِقُدْرَتِكَ عِزَّهُ. أَنْشَدَنِي الْقَاضِي أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ لِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ:

wamina al-futuwwati al-astighnāʾu ʿani al-nāsi, waʾan lā yadhilla lahum bisababi ṭamaʿin. lidhalika qāla muʿāwiyatu bnu ʾabī sufyāna raḥimahu Allāhu: man qabila ṣilataka faqad bāʿaka murūʾatahu, waʾadhalla liqudratika ʿizzahu. ʾanshadanī al-qāḍī ʾabū ʿaliyyin al-ḥusaynu bnu ʾaḥmada al-bayhaqiyyu limuḥammadi bni ḥāzimin:

Part of futuwwa is to be independent of others and never humble oneself before them out of greed. Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Whoever accepts your gift has sold you his dignity and surrendered his pride to your power.’ Judge Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad al-Bayhaqī recited these lines by Muḥammad ibn Ḥāzim to me:

لِلُبْسِ ثَوْبَيْنِ بَالِيَيْنِ ... وَطِيّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَتَيْنِ

lilubsi thawbayni bāliyayni ... waṭī yawmin walaylatayni

To wear two threadbare garments / and go hungry for a day and two nights

أَهْوَنُ مِنْ مِنّةٍ لِقَوْمٍ ... أَغَضّ مِنْهَا جُفُونَ عَيْنٍ

ʾahwanu min minntin liqawmin ... ʾaghaḍḍ minhā jufūna ʿaynin

is easier than owing a favor to people / before whom I must lower my eyes in shame.

وَإِني وَإِنْ كُنْت ذَا عِيَالٍ ... قَلِيلِ مَالٍ كَثِيرٍ دِينٍ

waʾiny waʾin kunt dhā ʿiyālin ... qalīli mālin kathīrin dīnin

And though I have a family to support, / little money, and debts aplenty,

لِمُسْتَعَفٍ بِرِزْقِ رَبّي ... حَوَائِجِي بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ

limustaʿafin birizqi rabby ... ḥawāʾijī baynahu wabayna

I seek to make do with my Lord’s provision; / my needs lie between Him and [the line breaks off in the source].

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ السُّرُورُ بِلِقَاءِ الإِخْوَانِ. قَالَ إسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ: لِقَاءُ الإِخْوَانِ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسِيرًا غَنَمٌ كَثِيرٌ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: لِقَاءُ الإِخْوَانِ عَوْنٌ عَلَى الدِّينِ وَمُسَلَاةٌ لِلْهُمُومِ. وَقَالَ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: لَمْ يَبْقَ فِي الدُّنْيَا شَيْءٌ أَسْتَلِذُ بِهِ إِلَاّ لِقَاءَ الإِخْوَانِ.

wamin al-futuwwati al-surūru biliqāʾi al-ʾikhwāni. qāla ʾismāʿīlu bnu ʾumayyata: liqāʾu al-ʾikhwāni waʾin kāna yasīran ghanamun kathīrun. waqāla ibnu al-mubāraki raḥimahu Allāhu: liqāʾu al-ʾikhwāni ʿawnun ʿalā al-dīni wamusalātun lilhumūmi. waqāla sufyānu al-thawriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: lam yabqa fī al-dunyā shayʾun ʾastalidhu bihi ʾilā liqāʾa al-ʾikhwāni.

Part of futuwwa is to rejoice at seeing one’s friends. Ismāʿīl ibn Umayya said, ‘Even a brief meeting with friends is a great gain.’ Ibn al-Mubārak—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Meeting friends strengthens one’s faith and eases one’s worries.’ Sufyān al-Thawrī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘The only pleasure left to me in this world is meeting my friends.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الِابْتِدَاءُ بِالصَّنِيعَةِ قَبْلَ الْمَسْأَلَةِ. قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْعَاصِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: أَحْسَنُ الْمَعْرُوفِ مَا كَانَ ابْتِدَاءً مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ، فَأَمَّا إِذَا أَتَاكَ يَدُورُ دَمُهُ فِي وَجْهِهِ، لَا يَدْرِي أَتُعْطِيهِ أَمْ تَمْنَعُهُ، فَوَاللَّهِ لَوْ خَرَجْتُ لَهُ عَنْ جَمِيعِ مِلْكِكَ، مَا كَانَ مُكَافَأَةً لِذَلِكَ. أَنْشَدَنِي أَبُو ذَرٍّ الْمُنْذِرُ بِالْكُوفَةِ لِبَعْضِهِمْ:

wamina al-futuwwati al-abtidāʾu bi-l-ṣanīʿati qabla al-masʾalati. qāla saʿīdu bnu al-ʿāṣi raḥimahu Allāhu: ʾaḥsanu al-maʿrūfi mā kāna abtidāʾan min ghayri masʾalatin, faʾammā ʾidhā ʾatāka yadūru damuhu fī wajhihi, lā yadrī ʾatuʿṭīhi ʾam tamnaʿuhu, fawālllahi law kharajtu lahu ʿan jamīʿi milkika, mā kāna mukāfaʾatan lidhalika. ʾanshadanī ʾabū dharrin al-mundhiru bi-l-kūfati libaʿḍihim:

Part of futuwwa is to offer help before anyone asks. Saʿīd ibn al-ʿĀṣ—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘The finest favor is one offered without being asked. Once a person comes to you, blood rising to his face as he wonders whether you will give or refuse, by God, even if you handed over all you own, you could not repay what it cost him to ask.’ Abū Dharr al-Mundhir recited this line by an unnamed poet to me in Kufa:

لَعَنَ اللّهُ نَائِلًا أَرْتَجِيهِ ... مِنْ يَدَي مَنْ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَقْتَضِيَهُ

laʿana Allāhu nāʾilan ʾartajīhi ... min yaday man ʾurīdu ʾan ʾaqtaḍiyahu

May a gift be cursed if I can hope for it only / from a hand I must ask for it.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْبِدَارُ إِلَى قَضَاءِ حَوَائِجِ الإِخْوَانِ. قَالَ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: لَيْسَ مِنْ أَخْلَاقِ الْكِرَامِ التَّوَانِي عَنْ قَضَاءِ حَوَائِجِ الإِخْوَانِ إِذَا اسْتَمْكَنَ مِنْهَا. وَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ لِلْفَضْلِ بْنِ الرَّبِيعِ: اغْتَنِمْ قَضَاءَ حَوَائِجَ مَنْ رَفَعَ إِلَيْكَ حَاجَةً، فَإِنَّ الدُّهُورَ أُجُورٌ، وَالْفُلْكُ أَدْوَرُ، وَالْعُمُرُ أَقْصَرُ مِنْ أَنْ يُتِمَّ حَالٌ أَوْ يَدُومَ سُرُورٌ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-bidāru ʾilā qaḍāʾi ḥawāʾiji al-ʾikhwāni. qāla sufyānu al-thawriyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: laysa min ʾakhlāqi al-kirāmi al-tawānī ʿan qaḍāʾi ḥawāʾiji al-ʾikhwāni ʾidhā astamkana minhā. waqāla al-maʾmūnu lilfaḍli bni al-rabīʿi: aghtanim qaḍāʾa ḥawāʾija man rafaʿa ʾilayka ḥājatan, faʾinna al-duhūra ʾujūrun, wa-l-fulku ʾadwaru, wa-l-ʿumuru ʾaqṣaru min ʾan yutimma ḥālun ʾaw yadūma surūrun.

Part of futuwwa is to hurry to meet friends’ needs. Sufyān al-Thawrī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Noble people do not delay helping a friend when they are able.’ Al-Maʾmūn said to al-Faḍl ibn al-Rabīʿ, ‘Seize the chance to meet the needs of anyone who brings you a request. Times can be unjust, fortune turns, and life is too short for any state to be perfected or any happiness to last.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ التَّلَطُّفُ بِالْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْحَيَاءِ مِنَ الأَشْرَافِ. قَالَ الأَعْمَشُ: كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إِذَا [أَتَاهُ] الرَّجُلُ الضَّعِيفُ، أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِذَا أَتَاهُ الشَّرِيفُ اسْتَحْيَى مِنْهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-talaṭṭufu bi-l-fuqarāʾi wa-l-ḥayāʾi mina al-ʾashrāfi. qāla al-ʾaʿmashu: kāna ʾibrāhīmu ʿalayhi al-salāmu ʾidhā [ʾatāhu] al-rajulu al-ḍaʿīfu, ʾaqbala ʿalayhi, waʾidhā ʾatāhu al-sharīfu astaḥyā minhu.

Part of futuwwa is to be gentle with the poor and modest before people of high standing. Al-Aʿmash said, ‘When a person of humble station came to Abraham—peace be upon him—he welcomed him. When a person of rank came, he felt shy before him.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْحُلُمُ عَنِ السَّفِيهِ، وَالصَّفْحُ عَنِ الْمُسِيءِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْمُفِيدُ إِجَازَةً، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْقُرَشِيُّ، سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: أَوْصَى رَجُلٌ ابْنَهُ فَقَالَ: يَا بُنَيَّ، احْلِمْ عَمَّنْ سَفَهَ عَلَيْكَ، وَاصْفَحْ عَمَّنْ أَسَاءَ إِلَيْكَ، وَدَعْ لِلصُّلْحِ مَوْضِعًا لَدَيْكَ، لِيُسَلِّمَ لَكَ أَصْدِقَاؤُكَ، وَيَسْتَحِيَ مِنْكَ أَعْدَاؤُكَ.

wamina al-futuwwati al-ḥulumu ʿani al-safīhi, wa-l-ṣafḥu ʿani al-musīʾi. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū bakrin al-mufīdu ʾijāzatan, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʿīsā al-qurashiyyu, samiʿtu ʾabī yaqūlu: ʾawṣā rajulun abnahu faqāla: yā bunayya, aḥlim ʿamman safaha ʿalayka, wāṣfaḥ ʿamman ʾasāʾa ʾilayka, wadaʿ lilṣṣulḥi mawḍiʿan ladayka, liyusallima laka ʾaṣdiqāʾuka, wayastaḥiya minka ʾaʿdāʾuka.

Part of futuwwa is to be patient with the foolish and forgive those who do you wrong. Abū Bakr al-Mufīd informed us by written authorization: Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā al-Qurashī told us, ‘I heard my father say: A man advised his son, “My son, be patient with anyone who acts foolishly toward you. Forgive anyone who mistreats you and always leave room for reconciliation. Your friends will remain yours, and your enemies will feel ashamed before you.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَمِلَّ إِخْوَانَهُ. وَيَثْبُتُ عَلَى مَوَدَّتِهِ. سَمِعْتُ الشَّيْخَ أَبَا سَهْلٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ سُلَيْمَانَ يَقُولُ: أَنْشَدَنَا ابْنُ الأَنْبَارِيِّ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yamilla ʾikhwānahu. wayathbutu ʿalā mawaddatihi. samiʿtu al-shaykha ʾabā sahlin muḥammada bna sulaymāna yaqūlu: ʾanshadanā ibnu al-ʾanbāriyyi, qāla: ʾanshadanā ʾaḥmadu bnu yaḥyā:

Part of futuwwa is never to tire of one’s friends and to remain steadfast in affection. I heard Shaykh Abū Sahl Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān say: Ibn al-Anbārī recited to us these lines that Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā had recited:

وَلَيْسَ خَلِيلٌ بِالْمَلُولِ وَلَا الّذِي ... إذَا غِبْت عَنْهُ بَاعَنِي بِخَلِيلِ

walaysa khalīlun bi-l-malūli walā alladhī ... ʾidhā ghibt ʿanhu bāʿanī bikhalīli

No friend is one who quickly tires of me, / or trades me for another whenever I am away.

وَلَكِنْ خَلِيلٌ مَنْ يَدُومُ وِصَالَهُ ... وَيَحْفَظُ سَرَي عِنْدَ كُلّ دَخِيلٍ

walakin khalīlun man yadūmu wiṣālahu ... wayaḥfaẓu saray ʿinda kull dakhīlin

A friend is one whose bond endures / and who guards my secrets from every intruder.

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْفَتْحِ الْقَوَّاسَ الزَّاهِدَ بِبَغْدَادَ يَقُولُ: مَنْ مَلَّ إخْوَانَهُ بِلَا سَبَبٍ، فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَوَدَّتَهُ لَمْ تَكُنْ إِلَاّ لِطَمَعٍ.

samiʿtu ʾabā al-fatḥi al-qawwāsa al-zāhida bibaghdāda yaqūlu: man malla ʾikhwānahu bilā sababin, fāʿlam ʾanna mawaddatahu lam takun ʾilā liṭamaʿin.

I heard the ascetic Abū al-Fatḥ al-Qawwās say in Baghdad, ‘If someone tires of his friends without cause, know that his affection was only ever motivated by something he hoped to gain.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَبْدُ شَرِيفَ الْهِمَّةِ فِي أَمْرِ دِينِهِ وَدُنْيَاهُ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ ابْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْخَوَّاصَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: قِيمَةُ كُلِّ امْرِئٍ هِمَّتُهُ فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِمَّتُهُ الدُّنْيَا، فَقِيمَتُهُ لَا شَيْءَ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِمَّتُهُ الآخِرَةَ، فَقِيمَتُهُ جَنَّةٌ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِمَّتُهُ رِضَا اللَّهِ تَعَالَى،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yakūna al-ʿabdu sharīfa al-himmati fī ʾamri dīnihi wadunyāhu. samiʿtu muḥammada ibna ʿabdi Allāhi al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadin al-khawwāṣṣa yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: qīmatu kulli amriʾin himmatuhu faman kānat himmatuhu al-dunyā, faqīmatuhu lā shayʾa, waman kānat himmatuhu al-ʾākhirata, faqīmatuhu jannatun ʿarḍuhā al-samawātu wa-l-ʾarḍu, waman kānat himmatuhu riḍā Allāhi taʿālā,

Part of futuwwa is to aspire to what is noble in both faith and worldly life. I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Rāzī say: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Khawwāṣ say: I heard al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—say, ‘A person’s worth is measured by what they aspire to. If their aim is this world, their worth is nothing. If their aim is the next world, their worth is a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth. If their aim is to please God Most High,

فَلَا قِيمَةَ لَهُ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرَضِينَ غَيْرِ الرِّضْوَانِ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: {وَرِضْوَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ} . قَالَ أَبُو الطَّيِّبِ الشِّيرَازِيُّ: قُلْتُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ الطُّمُسْتَانِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَقْتَ مُفَارَقَتِهِ: أَوْصِنِي. فَقَالَ: الْهِمَّةُ الْهِمَّةُ.

falā qīmata lahu fī al-samawāti wa-l-ʾaraḍīna ghayri al-riḍwāni. qāla Allāhu tabāraka wataʿālā: {wariḍwānun mina Allāhi ʾakbaru} . qāla ʾabū al-ṭayyibi al-shīrāziyyu: qultu lʾabī bakrin al-ṭumustāniyyi raḥimahu Allāhu waqta mufāraqatihi: ʾawṣinī. faqāla: al-himmatu al-himmatu.

nothing in heaven or earth can set a value on them except His good pleasure.’ God, blessed and exalted, says: ‘God’s good pleasure is greater still.’ Abū al-Ṭayyib al-Shīrāzī said, ‘As I was leaving Abū Bakr al-Ṭamastānī—may God have mercy on him—I asked for his advice. He replied, “Keep your aspirations high, keep your aspirations high.”’

أَنْشَدَنِي أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْجَعْفَرِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ لِنَفْسِهِ:

ʾanshadanī ʾabū ʿaliyyin al-jaʿfariyyu al-baṣriyyu, qāla: ʾanshadanī ʾismāʿīlu bnu ʿabbādin linafsihi:

Abū ʿAlī al-Jaʿfarī of Basra recited these lines composed by Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAbbād to me:

وَقَائِلَةٌ لِمَ عِلّتْك الْهُمُومَ ... وَأَمْرُك مُمْتَثِلٌ فِي الْأُمَمَ

waqāʾilatun lima ʿilltk al-humūma ... waʾamruk mumtathilun fī al-ʾumama

A woman asked, ‘Why are you weighed down with cares / when nations obey your command?’

فَقُلْت: ذَرِينِي فِي غَصَّتِي ... فَإِنَّ الْهُمُومَ بِقَدْرِ الْهِمَمِ

faqult: dharīnī fī ghaṣṣatī ... faʾinna al-humūma biqadri al-himami

I said, ‘Leave me to my sorrow: / great cares go with great aspirations.’

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا أَحْمَدَ الْحِيرِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَلِيٍّ الثَّقَفِيَّ يَقُولُ: كُنَّ شَرِيفَ الْهِمَّةِ، فَإِنَّ الْهَمَمَ كَحَمَلَةِ الأَشْيَاءِ لَا النُّفُوسِ، وَأَنْشَدَ:

samiʿtu ʾabā ʾaḥmada al-ḥīriyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā ʿaliyyin al-thaqafiyya yaqūlu: kunna sharīfa al-himmati, faʾinna al-hamama kaḥamalati al-ʾashyāʾi lā al-nufūsi, waʾanshada:

I heard Abū Aḥmad al-Ḥīrī say: I heard Abū ʿAlī al-Thaqafī say, ‘Keep your aspirations high; aspirations bear burdens that bodies cannot.’ He recited:

حَمَلْتُمْ الْقَلْبَ مَا لَا يَحْمِلُ الْبَدَنَ ... وَالْقَلْبُ يَحْمِلُ مَا لَا يَحْمِلُ الْبَدَنَ

ḥamaltum al-qalba mā lā yaḥmilu al-badana ... wa-l-qalbu yaḥmilu mā lā yaḥmilu al-badana

You have laid on the heart what the body cannot bear; / the heart can carry what the body cannot.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَحْفَظَ الْعَبْدُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ هَذِهِ سِتَّةَ الأَشْيَاءِ، وَلَا يُخِلُّ بِوَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهَا: الأَمَانَةُ، وَالصِّيَانَةُ، وَالصِّدْقُ، وَالصَّبْرُ، وَالأَخُ الصَّالِحُ، وَإِصْلَاحُ السَّرِيرَةِ. فَمَنْ ضَيَّعَ وَاحِدَةً مِنْهَا، فَقَدْ خَرَجَ عَنْ حُدُودِ الْيَقِينِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yaḥfaẓa al-ʿabdu ʿalā nafsihi hādhihii sittata al-ʾashyāʾi, walā yukhillu biwāḥidatin minhā: al-ʾamānatu, wa-l-ṣiyānatu, wa-l-ṣidqu, wa-l-ṣabru, wa-l-ʾakhu al-ṣāliḥu, waʾiṣlāḥu al-sarīrati. faman ḍayyaʿa wāḥidatan minhā, faqad kharaja ʿan ḥudūdi al-yaqīni.

Part of futuwwa is to guard six things in oneself without neglecting any: trustworthiness, integrity, truthfulness, patience, a righteous friend, and a sound inner life. Whoever loses one has passed beyond the bounds of certainty.

قَالَ بَعْضُ الْحُكَمَاءِ: مَنْ وَجَدَتْ مِنْهُ هَذِهِ سِتَّةُ الأَشْيَاءِ، فَاحْكُمْ لَهُ بِالْفُتُوَّةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ شَاكِرًا بِقَلِيلِ النِّعْمَةِ، صَابِرًا عَلَى كَثِيرِ الشِّدَّةِ، يُدَارِي الْجَاهِلُ بِحُلْمِهِ، وَيُؤَدِّبُ الْبَخِيلَ بِسَخَاوَتِهِ، وَلَا يَزِيدُ فِيمَا يَعْمَلُهُ لِمَحْمَدَةِ النَّاسِ، وَلَا يَنْقُصُ مِمَّا كَانَ يَعْمَلُ مِنْ قِبَلِ مَذَمَّتِهِمْ. وَقَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ مُعَاذٍ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ: الْفُتُوَّةُ الصَّفَاءُ، ثُمَّ السَّخَاءُ، ثُمَّ الْوَفَاءُ،

qāla baʿḍu al-ḥukamāʾi: man wajadat minhu hādhihii sittatu al-ʾashyāʾi, fāḥkum lahu bi-l-futuwwati al-tāmmati, wahuwa ʾan yakūna shākiran biqalīli al-niʿmati, ṣābiran ʿalā kathīri al-shiddati, yudārī al-jāhilu biḥulmihi, wayuʾaddibu al-bakhīla bisakhāwatihi, walā yazīdu fīmā yaʿmaluhu limaḥmadati al-nāsi, walā yanquṣu mimmā kāna yaʿmalu min qibali madhammatihim. waqāla yaḥyā bnu muʿādhin raḥmatu Allāhi: al-futuwwatu al-ṣafāʾu, thumma al-sakhāʾu, thumma al-wafāʾu,

A sage said, ‘If you find these six qualities in someone, judge that person to possess complete futuwwa: giving thanks for a small blessing; bearing great hardship patiently; meeting ignorance with forbearance; teaching a miser through generosity; doing no more of a deed because people praise it; and doing no less because they blame it.’ Yaḥyā ibn Muʿādh—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Futuwwa begins with purity of heart, then generosity, then faithfulness,

ثُمَّ الحَيَاءُ.

thumma al-ḥayāʾu.

and finally modesty.’

وَقَالَ أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ سَمْعُونٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: الْفُتُوَّةُ أَنْ لَا تَعْمَلَ عَمَلاً فِي السِّرِّ تَسْتَحِي مِنْهُ فِي الْعَلَانِيَةِ. وَقَالَ أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ الْمَالِكِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: الْفُتُوَّةُ كَرَمُ الأَخْلاقِ، وَصَفَاءُ الأَسْرَارِ. وَقَالَ أَبُو عَمْرٍو الدِّمَشْقِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: الْفُتُوَّةُ النَّظَرُ إِلَى الْخَلْقِ بِعَيْنِ الرِّضَا، وَإِلَى نَفْسِكَ بِعَيْنِ السُّخَطِ، وَمَعْرِفَةُ حُقُوقِ مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكَ، وَدُونَكَ، وَمِثْلُكَ،

waqāla ʾabū al-ḥusayni bnu samʿūnin raḥimahu Allāhu: al-futuwwatu ʾan lā taʿmala ʿamal fī al-sirri tastaḥī minhu fī al-ʿalāniyati. waqāla ʾabū al-ḥusayni al-mālikiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: al-futuwwatu karamu al-ʾakhlāqi, waṣafāʾu al-ʾasrāri. waqāla ʾabū ʿamrinw al-dimashqiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: al-futuwwatu al-naẓaru ʾilā al-khalqi biʿayni al-riḍā, waʾilā nafsika biʿayni al-sukhaṭi, wamaʿrifatu ḥuqūqi man huwa fawqaka, wadūnaka, wamithluka,

Abū al-Ḥusayn ibn Samʿūn—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Futuwwa is never doing in private what you would be ashamed to do in public.’ Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Mālikī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Futuwwa is generosity of character and purity of one’s inward life.’ Abū ʿAmr al-Dimashqī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Futuwwa is looking on other people with approval but on yourself with a critical eye, and recognizing the rights of those above you, below you, and equal to you;

وَأَنْ لَا تُعْرِضَ عَنْ إِخْوَانِكَ بِزَلَّةٍ أَوْ جَفْوَةٍ أَوْ بَلاغٍ كَذِبٍ، فَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَخًا مِنْ إِخْوَانِهِ، يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرَى جَفَاءَهُ وَفَاءً، وَإِعْرَاضَهُ إِقْبَالا، وَلَا يَسْخَطَ مِنْهُ حَالا، وَلَا خَلْقًا، فَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ هَكَذَا، كَانَتْ مَحَبَّتُهُ مَدْخُولَةً. أَنْشَدَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الرَّازِيُّ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنَا ابْنُ الأَنْبَارِيِّ:

waʾan lā tuʿriḍa ʿan ʾikhwānika bizallatin ʾaw jafwatin ʾaw balāghin kadhibin, faman ʾaḥabba ʾakhan min ʾikhwānihi, yajibu ʿalayhi ʾan yarā jafāʾahu wafāʾan, waʾiʿrāḍahu ʾiqbālā, walā yaskhaṭa minhu ḥālā, walā khalqan, faʾidhā lam yakun hakadhā, kānat maḥabbatuhu madkhūlatan. ʾanshadanā ʾabū saʿīdin al-rāziyyu, qāla: ʾanshadanā ibnu al-ʾanbāriyyi:

never turning away from your friends because of a slip, a cold response, or a false report. Whoever loves a friend should regard even coldness as loyalty and withdrawal as an approach, and be displeased with neither the friend’s state nor character. Otherwise the love is flawed.’ Abū Saʿīd al-Rāzī recited to us these verses that Ibn al-Anbārī had recited:

سَأُلْزِمُ نَفْسِي الصّفْحَ عَنْ كُلّ مُجْرِمٍ ... وَإِنْ كَثُرَتْ مِنْهُ عَلَيّ الْجَرَائِمِ

saʾulzimu nafsī al-ṣfḥa ʿan kull mujrimin ... waʾin kathurat minhu ʿalayy al-jarāʾimi

I will train myself to forgive every offender, / however many wrongs they have done me.

فَمَا النَّاسُ إِلا وَاحِدٌ مِنْ ثَلاثَةٍ ... شَرِيفٌ، وَمَشْرُوفٌ، وَمِثْلُ مَقَاوِمٍ

famā al-nāsu ʾilā wāḥidun min thalāthatin ... sharīfun, wamashrūfun, wamithlu maqāwimin

People are only of three kinds: / those above me, those below me, and my equals.

فَأَمّا الّذِي فَوقِي فَأَعْرِفُ قَدْرَهُ ... وَأُلْزِمُ نَفْسِي الْحَقّ، وَالْحَقّ لازِمُ

faʾammā alladhī fawqī faʾaʿrifu qadrahu ... waʾulzimu nafsī al-ḥaqq, wa-l-ḥaqq lāzimu

For those above me I recognize their station / and bind myself to what is right, as right requires.

وَأَمّا الّذِي مِثْلِي فَإِنْ زَالَ أَوْ هَفَا ... عَلِمْت بِأَنّ الْحُكْمَ لِلْفَضْلِ حَاكِمٌ

waʾammā alladhī mithlī faʾin zāla ʾaw hafā ... ʿalimt biʾann al-ḥukma lilfaḍli ḥākimun

If my equal slips or falters, / I let generosity be the judge.

وَأَمّا الّذِي دُونِي فَإِنْ قَالَ، صُنْت عَنْ ... مَقَالَتِهُ عَرْضِي وَإِنْ لَامَ لَائِمِ

waʾammā alladhī dūnī faʾin qāla, ṣunt ʿan ... maqālatihu ʿarḍī waʾin lāma lāʾimi

And if one below me speaks against me, I preserve my honor / by leaving his words unanswered, however others blame me.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يُكَافِئَ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ مِثْلَهُ. لأنَّهُ لَا جَزَاءَ لِلْمَوَدَّةِ إِلَاّ الْمَوَدَّةَ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْمُفِيدُ إِجَازَةً، حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الرِّبْعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفِهْرِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، قَالَ: مَنْ جَمَعَ لَكَ مَعَ الْمَوَدَّةِ الصَّافِيَةِ رَأْيًا حَسَنًا، فَاجْمَعْ لَهُ مَعَ الْمَوَدَّةِ الْخَالِصَةِ طَاعَةً لازِمَةً.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yukāfiʾa bi-l-mawaddati mithlahu. lʾnnahu lā jazāʾa lilmawaddati ʾilā al-mawaddata. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū bakrin al-mufīdu ʾijāzatan, ḥaddathanā al-ḥusaynu bnu ʾismāʿīla al-ribʿiyyu, ḥaddathanā al-fihriyyu, ʿani ibni al-mubāraki raḥimahu Allāhu, qāla: man jamaʿa laka maʿa al-mawaddati al-ṣāfiyati raʾyan ḥasanan, fājmaʿ lahu maʿa al-mawaddati al-khāliṣati ṭāʿatan lāzimatan.

Part of futuwwa is to return another’s affection with affection; love deserves love in return. Abū Bakr al-Mufīd informed us by authorization: al-Ḥusayn ibn Ismāʿīl al-Rabʿī told us: al-Fihrī told us, from Ibn al-Mubārak—may God have mercy on him—who said, ‘If someone offers you both sincere affection and wise counsel, offer sincere affection in return and heed that counsel faithfully.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الشَّفَقَةُ عَلَى الإِخْوَانِ فِي كُلِّ الأَحْوَالِ، كَذَلِكَ سُئِلَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الشَّفَقَةِ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ، فَقَالَ: أَنْ تُعْطِيَهُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ مَا يَطْلُبُونَ، وَلَا تَحْمِلُهُمْ مَا لَا يُطِيقُونَ، وَلَا تُخَاطِبْهُمْ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ. وَسُئِلَ بَعْضُهُمْ: كَيْفَ شَفَقَتُكَ عَلَى إِخْوَانِكَ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ الذُّبَابَ لَيَسْقُطُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ، فَأَجِدُ لِذَلِكَ أَلَمًا. وَأَنْشَدْتُ فِي مَعْنَاهُ:

wamina al-futuwwati al-shafaqatu ʿalā al-ʾikhwāni fī kulli al-ʾaḥwāli, kadhalika suʾila al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu ʿani al-shafaqati ʿalā al-khalqi, faqāla: ʾan tuʿṭiyahum min nafsika mā yaṭlubūna, walā taḥmiluhum mā lā yuṭīqūna, walā tukhāṭibhum bimā lā yaʿlamūna. wasuʾila baʿḍuhum: kayfa shafaqatuka ʿalā ʾikhwānika? faqāla: ʾinna al-dhubāba layasquṭu ʿalā wajhihi, faʾajidu lidhalika ʾalaman. waʾanshadtu fī maʿnāhu:

Part of futuwwa is compassion for friends in every circumstance. Al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—was asked about compassion for people. He said, ‘Give them of yourself what they need; do not burden them beyond their strength or speak to them of things they cannot understand.’ Asked about his compassion for friends, another man said, ‘If a fly lands on a friend’s face, I feel the pain of it.’ These verses were recited to me on the same theme:

وَأَشْفَقَ أَنْ تَمْشِيَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ غَيْرَةً ... فَلَيْتَك خَدّي مَا حَيِيت وَطِيّتَا

waʾashfaqa ʾan tamshiya ʿalā al-ʾarḍi ghayratan ... falaytak khaddy mā ḥayīt waṭītā

I am so protective that I begrudge the ground beneath your feet; / I wish you had walked on my cheek all my life instead.

سُئِلَ رُوَيْمٌ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: كَيْفَ شَفَقَتُكَ عَلَى إِخْوَانِكَ؟ فَقَالَ: يَا أَخِي، اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ مَا سَرَّنِي شَيْءٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا إِلا سُرُورَ إِخْوَانِي، وَلَا أَحْزُنُنِي مِنْهَا شَيْءٌ إِلا مَا حَزِنُوا عَلَيْهِ. وَسُئِلَ بَعْضُ الْفِتْيَانِ، كَيْفَ مَحَبَّتُكَ لإِخْوَانِكَ؟ وَكَيْفَ شَفَقَتُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ؟ فَقَالَ: أَحْسُدُ عَيْنِي إِذَا أَبْصَرْتُمْ. كَيْفَ لَا تَكُونُ جَوَارِحِي كُلُّهَا عُيُونًا فَتُبْصِرُهُمْ؟!

suʾila ruwaymun raḥimahu Allāhu: kayfa shafaqatuka ʿalā ʾikhwānika? faqāla: yā ʾakhī, aʿlam ʾannahu mā sarranī shayʾun fī al-dunyā ʾilā surūra ʾikhwānī, walā ʾaḥzununī minhā shayʾun ʾilā mā ḥazinūā ʿalayhi. wasuʾila baʿḍu al-fityāni, kayfa maḥabbatuka lʾikhwānika? wakayfa shafaqatuka ʿalayhim? faqāla: ʾaḥsudu ʿaynī ʾidhā ʾabṣartum. kayfa lā takūnu jawāriḥī kulluhā ʿuyūnan fatubṣiruhum?!

Ruwaym—may God have mercy on him—was asked how deeply he cared for his friends. He replied, ‘Brother, nothing in this world delights me except their joy, and nothing saddens me except their sadness.’ Another young man was asked how much he loved and cared for his friends. He said, ‘I envy my eyes when they see you. Why cannot all my limbs become eyes and see you too?’

وَأَحْسِدُ سَمْعِي إِذَا سَمِعَ كَلامَهُمْ كَيْفَ لَا تَكُونُ جَوَارِحِيٌّ كُلُّهَا سَمْعًا، فَيَسْمَعُ كَلامَهُمْ! قَالَ: وَكُنْتُ لَيْلَةً عِنْدَ الْخُضْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، فَغَنَّى قَوَّالٌ:

waʾaḥsidu samʿī ʾidhā samiʿa kalāmahum kayfa lā takūnu jawāriḥiyyun kulluhā samʿan, fayasmaʿu kalāmahum! qāla: wakuntu laylatan ʿinda al-khuḍriyyi raḥimahu Allāhu, faghannā qawwālun:

‘And I envy my ears when they hear your voices. Why cannot all my limbs become ears to hear you?’ He went on: ‘One night I was with al-Khuḍarī—may God have mercy on him—when a singer sang:

غَنَتْ فَلَمْ تَبْقَ فِي جَارِحَةٍ ... إِلَّا تَمَنَّيْت أَنَّهَا أُذُنٌ

ghanat falam tabqa fī jāriḥatin ... ʾillā tamannayt ʾannahā ʾudhunun

She sang, and there was no part of my body / that I did not wish were an ear.’

فَقَالَ لَهُ الشَّيْخُ: مَا لِلأَحْبَابِ وَالتَّمَنِّي! قُلْ: إِلَاّ تَحَقَّقْتُ أَنَّهَا أُذُنٌ. وَأَنْشَدْتُ لِبَعْضِهِمْ فِي قَرِيبٍ مِنْ هَذَا:

faqāla lahu al-shaykhu: mā lilʾaḥbābi wa-l-tamannī! qul: ʾilā taḥaqqaqtu ʾannahā ʾudhunun. waʾanshadtu libaʿḍihim fī qarībin min hādhā:

The shaykh told him, ‘Why should lovers stop at wishing? Say instead: “There was no part of my body that was not truly an ear.”’ I was recited these lines on a similar theme:

وَفِي الْإِشْفَاقِ إنّي لَأَحْسُدُ نَاظِرِي ... عَلَيْك حَتّى أَغُضّ إذَا نَظَرْت إلَيْك

wafī al-ʾishfāqi ʾinny laʾaḥsudu nāẓirī ... ʿalayk ḥattā ʾaghuḍḍ ʾidhā naẓart ʾilayk

My care for you is such that I envy even my own gaze; / I lower my eyes the moment I look at you.

وَأَرَاك تَخْطِرُ فِي شَمَائِلِك الّتِي ... هِيَ فِتْنَتِي، فَأَغَارَ مِنْك عَلَيْك

waʾarāk takhṭiru fī shamāʾilik allatī ... hiya fitnatī, faʾaghāra mink ʿalayk

I see you move with those graces that enchant me, / and I grow jealous for you even of yourself.

مِنْ فَرْطِ إشْفَاقِي وَدِقّةٍ غَيْرَتِي ... أَنّي أَغَارُ عَلَيْك مِنْ مِلْكَيْك وَلَوْ اسْتَطَعْت جَرَحْت لَفْظَك ... عَامِدًا إنّي أُرَاهُ مُقْبِلًا شَفَتَيْك

min farṭi ʾishfāqī wadiqqtin ghayratī ... ʾanny ʾaghāru ʿalayk min milkayk walaw astaṭaʿt jaraḥt lafẓak ... ʿāmidan ʾinny ʾurāhu muqbilan shafatayk

My concern and watchful love go so far / that I envy even your two angels for being near you. / If I could, I would deliberately wound your words, / for I see them touching your lips with a kiss.

وَسُئِلَ بَعْضُهُمْ: كَيْفَ شَفَقَتُكَ وَمَحَبَّتُكَ لِصَدِيقِكَ؟ فَقَالَ: أَشْتَهِي إِذَا رَأَيْتُهُ أَنْ لَا أَرَى شَيْئًا سِوَاهُ حَتَّى أُرَاهُ. وَإِذَا سَمِعْتُ كَلَامَهُ أَشْتَهِي أَنْ لَا أَسْمَعَ شَيْئًا حَتَّى أَسْمَعَهُ. وَأَنْشَدْتُ فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى:

wasuʾila baʿḍuhum: kayfa shafaqatuka wamaḥabbatuka liṣadīqika? faqāla: ʾashtahī ʾidhā raʾaytuhu ʾan lā ʾarā shayʾan siwāhu ḥattā ʾurāhu. waʾidhā samiʿtu kalāmahu ʾashtahī ʾan lā ʾasmaʿa shayʾan ḥattā ʾasmaʿahu. waʾanshadtu fī hādhā al-maʿnā:

Asked how deeply he loved and cared for a friend, another man said, ‘When I see him, I wish to see nothing else until I have truly seen him. When I hear him speak, I wish to hear nothing else until I have truly heard him.’ These verses were recited to me on the same theme:

وَلَوْ أَنّي اسْتَطَعْت غَمِضْت عَيْنِي ... فَلَمْ أُبْصِرْ بِهَا حَتّى أَرَاكَا

walaw ʾanny astaṭaʿt ghamiḍt ʿaynī ... falam ʾubṣir bihā ḥattā ʾarākā

If I could, I would close my eyes / and see nothing at all until I saw you.

وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: أَضْمِنِي سِرَّهُمْ أَيَّامَ فِرْقَتِهِمْ ... هَلْ كُنْت تَعْرِفُ سِرًّا يُورِثُ الصَّمَمَا

waqāla baʿḍuhum: ʾaḍminī sirrahum ʾayyāma firqatihim ... hal kunt taʿrifu sirran yūrithu al-ṣamamā

Another poet said, ‘Their secret deafened me during our separation; / have you ever known a secret that could make someone deaf?’ [The first word appears garbled in this transcription.]

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَتَعَهَّدَ الإِنْسَانُ حَالَ مَنْ وَلاهُ اللَّهُ أَمْرَهُمْ، وَيُهْمِلَ تَعَهُّدَ نَفْسِهِ. رُوِيَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُشْبِعُ عَبِيدَهُ وَيَجُوعُ، وَيَكْسُوهُمْ وَيَعْرَى، وَيُؤْثِرُهُمْ بِأَسْبَابِ الإِرْفَاقِ، وَيَقُولُ: أَهْوَنُ شَيْءٌ عَلَى نَفْسِي لِمَا اتَّيقْنَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yataʿahhada al-ʾinsānu ḥāla man walāhu Allāhu ʾamrahum, wayuhmila taʿahhuda nafsihi. ruwiya ʿan ʿabdi Allāhi bni ʿumara raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhumā: ʾannahu kāna yushbiʿu ʿabīdahu wayajūʿu, wayaksūhum wayaʿrā, wayuʾthiruhum biʾasbābi al-ʾirfāqi, wayaqūlu: ʾahwanu shayʾun ʿalā nafsī limā attayqna min sharrihā.

Part of futuwwa is to look after the people God has placed in one’s care while paying little attention to oneself. It is related of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar—may God be pleased with them both—that he fed his servants while he went hungry, clothed them while he went without, and put their comfort before his own. He would say, ‘My own self matters least to me, for I know how much evil it harbors.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَجْتَنِبَ الإِنْسَانُ الْغَضَبَ جُمْلَةً. حُكِيَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَا غَضَبِي عَلَى مَا أَمْلِكُهُ، وَمَا غَضَبِي عَلَى مَنْ لَا أَمْلِكُهُ. إِنْ كُنْتَ مَالِكًا، فَإِنِّي قَادِرٌ عَلَى الانْتِقَامِ، فَلَمْ أُلْزِمْ نَفْسِي الْغَضَبَ، وَإِنْ كُنْتُ غَيْرَ مَالِكٍ فَلا يَضُرُّهُ غَضَبِي، فَلَمْ أَدْخُلِ الْغَضَبَ عَلَى نَفْسِي.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yajtaniba al-ʾinsānu al-ghaḍaba jumlatan. ḥukiya ʿan muʿāwiyata bni ʾabī sufyāna raḥimahu Allāhu ʾannahu qāla: mā ghaḍabī ʿalā mā ʾamlikuhu, wamā ghaḍabī ʿalā man lā ʾamlikuhu. ʾin kunta mālikan, faʾinnī qādirun ʿalā al-antiqāmi, falam ʾulzim nafsī al-ghaḍaba, waʾin kuntu ghayra mālikin falā yaḍurruhu ghaḍabī, falam ʾadkhuli al-ghaḍaba ʿalā nafsī.

Part of futuwwa is to avoid anger altogether. Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān—may God have mercy on him—is reported to have said, ‘Why be angry at what is in my power, or at what is beyond it? If I have power, I can respond without burdening myself with anger. If I do not, my anger changes nothing, so why let it enter my heart?’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَحْفَظَ عَلَيْهِ آدَابَ الأَوْقَاتِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ الْخُلْدِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْجُنَيْدَ يَقُولُ: أَرْفَعُ الأَعْمَالِ حِفْظُ آدَابِ الأَوْقَاتِ، وَهُوَ أَنْ لَا يُطَالِعَ الْعَبْدُ غَيْرَ حَدِّهِ، وَلَا يُقَارِنَ غَيْرَ وَقْتِهِ، وَلَا يُوَاقِفَ غَيْرَ رَبِّهِ. وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ التِّرْمِذِيُّ رَحمَهُ اللَّهُ:

wamin al-futuwwati ʾan yaḥfaẓa ʿalayhi ʾādāba al-ʾawqāti. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara al-khuldiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-junayda yaqūlu: ʾarfaʿu al-ʾaʿmāli ḥifẓu ʾādābi al-ʾawqāti, wahuwa ʾan lā yuṭāliʿa al-ʿabdu ghayra ḥaddihi, walā yuqārina ghayra waqtihi, walā yuwāqifa ghayra rabbihi. waqāla muḥammadu bnu ʿaliyyin al-tirmidhiyyu raḥmahu Allāhu:

Part of futuwwa is to keep the proper manners of each moment. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Jaʿfar al-Khuldī say: I heard al-Junayd say, ‘The highest of deeds is observing the right manners at the right time: the servant looks no further than his own limit, stays present to his own moment, and stands before no one but his Lord.’ Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Tirmidhī—may God have mercy on him—said:

مَا أَحَدٌ قَامَ بِحِفْظِ الأَدَبِ فِي كُلِّ الْأَوْقَاتِ وَالْأَحْوَالِ إِلَّا الْمُصْطَفَى صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ فِي الدُّنْيَا: ((أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ)) . وَقَالَ: ((أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ)) . وَأَمَّا حِينَ كَانَ فِي الْحَضْرَةِ فَأَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ: فَحَلاهُ رَبُّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِذْ ذَاكَ بِأَحْسَنِ حِلْيَةٍ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ مَثْنِيًا عَلَيْهِ: {وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ} .

mā ʾaḥadun qāma biḥifẓi al-ʾadabi fī kulli al-ʾawqāti wa-l-ʾaḥwāli ʾillā al-muṣṭafā ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, qāla fī al-dunyā: ((ʾaslamtu nafsī ʾilayka, wafawwaḍtu ʾamrī ʾilayka, waʾaljaʾtu ẓahrī ʾilayka)) . waqāla: ((ʾaʿūdhu bika minka)) . waʾammā ḥīna kāna fī al-ḥaḍrati faʾakhbara Allāhu taʿālā ʿanhu: faḥalāhu rabbuhu ʿazza wajalla ʾidh dhāka biʾaḥsani ḥilyatin, wahuwa qawluhu mathniyan ʿalayhi: {waʾinnaka laʿalā khuluqin ʿaẓīmin} .

‘No one observed perfect manners in every time and state except the Chosen One—may God bless him and grant him peace. In this world he said, “I submit myself to You, entrust my affairs to You, and lean upon You,” and “I seek refuge in You from You.” When he stood in the divine Presence, God Himself described him in the finest terms, praising him with the words: “You are indeed of magnificent character.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَرَى الْعَبْدُ الْخَيْرَ كُلَّهُ فِي إِخْوَانِهِ. وَيُبَرِّئُ نَفْسَهُ مِنْهُ لِمَا يَعْلَمُ مِنْ شَرِّهَا. سَمِعْتُ جَدِّي رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السِّجْزِيَّ يَقُولُ: لَكَ فَضْلٌ مَا لَمْ تَرَ فَضْلَكَ، وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ فَضْلَكَ فَلَا فَضْلَ لَكَ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَلِيٍّ الأَنْصَارِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الشَّاهَ بْنَ شُجَاعٍ الْكَرْمَانِيَّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ: لأَهْلِ الْفَضْلِ فَضْلُ مَا لَمْ يَرْوِهُ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yarā al-ʿabdu al-khayra kullahu fī ʾikhwānihi. wayubarriʾu nafsahu minhu limā yaʿlamu min sharrihā. samiʿtu jaddī raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā ʿabdi Allāhi al-sijziyya yaqūlu: laka faḍlun mā lam tara faḍlaka, waʾidhā raʾayta faḍlaka falā faḍla laka. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā ʿaliyyin al-ʾanṣāriyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-shāha bna shujāʿin al-karmāniyya raḥimahu Allāhu yaqūlu: lʾahli al-faḍli faḍlu mā lam yarwihu,

Part of futuwwa is to see all goodness in one’s friends and refuse to claim it for oneself, knowing the faults of one’s own soul. I heard my grandfather—may God have mercy on him—say: I heard Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Sijzī say, ‘You have merit so long as you do not notice your own merit; once you notice it, you have none.’ I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Abū ʿAlī al-Anṣārī say: I heard Shāh ibn Shujāʿ al-Kirmānī—may God have mercy on him—say, ‘People of merit have merit as long as they do not see it,

فَإِذَا رَأَوْهُ فَلَا فَضْلَ لَهُمْ. وَلأهْلِ الْوِلَايَةِ وِلَايَةٌ. مَا لَمْ يَرَوْهَا، فَإِذَا رَأَوْهَا فَلَا وِلَايَةَ لَهُمْ. وَقَالَ الشَّاهُ لأَبِي حَفْصٍ رَحِمَهُمَا اللهُ: مَا الْفُتُوَّةُ؟ قَالَ: اسْتِعْمَالُ الأَخْلَاقِ.

faʾidhā raʾawhu falā faḍla lahum. walʾhli al-wilāyati wilāyatun. mā lam yarawhā, faʾidhā raʾawhā falā wilāyata lahum. waqāla al-shāhu lʾabī ḥafṣin raḥimahumā Allāhu: mā al-futuwwatu? qāla: astiʿmālu al-ʾakhlāqi.

but when they see it, their merit is gone. Friends of God possess friendship with Him as long as they do not notice that status; when they notice it, they lose it.’ Shāh asked Abū Ḥafṣ—may God have mercy on them both—‘What is futuwwa?’ He replied, ‘Putting good character into practice.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَخْلُصَ لِإِخْوَانِهِ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا وَمَغِيبًا وَمَشْهَدًا. سَمِعْتُ الْحَاكِمَ أَبَا أَحْمَدَ الْحَافِظَ يَقُولُ: قَالَ بَعْضُ الْحُكَمَاءِ: إِنَّ مِنْ مَوَاجِبِ الإِخْوَةِ عَلَى الْفِتْيَانِ، مَوَدَّةَ الأَخِ لأَخِيهِ بِقَلْبِهِ خَالِصًا، وَتُزَيِّنِهُ بِلِسَانِهِ، وَرِفْدِهِ بِمَالِهِ، وَتَقْوِيمِهِ بِأَدَبِهِ، وَحُسْنِ الذَّبِّ عَنْهُ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yakhluṣa liʾikhwānihi ẓāhiran wabāṭinan wamaghīban wamashhadan. samiʿtu al-ḥākima ʾabā ʾaḥmada al-ḥāfiẓa yaqūlu: qāla baʿḍu al-ḥukamāʾi: ʾinna min mawājibi al-ʾikhwati ʿalā al-fityāni, mawaddata al-ʾakhi lʾakhīhi biqalbihi khāliṣan, watuzayyinihu bilisānihi, warifdihi bimālihi, wataqwīmihi biʾadabihi, waḥusni al-dhabbi ʿanhu fī ghaybatihi.

Part of futuwwa is to be sincere with friends in public and in private, in their presence and absence. I heard the ḥāfiẓ and judge Abū Aḥmad say: A sage said, ‘Among the duties of brotherhood for people of futuwwa are loving a brother sincerely in the heart, speaking well of him, supporting him with one’s wealth, guiding him with good manners, and defending him when he is absent.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَصْحَبَ الإِنْسَانُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِ فِي الدِّينِ، وَمَنْ دُونَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا. قَالَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ: اصْحَبْ مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكَ فِي الدِّينِ، وَمَنْ هُوَ دُونَكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَإِنَّ صُحْبَةَ مَنْ فَوْقَكَ فِي الدِّينِ تُصَغِّرُ فِي نَفْسِكَ طَاعَاتِكَ، وَصُحْبَةً مَنْ دُونَكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا تُعَظِّمُ فِي عَيْنِكَ نِعَمَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى. وَقَالَ دَاوُدَ الطَّائِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: اصْحَبِ الْمُتَّقِينَ فَإِنَّهُمْ أَيْسَرُ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا عَلَيْكَ مُؤَوَّنَةٌ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yaṣḥaba al-ʾinsānu min fawqihi fī al-dīni, waman dūnahu fī al-dunyā. qāla ʿuthmānu bnu ḥakīmin: aṣḥab man huwa fawqaka fī al-dīni, waman huwa dūnaka fī al-dunyā, faʾinna ṣuḥbata man fawqaka fī al-dīni tuṣaghghiru fī nafsika ṭāʿātika, waṣuḥbatan man dūnaka fī al-dunyā tuʿaẓẓimu fī ʿaynika niʿama Allāhi taʿālā. waqāla dāwuda al-ṭāʾiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: aṣḥabi al-muttaqīna faʾinnahum ʾaysaru ʾahli al-dunyā ʿalayka muʾawwanatun,

Part of futuwwa is to keep company with people ahead of you in faith and those with less than you in worldly means. ʿUthmān ibn Ḥakīm said, ‘Those ahead of you in faith make your own acts of worship seem small; those with less in this world make God’s gifts to you seem great.’ Dāwūd al-Ṭāʾī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Keep company with the God-fearing. They ask the least of you in this world

وَأَكثَرِهُم لِكُل مَعُونَةٍ.

waʾaktharihum likul maʿūnatin.

and offer you the most help in all things.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَثِقَ الْعَبْدُ بِرَبِّهِ فِي كُلِّ أَحْوَالِهِ. قَالَ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ: قِيلَ لأَبِي حَازِمٍ: مَا مَالُكٌ؟ فَقَالَ: لِي مَالانِ: الثِّقَةُ بِاللَّهِ، وَالإِيَاسُ مِمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yathiqa al-ʿabdu birabbihi fī kulli ʾaḥwālihi. qāla sufyānu bnu ʿuyaynata: qīla lʾabī ḥāzimin: mā mālukun? faqāla: lī mālāni: al-thiqatu bi-llāhi, wa-l-ʾiyāsu mimmā fī ʾaydī al-nāsi.

Part of futuwwa is to trust one’s Lord in every state. Sufyān ibn ʿUyayna said, ‘Abū Ḥāzim was asked, “What wealth do you possess?” He replied, “I have two treasures: trust in God and no desire for what lies in other people’s hands.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ تَكُونَ شَفَقَةُ الْعَبْدِ عَلَى أَصْدِقَائِهِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ شَفَقَتِهِ عَلَى أَقَارِبِهِ. سَمِعْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ يَحْيَى الشَّافِعِيَّ يَحْكِي عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقِ قَالَ: مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لأَخِيهِ كَمَا يَكُونُ لِنَفْسِهِ لَمْ يُعْطِ الإِخْوَةَ حَقَّهَا، أَلَا تَرَى كَيْفَ حَكَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ، أَنَّ فِي [يُومَ] الْقِيَامَةِ يَفِرُّ الاِبْنُ مِنْ أَبِيهِ، وَالأَخُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan takūna shafaqatu al-ʿabdi ʿalā ʾaṣdiqāʾihi ʾakthara min shafaqatihi ʿalā ʾaqāribihi. samiʿtu al-ḥusayna bna yaḥyā al-shāfiʿiyya yaḥkī ʿan jaʿfari bni muḥammadin al-ṣādiqi qāla: man lam yakun lʾakhīhi kamā yakūnu linafsihi lam yuʿṭi al-ʾikhwata ḥaqqahā, ʾalā tarā kayfa ḥakā Allāhu taʿālā fī kitābihi, ʾanna fī [yūma] al-qiyāmati yafirru al-ibnu min ʾabīhi, wa-l-ʾakhu min ʾakhīhi,

Part of futuwwa is to care for friends even more deeply than for relatives. I heard al-Ḥusayn ibn Yaḥyā al-Shāfiʿī relate from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq: ‘Whoever is not as devoted to a brother as to himself has not given brotherhood its due. Do you not see how God tells us in His Book that on the Day of Resurrection a son will flee his father and a brother his brother,

ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَوْقِفِ شَفَقَةَ الأَصْدِقَاءِ بِقَولِهِ تَعَالَى: {فَمَا لَنَا مِنْ شَافِعِينَ وَلَا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ} .

thumma dhakara fī dhālika al-mawqifi shafaqata al-ʾaṣdiqāʾi biqawlihi taʿālā: {famā lanā min shāfiʿīna walā ṣadīqin ḥamīmin} .

and then speaks of longing for a close friend in that very place: “We have no intercessors, and no devoted friend”?’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الْجَوَارِحِ ظَاهِرًا وَبَاطِنًا. سُئِلَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْبُوشَنْجِيُّ: مَا الْفُتُوَّةُ؟ فَقَالَ: أَنْ لَا تَعْمَلَ شَيْئًا تَسْتَحِي مِنْ كِرَامِ الْكَاتِبِينَ فِي ذَلِكَ. وَقَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ الْمَرْعَشِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: إِنَّمَا الْفُتُوَّةُ حِفْظُ أَرْبَعَةِ أَشْيَاءَ: عَيْنُكَ وَلِسَانُكَ وَقَلْبُكَ وَهَوَاكَ، فَالْزَمْ عَيْنَكَ أَنْ لَا تَنْظُرَ إِلَى مَا لَا يَحِلُّ لَهَا، وَانْظُرْ لِسَانَكَ لَا تَقُلْ بِهِ إِلا مَا وَافَقَ الصَّوَابَ وَالْحَقَّ.

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-jawāriḥi ẓāhiran wabāṭinan. suʾila ʾabū al-ḥasani al-būshanjiyyu: mā al-futuwwatu? faqāla: ʾan lā taʿmala shayʾan tastaḥī min kirāmi al-kātibīna fī dhālika. waqāla ḥudhayfatu al-marʿashiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: ʾinnamā al-futuwwatu ḥifẓu ʾarbaʿati ʾashyāʾa: ʿaynuka walisānuka waqalbuka wahawāka, fa-l-zam ʿaynaka ʾan lā tanẓura ʾilā mā lā yaḥillu lahā, wānẓur lisānaka lā taqul bihi ʾilā mā wāfaqa al-ṣawāba wa-l-ḥaqqa.

Part of futuwwa is to guard one’s faculties outwardly and inwardly. Abū al-Ḥasan al-Būshanjī was asked, ‘What is futuwwa?’ He answered, ‘Never do anything you would be ashamed for the noble recording angels to see.’ Ḥudhayfa al-Marʿashī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Futuwwa means guarding four things: your eyes, tongue, heart, and desires. Keep your eyes from looking at what is forbidden. Watch your tongue, speaking only what is right and true.

وَانْظُرْ قَلْبَكَ لَا يَكُونُ فِيهِ عَلَى مُسْلِمٍ غِشٍّ وَحِقْدٌ. وَانْظُرْ هَوَاكَ لَا يَهْوَى شَيْئًا مِنَ الشَّرِّ.

wānẓur qalbaka lā yakūnu fīhi ʿalā muslimin ghishshin waḥiqdun. wānẓur hawāka lā yahwā shayʾan mina al-sharri.

Watch your heart so that it holds no deceit or rancor toward any Muslim, and watch your desires so that they incline to no evil.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَا سَأَلْتُ عَنْهَا أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ بْنَ سَمْعُونٍ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ. فَقَالَ: هِيَ خِصَالٌ أَحَدُهَا قِلَّةُ الْخِلَافِ، وَحُسْنُ الإِنْصَافِ، وَإِسْقَاطُ طَلَبِ الْعَثَرَاتِ، وَتَحْسِينُ مَا يَبْدُو مِنَ الْعَثَرَاتِ، وَالْتِمَاسُ الْمَعْذِرَةِ، وَاحْتِمَالُ الأَذَى، وَالرُّجُوعُ بِاللائِمَةِ عَلَى النَّفْسِ، وَطَلَاقَةُ الْوَجْهِ لِلصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ، وَبَذْلُ الْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّصِيحَةُ لِلْخَلْقِ، وَقَبُولُ النَّصِيحَةِ مِنْهُمْ، وَمُؤَاخَاةُ الأَوْلِيَاءِ،

wamina al-futuwwati mā saʾaltu ʿanhā ʾabā al-ḥusayni bna samʿūnin raḥimahu Allāhu. faqāla: hiya khiṣālun ʾaḥaduhā qillatu al-khilāfi, waḥusnu al-ʾinṣāfi, waʾisqāṭu ṭalabi al-ʿatharāti, wataḥsīnu mā yabdū mina al-ʿatharāti, wa-l-timāsu al-maʿdhirati, wāḥtimālu al-ʾadhā, wa-l-rujūʿu bi-l-lāʾimati ʿalā al-nafsi, waṭalāqatu al-wajhi lilṣṣaghīri wa-l-kabīri, wabadhlu al-maʿrūfi wa-l-naṣīḥatu lilkhalqi, waqabūlu al-naṣīḥati minhum, wamuʾākhātu al-ʾawliyāʾi,

Part of futuwwa is what I asked Abū al-Ḥusayn ibn Samʿūn—may God have mercy on him—about. He said, ‘It has several qualities: disagreeing little, treating others fairly, not hunting for their slips, interpreting apparent faults generously, seeking excuses for them, bearing harm, blaming oneself, showing a cheerful face to young and old, offering kindness and counsel to people, receiving counsel from them, befriending God’s friends,

وَمُدَارَاةِ الأَعْدَاءِ. هَذِهِ ظَوَاهِرُهَا إِلَى أَنْ نَتَكَلَّمَ فِي حَقَائِقِهَا.

wamudārāti al-ʾaʿdāʾi. hādhihii ẓawāhiruhā ʾilā ʾan natakallama fī ḥaqāʾiqihā.

and dealing gently even with enemies. These are its outward qualities. Its inner realities are another matter.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَسْتَوِيَ سِرُّ الْعَبْدِ وَعَلانِيَتُهُ، فَقَدْ حَكَى أَبُو دُجَانَةَ عَنْ ذِي النُّونِ الْمِصْرِيِّ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَنْ عَمِلَ فِي السِّرِّ عَمَلاً يَسْتَحِي مِنْهُ فِي الْعَلَانِيَةِ، فَلَيْسَ لِنَفْسِهِ عِنْدَهُ خَطَرٌ وَلَا قَدْرٌ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yastawiya sirru al-ʿabdi waʿalāniyatuhu, faqad ḥakā ʾabū dujānata ʿan dhī al-nūni al-miṣriyyi raḥimahumu Allāhu, ʾannahu qāla: man ʿamila fī al-sirri ʿamal yastaḥī minhu fī al-ʿalāniyati, falaysa linafsihi ʿindahu khaṭarun walā qadrun.

Part of futuwwa is for one’s private life to match one’s public life. Abū Dujāna related from Dhū al-Nūn al-Miṣrī—may God have mercy on them—that he said, ‘Whoever does privately what he would be ashamed to do openly shows that he has no respect for his own soul.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَجْرِيدُ السِّرِّ عَنِ الأَكْوَانِ، وَمَنْ فِيهَا وَمَا فِيهَا. قَالَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ ابْنُ عَطَاءٍ: مَنْ لَمْ يَتَجَرَّدْ عَنِ الدُّنْيَا بُسْرَهُ، وَلَمْ يَتَخَلَّى عَنِ الْخَلْقِ بُسْرَهُ، وَلَمْ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ بُسْرَهُ كَيْفَ يَتَفَرَّدُ لِمَوْلَاهُ؟! فَمَنْ تَجَلَّى بُسْرَهُ عَمَّا سِوَاهُ، وَتَفَرَّدَ بُسْرُهُ مَعَ مَوْلَاهُ، كَشَفَتْ لَهُ الْغِطَاءَ، فَيُمَيِّزُ بَيْنَ مَا يُرْضِي مَوْلَاهُ وَمَا يَسْخَطُهُ.

wamina al-futuwwati tajrīdu al-sirri ʿani al-ʾakwāni, waman fīhā wamā fīhā. qāla ʾabū al-ʿabbāsi ibnu ʿaṭāʾin: man lam yatajarrad ʿani al-dunyā busrahu, walam yatakhallā ʿani al-khalqi busrahu, walam ʿan nafsihi busrahu kayfa yatafarradu limawlāhu?! faman tajallā busrahu ʿammā siwāhu, watafarrada busruhu maʿa mawlāhu, kashafat lahu al-ghiṭāʾa, fayumayyizu bayna mā yurḍī mawlāhu wamā yaskhaṭuhu.

Part of futuwwa is to free the innermost self from created things and everything they contain. Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAṭāʾ said, ‘If someone has not inwardly let go of this world, other people, and even his own self, how can he devote himself to his Master alone? Whoever lets go of everything else within and is alone with his Master has the veil lifted and can discern what pleases Him from what angers Him.’ [The main transcription omits a verb in the middle sentence.]

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَعْتَمِدَ الإِنْسَانُ فَمُخَالَفَتُهُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ دُونَ غَيْرِهِ، فَإِنَّ بَعْضَ السَّلَفِ قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْعُقَلاءِ: لَوِ اتَّخَذْتَ ضَيْعَةً، فَادَّخَرْتُهَا لِعِيَالِكَ وَأَوْلادِكَ. فَقَالَ: بِئْسَ مَا أَشَرْتَ بِهِ عَلَيَّ، بَلْ أَدَّخِرُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي لِنَفْسِي، وَأَدَّخِرُ لِعِيَالِي وَأَوْلادِي رَبِّي.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yaʿtamida al-ʾinsānu famukhālafatuhu ʿalā rabbihi dūna ghayrihi, faʾinna baʿḍa al-salafi qāla lirajulin mina al-ʿuqalāʾi: lawi attakhadhta ḍayʿatan, fāddakhartuhā liʿiyālika waʾawlādika. faqāla: biʾsa mā ʾasharta bihi ʿalayya, bal ʾaddakhiruhā ʿinda rabbī linafsī, waʾaddakhiru liʿiyālī waʾawlādī rabbī.

Part of futuwwa is to rely on one’s Lord alone in the face of fear. One of the early pious said to a wise man, ‘Why not acquire a property to store up for your wife and children?’ He replied, ‘That is poor advice. I would rather store it with my Lord for myself, and entrust my wife and children to my Lord.’ [The main transcription garbles the opening phrase; the second edition reads “in the face of fear.”]

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ إِيثَارُ مُوَافَقَةِ الأَصْدِقَاءِ عَلَى مُوَافَقَةِ الأَقَارِبِ وَ [.. .. ..] . أَنْشَدَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْحَافِظُ بِبَغْدَادَ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنِي أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحَافِظُ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنِي بِشْرُ ابْنُ مُوسَى لِبَعْضِهِمْ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾīthāru muwāfaqati al-ʾaṣdiqāʾi ʿalā muwāfaqati al-ʾaqāribi wa [.. .. ..] . ʾanshadanī ʿaliyyu bnu ʿumara al-ḥāfiẓu bibaghdāda, qāla: ʾanshadanī ʾabū ʿaliyyin al-ḥāfiẓu, qāla: ʾanshadanī bishru ibnu mūsā libaʿḍihim.

Part of futuwwa is to favor one’s friends over relatives and strangers when their wishes conflict. [The final word of this clause is illegible in the main transcription; the second edition reads ‘strangers.’] ʿAlī ibn ʿUmar al-Ḥāfiẓ recited to me in Baghdad: Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥāfiẓ recited to me: Bishr ibn Mūsā recited these lines by an unnamed poet:

أَمْيلُ مَعَ الصّدّيقِ عَلَى ابْنِ أُمّي ... وَآخُذُ لِلصّدّيقِ مِنْ الشّقِيقِ

ʾamylu maʿa al-ṣddyqi ʿalā ibni ʾummy ... waʾākhudhu lilṣṣddyqi min al-shqīqi

I side with a friend even against my mother’s son, / and uphold a friend’s cause against my own brother.

وَإِنْ أَلْفَيْتنِي حُرًّا مُطَاعًا ... فَإِنَّك وَاجِدِي عَبْدِ الصّدِّيقِ

waʾin ʾalfaytnī ḥurran muṭāʿan ... faʾinnak wājidī ʿabdi al-ṣddīqi

Though I were a free man obeyed by all, / you would find me a servant to my friend.

أُفَرْقُ بَيْنَ مَعْرُوفِي وَمِنِي ... وَأَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ مَالِي وَالْحُقُوقِ

ʾufarqu bayna maʿrūfī waminī ... waʾajmaʿu bayna mālī wa-l-ḥuqūqi

I distinguish the kindness I do from any claim to credit, / and join my wealth to the obligations it must meet.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ انْتِبَاهِي فِي كَرِيمَةِ الإِخْوَانِ. كَذَلِكَ ذَكَرَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ، قَالَ: دَعَانَا ابْنُ مَسْرُوقٍ اللَّهُ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ، فَاسْتَقْبَلْنَا صَدِيقٌ لَنَا، فَسَأَلْنَاهُ أَنْ يُسَاعِدَنَا إِلَى بَيْتِ الشَّيْخِ. وَقُلْنَا: نَحْنُ فِي دَعْوَتِهِ. فَقَالَ: كَيْفَ أَجِيءُ وَهُوَ لَمْ يَدْعْنِي. ثُمَّ قَالَ:

wamina al-futuwwati antibāhī fī karīmati al-ʾikhwāni. kadhalika dhakara ʾabū muḥammadin al-jurayriyyu, qāla: daʿānā ibnu masrūqin Allāhu ʾilā baytihi, fāstaqbalnā ṣadīqun lanā, fasaʾalnāhu ʾan yusāʿidanā ʾilā bayti al-shaykhi. waqulnā: naḥnu fī daʿwatihi. faqāla: kayfa ʾajīʾu wahuwa lam yadʿnī. thumma qāla:

Part of futuwwa is to honor one’s friends as fully as possible. Abū Muḥammad al-Jurayrī said, ‘Ibn Masrūq—may God have mercy on him—invited us to his house. We met a friend and asked him to come with us. “We are invited,” we said. He replied, “How can I come when he has not invited me?” Then he said:

لَا أُخَالِفُ إِخْوَانِي. فَحَضَرَ مَعَنَا، فَلَمَّا بَلَغْنَا بَابَ الشَّيْخِ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْخَبَرُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الشَّيْخُ: جَعَلْتُ مَوْضِعِي مِنْ قَلْبِكَ أَنْ تَجِيءَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِي مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ أَدْعُوَكَ. عَلَيَّ كَذَا وَكَذَا إِنْ مَشَيْتُ إِلَى مَوْضِعِ جُلُوسِكَ إِلا عَلَى خَدِّي. قَالَ: وَأَلْحَحْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَحَلَفَ. فَبَسَطْنَا لَهُ رِدَاءً عَلَى الأَرْضِ، فَوَضَعَ عَلَيْهِ خَدَّهُ، وَحَمَلْنَا الْفَتَى بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ يَضَعُ قَدَمَهُ عَلَى خَدِّهِ حَتَّى بَلَغَ مَجْلِسَهُ.

lā ʾukhālifu ʾikhwānī. faḥaḍara maʿanā, falammā balaghnā bāba al-shaykhi, ʾakhbaranā al-khabaru, faqāla lahu al-shaykhu: jaʿaltu mawḍiʿī min qalbika ʾan tajīʾa ʾilā manzilī min ghayri ʾan ʾadʿuwaka. ʿalayya kadhā wakadhā ʾin mashaytu ʾilā mawḍiʿi julūsika ʾilā ʿalā khaddī. qāla: waʾalḥaḥnā ʿalayhi waḥalafa. fabasaṭnā lahu ridāʾan ʿalā al-ʾarḍi, fawaḍaʿa ʿalayhi khaddahu, waḥamalnā al-fatā bayna athnayni yaḍaʿu qadamahu ʿalā khaddihi ḥattā balagha majlisahu.

“I will not go against my friends,” and he accompanied us. At the shaykh’s door we explained. The shaykh told him, “You hold me in such affection that you came to my house without an invitation! I swear, you will walk to your seat only over my cheek.” He insisted on his oath. We spread a cloak on the ground for him to lay his cheek upon, then helped the young man walk to his seat, placing his foot on the shaykh’s cheek.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ الصَّبْرُ عَلَى الإِخْوَانِ وَتَرْكَ الاِسْتِبْدَالِ بِهِمْ. فَإِنَّهُ رُوِيَ أَنَّ دَاوُدَ النَّبِيَّ عَلَيه السَّلَامُ قَالَ لاِبْنِهِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَلَيْهِ لِسَلامٍ: لَا تَسْتَبْدِلَنَّ بِأَخٍ لَكَ قَدِيمٌ، أَخًا مُسْتَفَادًا، اسْتَقَامَ لَكَ مِنْهُ حَالُهُ فَإِنَّكَ إنْ فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ تَغَيَّرَتْ نِعَمَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْكَ. وَلَا تَسْتَقِلَّ عَدُوًّا وَاحِدًا، وَلَا تَسْتَكْثِرْ أَلْفَ صِدِيقٍ.

wamin al-futuwwati al-ṣabru ʿalā al-ʾikhwāni watarka al-istibdāli bihim. faʾinnahu ruwiya ʾanna dāwuda al-nabiyya ʿalayh al-salāmu qāla libnihi sulaymāna ʿalayhi lisalāmin: lā tastabdilanna biʾakhin laka qadīmun, ʾakhan mustafādan, astaqāma laka minhu ḥāluhu faʾinnaka ʾin faʿalta dhālika taghayyarat niʿama Allāhi taʿālā ʿalayka. walā tastaqilla ʿaduwwan wāḥidan, walā tastakthir ʾalfa ṣidīqin.

Part of futuwwa is to be patient with friends and never discard them for new ones. The prophet David—peace be upon him—is reported to have told his son Solomon, ‘Do not replace an old friend with a new one, however well the new friendship seems to go. If you do, God’s blessings toward you will change. Never count one enemy too few or a thousand friends too many.’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ الصَّبْرُ عَلَى تَدْبِيرِ اللهِ لَهُ، حُكِيَ أَنَّ رَجُلاً شَكَا إلَى حَكِيمٍ فَقَالَ: يَا أَخِي أَمَدْبِرًا غَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى تُرِيدُ؟

wamin al-futuwwati al-ṣabru ʿalā tadbīri Allāhi lahu, ḥukiya ʾanna rajul shakā ʾilā ḥakīmin faqāla: yā ʾakhī ʾamadbiran ghayra Allāhi taʿālā turīdu?

Part of futuwwa is patience with God’s direction of one’s life. A man complained to a sage, who replied, ‘Brother, do you want anyone other than God to direct your affairs?’

وَقَالَ بَعضُهُم: مَنْ لَمْ يَصْبِرْ عَلَى تَدْبِيرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لَهُ لَمْ يَصْبِرْ عَلَى تَدْبِيرِهِ لِنَفْسِهِ. وَقَالَ الْوَاسِطِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَنْ رَأَى نَفْسَهُ لِلَّهِ وَرَأَى الأَشْيَاءَ لِلَّهِ، اسْتَغْنَى عَنْ جَمِيعِ الأَشْيَاءِ بِاَللَّهِ. وَقَالَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الدِّينَوَرِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: مَنْ دَبَّرَ لِنَفْسِهِ نَدِمَ فِي عَوَاقِبِ أَمْرِهِ، وَمَنْ رَضِيَ بِتَدْبِيرِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لَهُ حَمْدَ ابْتِدَاءَ أَمْرِهِ وَانْتِهَاءَهُ.

waqāla baʿḍuhum: man lam yaṣbir ʿalā tadbīri Allāhi taʿālā lahu lam yaṣbir ʿalā tadbīrihi linafsihi. waqāla al-wāsiṭiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: man raʾā nafsahu li-llāhi waraʾā al-ʾashyāʾa li-llāhi, astaghnā ʿan jamīʿi al-ʾashyāʾi bi-llāhi. waqāla ʾabū al-ʿabbāsi al-dīnawariyyu raḥimahu Allāhu: man dabbara linafsihi nadima fī ʿawāqibi ʾamrihi, waman raḍiya bitadbīri Allāhi taʿālā lahu ḥamda abtidāʾa ʾamrihi wāntihāʾahu.

Another said, ‘Whoever cannot bear God’s direction of his life cannot bear directing it himself.’ Al-Wāsiṭī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Whoever sees himself and all things as God’s is freed by God from dependence on anything else.’ Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Dīnawarī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Whoever manages his own affairs regrets their outcome; whoever accepts God’s direction praises both their beginning and their end.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ قِيَامُ الأَكَابِرِ إِلَى خِدْمَةِ الأَصَاغِرِ إِذَا دَعَاهُ أَوْ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ. وَتَرَكَ الأَنَفَةَ عَنِ الْقِيَامِ إِلَى خِدْمَةِ الضَّيْفِ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الرِّضَا الْحَافِظُ بِبَغْدَادَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ دَبِيْسُ الْخَيَّاطِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْبَلْخِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَكْثَمَ، قَالَ: كَانَتْ لَيْلَةً عِنْدَ الْمَأْمُونِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، فَعَطِشْتُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ، فَقُمْتُ لأَشْرَبَ،

wamina al-futuwwati qiyāmu al-ʾakābiri ʾilā khidmati al-ʾaṣāghiri ʾidhā daʿāhu ʾaw kāna ʿindahu. wataraka al-ʾanafata ʿani al-qiyāmi ʾilā khidmati al-ḍayfi. ʾakhbaranā ʿaliyyu bnu al-ḥasani bni jaʿfarin al-riḍā al-ḥāfiẓu bibaghdāda, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu al-ḥasani dabīsu al-khayyāṭi, ḥaddathanā sulaymānu bnu al-faḍli al-balkhiyyu ḥaddathanā ibnu ʾakthama, qāla: kānat laylatan ʿinda al-maʾmūni ʾamīri al-muʾminīna raḥimahu Allāhu, faʿaṭishtu fī jawfi al-layli, faqumtu lʾashraba,

Part of futuwwa is for elders to rise and serve those younger than themselves when they are guests, without considering such service beneath them. ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Jaʿfar al-Riḍā, the ḥāfiẓ in Baghdad, informed us: Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥasan Dubays al-Khayyāṭ told us: Sulaymān ibn al-Faḍl al-Balkhī told us: Ibn Aktham told us, ‘One night I stayed with the Commander of the Faithful, al-Maʾmūn—may God have mercy on him. I grew thirsty in the middle of the night and got up to drink.

فَقَالَ: مَا لَكَ يَا بُنَيَّ، لَيْسَ تَنَامُ؟ قُلْتُ: أَنَا وَاللَّهِ عَطْشَانُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. فَقَالَ: ارْجِعْ إِلَى مَوْضِعِكَ. وَقَامَ وَاللَّهِ إِلَى الْبَرَادَةِ فَسَقَانِي كُوزَ مَاءٍ، وَقَالَ لِي: لُؤْمٌ بِالرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَسْتَخْدِمَ ضَيْفَهُ. أَلا أُخْبِرُكَ.. .. أَلا أُطْرِفُكَ.. .. أَلا أُحَدِّثُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا الرَّشِيدُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمَهْدِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا الْمَنْصُورُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ:

faqāla: mā laka yā bunayya, laysa tanāmu? qultu: ʾanā wa-llāhi ʿaṭshānu yā ʾamīra al-muʾminīna. faqāla: arjiʿ ʾilā mawḍiʿika. waqāma wa-llāhi ʾilā al-barādati fasaqānī kūza māʾin, waqāla lī: luʾmun bi-l-rajuli ʾan yastakhdima ḍayfahu. ʾalā ʾukhbiruka.. .. ʾalā ʾuṭrifuka.. .. ʾalā ʾuḥaddithuka? faqāla: ḥaddathanā al-rashīdu, ḥaddathanā al-mahdiyyu ḥaddathanā al-manṣūru, ʿan ʾabīhi, ʿan ʿikrimata, ʿani ibni ʿabbāsin, qāla:

He asked, “What is it, my son? Cannot you sleep?” I said, “By God, Commander of the Faithful, I am thirsty.” He told me to return to my place, then went himself to the water cooler and brought me a cup. “It is a disgrace for a man to make his guest serve him,” he said. “Shall I tell you a story? Shall I entertain you? Shall I relate a report?” He then said: Al-Rashīd told us: al-Mahdī told us: al-Manṣūr told us, from his father, from ʿIkrima, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said:

حَدَّثَنِي جَرِيرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: ((لُؤَمَ بِالرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَسْتَخْدِمَ ضَيْفَهُ)) .

ḥaddathanī jarīru bnu ʿabdi Allāhi raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum, ʿani al-nabiyyi ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama, qāla: ((luʾama bi-l-rajuli ʾan yastakhdima ḍayfahu)) .

Jarīr ibn ʿAbd Allāh—may God be pleased with them—related to me that the Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—said, “It is a disgrace for a man to make his guest serve him.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الْوَفَاءِ فِي الْمَوَدَّةِ وَالأخُوَّةِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ بْنُ مِقْسَمٍ الْمُقْرِئُ بِبَغْدَادَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّكَّرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا الأَصْمَعِيُّ، سَمِعْتُ أَعْرَابِيًّا يَقُولُ: وُدُّ أَهْلِ الْوَفَاءِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسِيرًا حَظَّ عَزِيزٍ.

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-wafāʾi fī al-mawaddati wa-l-ʾkhuwwati. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-ḥasani bnu miqsamin al-muqriʾu bibaghdāda, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni al-sukkariyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾabū yaʿlā, ḥaddathanā al-ʾaṣmaʿiyyu, samiʿtu ʾaʿrābiyyan yaqūlu: wuddu ʾahli al-wafāʾi, waʾin kāna yasīran ḥaẓẓa ʿazīzin.

Part of futuwwa is to remain faithful in affection and brotherhood. Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Miqsam al-Muqriʾ informed us in Baghdad: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sukkarī told us: Abū Yaʿlā told us: al-Aṣmaʿī told us, ‘I heard a Bedouin say, “Even a little affection from faithful people is a rare blessing.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْعَيْشُ بَعْدَ مُفَارَقَةِ الإِخْوَانِ وَالأَحِبَّةِ. سَمِعْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ يَحْيَى يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ يَقُولُ: رُؤِيَ الْجُنَيْدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمًا جَالِسًا مُتَفَكِّرًا مَهْمُومًا، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: مَا الَّذِي أَحْزَنَكَ يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ؟ فَقَالَ: فَقَدْتُ السِّرَّ فِي الْخَلْوَةِ، وَفَقَدْتُ الإِخْوَانَ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُ آنِسُ بِهِمْ، وَدُونَ هَذَا مِمَّا يَهْدُ الْبُدْنَ وَيَشْغَلُ الْقَلْبَ، وَأَنْشَدُ:

wamina al-futuwwati al-ʿayshu baʿda mufāraqati al-ʾikhwāni wa-l-ʾaḥibbati. samiʿtu al-ḥusayna bna yaḥyā yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadin yaqūlu: ruʾiya al-junaydu raḥimahu Allāhu yawman jālisan mutafakkiran mahmūman, faqīla lahu: mā alladhī ʾaḥzanaka yā ʾabā al-qāsimi? faqāla: faqadtu al-sirra fī al-khalwati, wafaqadtu al-ʾikhwāna alladhīna kuntu ʾānisu bihim, wadūna hādhā mimmā yahdu al-budna wayashghalu al-qalba, waʾanshadu:

Part of futuwwa is the sorrow of living on after parting from friends and loved ones. I heard al-Ḥusayn ibn Yaḥyā say: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad say, ‘One day al-Junayd—may God have mercy on him—was seen sitting lost in troubled thought. Someone asked, “What saddens you, Abū al-Qāsim?” He said, “I have lost the intimacy I once knew in solitude, and lost the friends whose company comforted me. Less than this would wear down the body and occupy the heart.” He recited:

ذَمّ الْمَنَازِلِ بَعْدَ مَنْزِلَةِ اللّوَى ... وَالْعَيْشُ بَعْدَ أُولَئِكَ الْأَقْوَامِ

dhamm al-manāzili baʿda manzilati al-lwā ... wa-l-ʿayshu baʿda ʾūlaʾika al-ʾaqwāmi

What are other dwellings after the dwelling at al-Liwā, / or life itself after the people who lived there?’

أَنْشَدَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْحَافِظُ بِبَغْدَادَ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدْنَا يَزْدَانِ الْكَاتِبَ لِعُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ طَاهِرٍ:

ʾanshadanā ʿaliyyu bnu ʿumara al-ḥāfiẓu bibaghdāda, qāla: ʾanshadnā yazdāni al-kātiba liʿubaydi Allāhi bni ʿabdi Allāhi bni ṭāhirin:

ʿAlī ibn ʿUmar al-Ḥāfiẓ recited to us in Baghdad lines that Yazdān the scribe had recited by ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṭāhir:

لَوْ أَنّ نَفْسَ الْحَرّ فِي كَفّهِ ... رَمَى بِهَا بَعْدَ أَحِبّائِهِ

law ʾann nafsa al-ḥarr fī kaffhi ... ramā bihā baʿda ʾaḥibbāʾihi

If a free person held his life in his hand, / he would cast it away after losing his loved ones.

وَاسْوَأَتَا لِلْمَرْءِ فِي سَاعَةٍ ... يَعِيشُهَا بَعْدَ أَخِلّائِهِ

wāswaʾatā lilmarʾi fī sāʿatin ... yaʿīshuhā baʿda ʾakhillāʾihi

What shame to live a single hour / after one’s closest friends are gone!

وَأَنْشَدْنَا أَيْضًا فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى:

waʾanshadnā ʾayḍan fī hādhā al-maʿnā:

These lines were also recited to us on the same theme:

غَابُوا فَصَارَ الْجِسْمُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ ... مَا تُبْصِرُ الْعَيْنُ لَهُمْ فَيَا

ghābūā faṣāra al-jismu min baʿdihim ... mā tubṣiru al-ʿaynu lahum fayā

They have gone, and my body after them / is a shadow too faint for the eye to see.

بِأَيِ وَجْهٍ أَتَلْقَاهُمْ ... إذَا رَأَوْنِي بَعْدَهُمْ حَيَا

biʾayi wajhin ʾatalqāhum ... ʾidhā raʾawnī baʿdahum ḥayā

How could I face them / if they found me still alive after they had gone?

وَاخْجَلْتَا مِنْهُمْ وَمِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ ... مَا ضَرّك الْفَقْدُ لَنَا شَيَا

wākhjaltā minhum wamin qawlihim ... mā ḍarrk al-faqdu lanā shayā

How ashamed I would be to hear them say, / ‘So losing us did you no harm at all?’

سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ الْخَالِدِيَّ الْبَغْدَادِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ خَالَوَيْهِ يَقُولُ: قِيلَ لابْنِ جَرِيرٍ: أَرَأَيْتَ قَوْلَ أَبِيكَ: لَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ آخِرَ عَهْدِهِمْ يَوْمَ الرَّحِيلِ فَعَلْتُ مَا لَمْ أَفْعَلْ. مَاذَا كَانَ يَفْعَلُ لَوْ عَلِمَ ذَاكَ؟ فَقَالَ: كَانَ يَقْلَعُ حَدَقَتَيْهِ، فَلا يَرَى مَوْقِفَ الْفِرَاقِ. أَنْشَدَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ طَاهِرٍ الْوَزِيرِيُّ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ لِبَعْضِهِمْ:

samiʿtu muḥammada bna al-ḥasani al-khālidiyya al-baghdādiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna khālawayhi yaqūlu: qīla lābni jarīrin: ʾaraʾayta qawla ʾabīka: law kuntu ʾaʿlamu ʾanna ʾākhira ʿahdihim yawma al-raḥīli faʿaltu mā lam ʾafʿal. mādhā kāna yafʿalu law ʿalima dhāka? faqāla: kāna yaqlaʿu ḥadaqatayhi, falā yarā mawqifa al-firāqi. ʾanshadanā muḥammadu bnu ṭāhirin al-wazīriyyu, qāla: ʾanshadanī saʿīdu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi al-baghdādiyyu libaʿḍihim:

I heard Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Khālidī of Baghdad say: I heard Ibn Khālawayh say, ‘Ibn Jarīr was asked about his father’s words, “If I had known that the day of departure was my last with them, I would have done what I failed to do.” What would he have done?’ He answered, ‘He would have torn out his eyes rather than watch their departure.’ Muḥammad ibn Ṭāhir al-Wazīrī recited to us lines that Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Baghdādī had recited by an unnamed poet:

مَا كُنْت أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَيْنِ مِنْ حُزْنٍ ... حَتّى تَنَادَوْا بِأَنْ قَدْ جِيءَ بِالسّفُنِ

mā kunt ʾaʿlamu mā fī al-bayni min ḥuznin ... ḥattā tanādawā biʾan qad jīʾa bi-l-sfuni

I did not know how much sorrow parting holds / until voices cried, ‘The boats are here!’

قَامَتْ تُودِعُنِي وَالدّمْعُ يَغْلِبُهَا ... كَمَا تَمِيلُ نَسِيمُ الرِّيحِ بِالْغُصْنِ

qāmat tūdiʿunī wa-l-dmʿu yaghlibuhā ... kamā tamīlu nasīmu al-rīḥi bi-l-ghuṣni

She stood to say goodbye, tears overcoming her, / swaying like a branch stirred by the breeze.

وَأَعْرَضَتْ ثُمّ قَالَتْ وَهِيَ بَاكِيَةٌ ... يَا لَيْتَ مَعْرِفَتِي إيًاكَ لَمْ تَكُنْ

waʾaʿraḍat thumm qālat wahiya bākiyatun ... yā layta maʿrifatī ʾiyanka lam takun

Then she turned away and said through tears, / ‘I wish I had never known you.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ إِتْمَامُ الْعَارِفَةِ بِمُدَاوَمَتِهَا. وَمُوَاصَلَتِهَا بِأَعْوَانِهَا. أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْحَافِظُ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْقَاضِي، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خُزَيْمَةَ بْنُ عِيسَى قَالَ: قَالَ الْمَهْدِيُّ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ: مَا تَوَسَّلَ أَحَدٌ إِلَيَّ بِوَسِيلَةٍ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾitmāmu al-ʿārifati bimudāwamatihā. wamuwāṣalatihā biʾaʿwānihā. ʾakhbaranā ʿaliyyu bnu ʿumara al-ḥāfiẓu, ʾakhbaranā al-ḥasanu bnu ʾismāʿīla al-qāḍī, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu ʾabī saʿīdin, ḥaddathanā hārūnu bnu maymūnin, ḥaddathanā ʾabū khuzaymata bnu ʿīsā qāla: qāla al-mahdiyyu ʾamīru al-muʾminīna: mā tawassala ʾaḥadun ʾilayya biwasīlatin,

Part of futuwwa is to complete a favor by keeping it up and supporting it with further kindness. ʿAlī ibn ʿUmar al-Ḥāfiẓ informed us: Judge al-Ḥasan ibn Ismāʿīl informed us: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Saʿīd told us: Hārūn ibn Maymūn told us: Abū Khuzayma ibn ʿĪsā told us that the Commander of the Faithful, al-Mahdī, said, ‘No one has appealed to me by any means

وَلَاَ تَذْرَعْ بِذَرِيعَةٍ هِيَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى مَا يُحِبُّ مِنْ تَذْكِيرِي يَدًا أَسْلَفَتْ مِنِّي إِلَيْهِ أَتْبَعُهَا بِأُخْرَى، وَأَحْسَنَ رَبَّهَا، لِأَنَّ مَنْعَ الأَوَاخِرِ يَقْطَعُ شُكْرَ الأَوَائِلِ.

walaa tadhraʿ bidharīʿatin hiya ʾaqrabu ʾilā mā yuḥibbu min tadhkīrī yadan ʾaslafat minnī ʾilayhi ʾatbaʿuhā biʾukhrā, waʾaḥsana rabbahā, liʾanna manʿa al-ʾawākhiri yaqṭaʿu shukra al-ʾawāʾili.

dearer to me than reminding me of a favor I once gave him, so that I may follow it with another and serve him even better. To withhold later favors brings gratitude for the first ones to an end.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الأَخْذُ بِهَذِهِ الآدَابِ وَالْمَوَاعِظِ الَّتِي أَخْبَرَنَاهَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ الْعِصْمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ الْخَلادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الرَّمْلِيُّ. حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَرْهَنِيُّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ الْعَبَّاسِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ مَوْلَى الْمَهْدِيِّ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ شَكْلَةَ، قَالَ: إِذَا آخَيْتَ أَخًا فَلا تَشُكَّ فِي أَنَّهُ يُخْطِئُ وَيُصِيبُ،

wamina al-futuwwati al-ʾakhdhu bihadhihi al-ʾādābi wa-l-mawāʿiẓi allatī ʾakhbaranāhā ʾabū ʿabdi Allāhi muḥammadu bnu al-ʿabbāsi al-ʿiṣmiyyu, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʾabī ʿaliyyin al-khalādiyyu, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-ḥasani al-ramliyyu. ḥaddathanā ʿaliyyu bnu muḥammadin al-marhaniyyu, ʿan muḥammadi bni ʾibrāhīma bni ʾisḥāqa al-ʿabbāsiyyi, ʿan ʿabdi Allāhi bni al-ḥajjāji mawlā al-mahdiyyi, ʿan ʾibrāhīma bni shaklata, qāla: ʾidhā ʾākhayta ʾakhan falā tashukka fī ʾannahu yukhṭiʾu wayuṣību,

Part of futuwwa is to take to heart the following counsel, related to us by Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn al-ʿAbbās al-ʿIṣmī: Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿAlī al-Khallādī told us: Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Ramlī told us: ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Murhanī told us, from Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Isḥāq al-ʿAbbāsī, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥajjāj, al-Mahdī’s freedman, from Ibrāhīm ibn Shakla, who said, ‘When you make a friend, expect him sometimes to be right and sometimes wrong,

وَيُحْسِنُ وَيُسِيءُ، وَيَحْفَظُ وَيُضَيعُ. فَوَطَّنَ نَفْسَكَ عَلَى الشُّكْرِ إذَا حَفِظَ، وَعَلَى الصَّبْرِ إِذَا ضَيَّعَ، وَعَلَى الْمُكَافَأَةِ إِذَا أَحْسَنَ، وَعَلَى الإِسَاءَةِ إِذَا أَسَاءَ، فَإِنَّ فِي مُعَاتَبَةِ الصِّدِّيقِ اسْتِدَامَةً لِلْوُدِّ. وَقَدْ قِيلَ: ظَاهِرُ الْعِتَابِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مَكْتُومِ الْحِقْدِ.

wayuḥsinu wayusīʾu, wayaḥfaẓu wayuḍayʿu. fawaṭṭana nafsaka ʿalā al-shukri ʾidhā ḥafiẓa, waʿalā al-ṣabri ʾidhā ḍayyaʿa, waʿalā al-mukāfaʾati ʾidhā ʾaḥsana, waʿalā al-ʾisāʾati ʾidhā ʾasāʾa, faʾinna fī muʿātabati al-ṣiddīqi astidāmatan lilwuddi. waqad qīla: ẓāhiru al-ʿitābi khayrun min maktūmi al-ḥiqdi.

sometimes kind and sometimes hurtful, sometimes attentive and sometimes forgetful. Resolve to thank him when he remembers, be patient when he forgets, return his kindness, and bear with him and speak honestly when he does wrong. Gentle reproach keeps a friendship alive; open reproach is better than concealed resentment.’ [The main transcription reads ‘do wrong in return’; another early version gives ‘bear with him and reproach him.’]

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ عُهُودِ الإِخْوَانِ عَلَى الْقُرْبِ وَالْبُعْدِ. أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ الأَنْبَارِيِّ، قَالَ أُنْشِدَتُ لِيَزِيدَ الْمُهَلَّبِيِّ:

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu ʿuhūdi al-ʾikhwāni ʿalā al-qurbi wa-l-buʿdi. ʾakhbaranā ʿumaru bnu ʾaḥmada bni ʿuthmāna, qāla: samiʿtu ibna al-ʾanbāriyyi, qāla ʾunshidatu liyazīda al-muhallabiyyi:

Part of futuwwa is to honor your bonds with friends whether they are near or far. ʿUmar ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿUthmān informed us: I heard Ibn al-Anbārī recite these lines by Yazīd al-Muhallabī:

أَنْ تُغَيبِي عَنَا فَسْقِيًاٍ وَرَعْيًا ... أَوْ تَحْكِي بِنَا فَأَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا

ʾan tughaybī ʿanā fasqiyan waraʿyan ... ʾaw taḥkī binā faʾahlan wasahlan

If you are away, may you be watered and cared for; / if you come among us, you are warmly welcome.

لَا تُخَافِي إنْ غِبْت أَنْ نَتَنَاسَاك ... وَلَا إنْ وَصَلْتنَا أَنْ نَمْلَا

lā tukhāfī ʾin ghibt ʾan natanāsāk ... walā ʾin waṣaltnā ʾan namlā

Do not fear that absence will make us forget you, / or that your company will make us weary.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَسْمَعَ مَذَمَّةَ إِخْوَانِهِ بِحَالٍ. أَنْشَدَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنَا ابْنُ الأَنْبَارِيِّ لِبَعْضِهِمْ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yasmaʿa madhammata ʾikhwānihi biḥālin. ʾanshadanā yūsufu bnu ṣāliḥin, qāla: ʾanshadanā ibnu al-ʾanbāriyyi libaʿḍihim:

Part of futuwwa is to refuse to listen to anyone speak ill of your friends. Yūsuf ibn Ṣāliḥ recited to us lines that Ibn al-Anbārī had recited by an unnamed poet:

لَا أُعِيرُ الدّهْرَ سَمْعِي ... لِيَعِيبُوا لِي حَبِيبًا

lā ʾuʿīru al-dhra samʿī ... liyaʿībūā lī ḥabīban

I will never lend my ears to the age / when it wishes to fault a beloved friend.

لَا وَلَا أَحْفَظُ عِنْدِي ... لِلْأَخِلَّاءِ عُيُوبًا

lā walā ʾaḥfaẓu ʿindī ... lilʾakhillāʾi ʿuyūban

Nor will I keep a record / of the faults of those I love.

أَحْفَظُ الْإِخْوَانَ كَيْمًا ... يَحْفَظُوا عَنِّي الْمَغِيبَا

ʾaḥfaẓu al-ʾikhwāna kayman ... yaḥfaẓūā ʿannī al-maghībā

I guard my friends, / that they may guard me when I am away.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يُعْتَدَّ بِمَعْرُوفِهِ وَلَا يُحْصِيهِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو أَبُو عَمْرِو بْنُ مَطَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ نَصْرٍ الْحَافِظُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ خَشْرَمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفُضَيْلِ، قَالَ: قَالَ ابْنُ شُبْرُمَةَ: لَا خَيْرَ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ إِذَا أُحْصَى.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yuʿtadda bimaʿrūfihi walā yuḥṣīhi. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū ʾabū ʿamriw bnu maṭarin, ḥaddathanā jaʿfaru bnu ʾaḥmada bni naṣrin al-ḥāfiẓu, ḥaddathanā ʿaliyyu bnu khashramin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-fuḍayli, qāla: qāla ibnu shubrumata: lā khayra fī al-maʿrūfi ʾidhā ʾuḥṣā.

Part of futuwwa is not to count up one’s own acts of kindness. Abū ʿAmr ibn Maṭar informed us: Jaʿfar ibn Aḥmad ibn Naṣr al-Ḥāfiẓ told us: ʿAlī ibn Khashram told us: Muḥammad ibn al-Fuḍayl told us: Ibn Shubruma said, ‘An act of kindness loses its value when it is counted.’

وَنَتْلُوهُ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

wanatlūhu ʾin shāʾa Allāhu

To be continued, God willing.

[الجُزءُ الخَامِسُ مِن الْكِتَابِ الْفُتُوَّةَ]

[al-juzʾu al-khāmisu min al-kitābi al-futuwwata]

Part Five of Kitāb al-Futuwwa

مِمَّا جَمَعَهُ الشَّيْخُ السُّلَمِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ

mimmā jamaʿahu al-shaykhu al-sulamiyyu raḥimahu Allāhu

Compiled by Shaykh al-Sulamī—may God have mercy on him.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ

bismi Allāhi al-Raḥmāni al-raḥīmi ʿalayhi tawakkaltu

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. In Him I place my trust.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَعْتَمِدَ إِلَاّ عَلَى رَبِّهِ فِي كُلِّ أَحْوَالِهِ وَأَوْقَاتِهِ. سَفَرًا وَحَضَرًا. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الدِّمَشْقِيَّ يَقُولُ لِرَجُلٍ وَهُوَ يُوصِيهِ فِي سَفَرٍ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِ: يَا أَخِي، لَا تَصْحَبْ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهُ الَّذِي يَكْفِيكَ الْمُهِمَّاتُ، وَيُشْكِرُكَ عَلَى الْحَسَنَاتِ، وَيَسْتُرُ عَلَيْكَ السَّيِّئَاتِ، وَلَا يُفَارِقُكَ فِي خُطْوَةِ الْخُطُوَاتِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yaʿtamida ʾilā ʿalā rabbihi fī kulli ʾaḥwālihi waʾawqātihi. safaran waḥaḍaran. samiʿtu ʾabā al-qāsimi ʿabda Allāhi bna muḥammadin al-dimashqiyya yaqūlu lirajulin wahuwa yūṣīhi fī safarin yurīdu ʾan yakhruja ʾilayhi: yā ʾakhī, lā taṣḥab ghayra Allāhi faʾinnahu alladhī yakfīka al-muhimmātu, wayushkiruka ʿalā al-ḥasanāti, wayasturu ʿalayka al-sayyiʾāti, walā yufāriquka fī khuṭwati al-khuṭuwāti.

Part of futuwwa is to rely on one’s Lord alone, in every state and at every moment, at home or traveling. I heard Abū al-Qāsim ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Dimashqī counsel a man before a journey: ‘Brother, take no companion but God. He will meet your needs, value your good deeds, conceal your misdeeds, and never leave you for a single step.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يُحْوِجَ إِخْوَانَهُ إِلَى السُّؤَالِ، وَيَكْتَفِي مِنْهُمْ بِالتَّعْرِيضِ عَنِ التَّصْرِيحِ. سَمِعْتُ الشَّيْخَ أَبَا سَهْلٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ سُلَيْمَانَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ الأَنْبَارِيِّ يَقُولُ: أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ ابْنِ الأَعْرَابِيِّ، أَنَّ أُمَيَّةَ بْنَ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ دَخَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جُدْعَانَ، وَعِنْدَهُ قَيْنَتَانِ يُقَالُ لَهُمَا الْجَرَادَتَانِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ أَنَعِمْ صَبَاحًا أَبَا زُهَيْرٍ، ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yuḥwija ʾikhwānahu ʾilā al-suʾāli, wayaktafī minhum bi-l-taʿrīḍi ʿani al-taṣrīḥi. samiʿtu al-shaykha ʾabā sahlin muḥammada bna sulaymāna yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna al-ʾanbāriyyi yaqūlu: ʾakhbaranā ʾaḥmadu bnu yaḥyā ʿani ibni al-ʾaʿrābiyyi, ʾanna ʾumayyata bna ʾabī al-ṣalti dakhala ʿalā ʿabdi Allāhi bni judʿāna, waʿindahu qaynatāni yuqālu lahumā al-jarādatāni, faqāla lahu ʾanaʿim ṣabāḥan ʾabā zuhayrin, thumma ʾanshaʾa yaqūlu:

Part of futuwwa is to spare friends the need to ask outright and understand a hint. I heard Shaykh Abū Sahl Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān say: I heard Ibn al-Anbārī say: Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā related from Ibn al-Aʿrābī that Umayya ibn Abī al-Ṣalt came to ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān. Two female singers known as ‘the Two Locusts’ were with him. Umayya greeted him, ‘Good morning, Abū Zuhayr,’ then recited:

أَأَذْكُرُ حَاجَتِي أَمْ قَدْ كَفَانِي ... حَيَّاكَ إنَّ شِيمَتَك الْحَيَاءُ

ʾaʾadhkuru ḥājatī ʾam qad kafānī ... ḥayyāka ʾinna shīmatak al-ḥayāʾu

Must I speak of my need, or does your sense of honor spare me? / You have a generous man’s modesty. [The first edition’s wording of the opening is unclear; another attestation reads ‘your modesty.’]

وَعَلْمُك بِالْحُقُوقِ وَأَنْتَ فَرْعٌ ... لَك الْحَسَبُ الْمُهَذّبُ وَالسّنَاءُ

waʿalmuk bi-l-ḥuqūqi waʾanta farʿun ... lak al-ḥasabu al-muhadhdhbu wa-l-snāʾu

You know what others are owed, and you spring / from a lineage of refinement and distinction.

كَرِيمٌ لَا يُغَيّرُهُ صَبَاحٌ ... عَنْ الْخَلْقِ الْكَرِيمِ وَلَا الْمَسَاءِ وَأَرْضُك كُلّ مَكْرُمَةٍ بَنَاهَا ... بَنُو أَنْتُمْ وَأَنْتَ لَهَا سَمَاءٌ

karīmun lā yughayyruhu ṣabāḥun ... ʿan al-khalqi al-karīmi walā al-masāʾi waʾarḍuk kull makrumatin banāhā ... banū ʾantum waʾanta lahā samāʾun

You are a generous man whom neither morning nor evening / turns aside from generous ways. / Your people built a land of noble deeds, / and you are the sky above it. [The main transcription garbles the family name, Banū Taym.]

تَبَارَى الرِّيحُ مَكْرُمَةً وَمَجْدًا ... إذَا مَا الْكَلْبُ أَحْجَرَهُ الشّتَاءُ

tabārā al-rīḥu makrumatan wamajdan ... ʾidhā mā al-kalbu ʾaḥjarahu al-shtāʾu

You vie with the wind in generosity and honor / when winter has driven even the dog into its shelter.

إذَا أَثْنَى عَلَيْك الْمَرْءُ يَوْمًا ... كَفَاهُ مِنْ تَعَرُّضُهِ الثّنَاءُ

ʾidhā ʾathnā ʿalayk al-marʾu yawman ... kafāhu min taʿarruḍuhi al-thnāʾu

If someone sings your praise one day, / that praise alone is all the request you need.

فَقَالَ: خُذْ بِيَدِ أَيِّهِمَا شِئْتَ، فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِ أَحَدَيْهِمَا، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَى مَجَالِسِ قُرَيْشٍ، فَقَالُوا: يَا أَبَا أُمَيَّةَ، أَتَيْتُ شَيْخًا قَدْ كَبِرَ سِنُّهُ، وَرَقَّ عَظْمُهُ، وَعِنْدَهُ مُلْهِيَتَانِ، فَسَلَبْتُهُ أَحَدَيْهِمَا قَالَ: فَتَدَمَمُ أُمَيَّةُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، فَرَجَعَ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ، قَالَ: اكْفُفْ حَتَّى أُخْبِرَكَ مِنْ رَدِّكَ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَقَالَةِ الْقَوْمِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: خُذْ بِيَدِ الأُخْرَى، وَأَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ:

faqāla: khudh biyadi ʾayyihimā shiʾta, faʾakhadha biyadi ʾaḥadayhimā, thumma kharaja ʿalā majālisi qurayshin, faqālūā: yā ʾabā ʾumayyata, ʾataytu shaykhan qad kabira sinnuhu, waraqqa ʿaẓmuhu, waʿindahu mulhiyatāni, fasalabtuhu ʾaḥadayhimā qāla: fatadamamu ʾumayyatu min dhālika, farajaʿa ʾilā ʿabdi Allāhi, falammā raʾāhu, qāla: akfuf ḥattā ʾukhbiraka min raddika, faʾakhbarahu bimaqālati al-qawmi, thumma qāla: khudh biyadi al-ʾukhrā, waʾanshaʾa yaqūlu:

ʿAbd Allāh said, ‘Take whichever of the two you wish.’ Umayya took one singer by the hand. When he passed the gathering places of Quraysh, people rebuked him: ‘You visited an old man, frail with age, and took one of his two companions!’ Ashamed, Umayya returned. ʿAbd Allāh saw him and said, ‘Wait. Let me tell you who sent you back.’ He repeated their criticism, then said, ‘Take the other one too,’ and recited:

عَطَاؤُك زُيْنَ لِامْرِئِ إنّ حَيَاتَهُ ... وَمَا كُلُّ الْعَطَاءِ بِزِينِ

ʿaṭāʾuk zuyna liāmriʾi ʾinn ḥayātahu ... wamā kullu al-ʿaṭāʾi bizīni

Your giving is an honor to a person throughout life; / gifts from every hand do not carry honor.

وَلَيْسَ بِشِينٍ لِامْرِئٍ بَذَلَ وَجْهَهُ ... إلَيْك كَمَا بَعْضُ السّؤَالِ بِشِينِ

walaysa bishīnin liāmriʾin badhala wajhahu ... ʾilayk kamā baʿḍu al-sʾāli bishīni

No shame falls on someone who bares his need to you, / though some requests bring shame to the one who makes them.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَخْتَارَ الإِنْسَانُ عِزَّ إِخْوَانِهِ عَلَى عِزِّهِ، وَذُلِّهِ عَلَى ذَلِّهِمْ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ الْقُومُسِيَّ يَقُولُ: وَجَّهُ عِصَامُ الْبَلْخِيُّ إِلَى حَاتِمِ الأَصَمِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ شَيْئًا، فَقَبَّلَهُ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ، لِمَ قَبِلْتَ؟ فَقَالَ: وَجَدْتُ فِي أَخْذِهِ ذُلِّي وَعِزَّهُ، وَفِي رَدِّهِ عُزِّيَ وَذُلِّهِ، فَاخْتَرْتُ عِزَّهُ عَلَى عِزِّي، وَذُلِّيَ عَلَى ذُلِّهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yakhtāra al-ʾinsānu ʿizza ʾikhwānihi ʿalā ʿizzihi, wadhullihi ʿalā dhallihim. samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʿabdi Allāhi al-rāziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-ḥusayna bna ʿaliyyin al-qūmusiyya yaqūlu: wajjahu ʿiṣāmu al-balkhiyyu ʾilā ḥātimi al-ʾaṣammi raḥimahu Allāhu shayʾan, faqabbalahu, faqīla lahu, lima qabilta? faqāla: wajadtu fī ʾakhdhihi dhullī waʿizzahu, wafī raddihi ʿuzziya wadhullihi, fākhtartu ʿizzahu ʿalā ʿizzī, wadhulliya ʿalā dhullihi.

Part of futuwwa is to prefer a friend’s dignity to one’s own, and one’s own humiliation to theirs. I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Rāzī say: I heard al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Qūmisī say, ‘ʿIṣām al-Balkhī sent Ḥātim al-Aṣamm—may God have mercy on him—a gift, and he accepted it. Asked why, he replied, “Accepting it humbled me and honored him. Refusing it would have honored me and humbled him. I chose his honor over my own and my humiliation over his.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَرْكُ التَّمَيُّزِ فِي الْخِدْمَةِ وَالْبَذْلِ. سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الرَّازِيَّ يَقُولُ: التَّوَاضُعُ تَرْكُ التَّمَيُّزِ فِي الْخِدْمَةِ.

wamina al-futuwwati tarku al-tamayyuzi fī al-khidmati wa-l-badhli. samiʿtu ʿabda Allāhi bna muḥammadin al-rāziyya yaqūlu: al-tawāḍuʿu tarku al-tamayyuzi fī al-khidmati.

Part of futuwwa is to make no distinction in serving or giving. I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Rāzī say, ‘Humility means making no distinctions when you serve others.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَرْكُ التَّمَيُّزِ فِي الْبَذْلِ وَالْخَلْقِ. [وَ] اسْتِصْغَارُ مَا مِنْكَ، وَاسْتِعْظَامُ مَا إِلَيْكَ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُثْمَانَ سَعِيدَ بْنَ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْخُلْدِيَّ يَقُولُ: قُلْتُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ الْقَزَّازِ الْمِصْرِيِّ، وَكَانَ مِنْ خِيَارِ النَّاسِ، وَكَانَ يَأْوِي إِلَيْهِ الصُّوفِيَّةَ، وَرُبَّمَا يَجِيءُ مَنْ لَيْسَ مِنْهُمْ فَيَخْتَلِطُ بِهِمْ. فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: لِمَ لَا تُمَيِّزُ؟ فَقَالَ: لَسْتَ مِنْ أَرْبَابِ الأَشْرَافِ،

wamina al-futuwwati tarku al-tamayyuzi fī al-badhli wa-l-khalqi. [wa] astiṣghāru mā minka, wāstiʿẓāmu mā ʾilayka. samiʿtu ʾabā ʿuthmāna saʿīda bna ʾabī saʿīdin yaqūlu: samiʿtu jaʿfara bna muḥammadin al-khuldiyya yaqūlu: qultu lʾabī bakrin al-qazzāzi al-miṣriyyi, wakāna min khiyāri al-nāsi, wakāna yaʾwī ʾilayhi al-ṣūfiyyata, warubbamā yajīʾu man laysa minhum fayakhtaliṭu bihim. faqultu lahu: lima lā tumayyizu? faqāla: lasta min ʾarbābi al-ʾashrāfi,

Part of futuwwa is to make no distinction among people when giving, to think little of what you give and much of what you receive. I heard Abū ʿUthmān Saʿīd ibn Abī Saʿīd say: I heard Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Khuldī say, ‘I asked Abū Bakr al-Qazzāz al-Miṣrī—a good man who welcomed Sufis, though others sometimes mingled with them—“Why do you not distinguish between them?” He said, “I am no expert at reading people’s inner rank.

فَأَخَافُ أَنْ أُخْطِئَ فِي تَمَيزِي، فَيُفُوتُنِي مَا أُرِيدُ.

faʾakhāfu ʾan ʾukhṭiʾa fī tamayzī, fayufūtunī mā ʾurīdu.

I might make the wrong distinction and miss the very person I seek.”’

وَمِنْ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِعْمَالُ الأَخْلاقِ فِي الظَّاهِرِ، وَتَصْحِيحُ الأَحْوَالِ فِي الْبَاطِنِ. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُرَيْرِيَّ يَقُولُ: صَحَّ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ أَنَّ لِلدِّينِ رَأْسَ مَالٍ، خَمْسَةً فِي الظَّاهِرِ، وَخَمْسَةً فِي الْبَاطِنِ.

wamin al-futuwwati astiʿmālu al-ʾakhlāqi fī al-ẓāhiri, wataṣḥīḥu al-ʾaḥwāli fī al-bāṭini. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥusayni al-fārisiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā muḥammadin al-jurayriyya yaqūlu: ṣaḥḥa ʿinda ʾahli al-maʿrifati ʾanna lilddīni raʾsa mālin, khamsatan fī al-ẓāhiri, wakhamsatan fī al-bāṭini.

Part of futuwwa is to practice good character outwardly and put one’s inward states in order. I heard Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Fārisī say: I heard Abū Muḥammad al-Jurayrī say, ‘People of spiritual knowledge agree that religion rests on ten essential qualities: five outward and five inward.

فأَمَّا اللَّوَاتِي فِي الظَّاهِرِ: فَصُدَقَ فِي اللِّسَانِ، وَسَخَاوَةِ النَّفْسِ بِالْمَالِ، وَالتَّوَاضُعُ فِي الأَبْدَانِ، وَكَفُّ الأَذَى، وَاحْتِمَالُهَا بِلَا إبَاءٍ. وَأَمَّا اللَّوَاتِي فِي الْبَاطِنِ: فَحُبُّ وُجُودِ سَيِّدِهِ، وَخَوْفُ الْفِرَاقِ عَنْ سَيِّدِهِ، وَرَجَاءُ الْوُصُولِ إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ، وَالنَّدَمُ عَلَى فِعْلِهِ، وَالْحَيَاءُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ.

fʾammā al-lawātī fī al-ẓāhiri: faṣudaqa fī al-lisāni, wasakhāwati al-nafsi bi-l-māli, wa-l-tawāḍuʿu fī al-ʾabdāni, wakaffu al-ʾadhā, wāḥtimāluhā bilā ʾibāʾin. waʾammā al-lawātī fī al-bāṭini: faḥubbu wujūdi sayyidihi, wakhawfu al-firāqi ʿan sayyidihi, warajāʾu al-wuṣūli ʾilā sayyidihi, wa-l-nadamu ʿalā fiʿlihi, wa-l-ḥayāʾu min rabbihi.

The outward five are truthfulness of speech, generosity with wealth, bodily humility, refraining from harm, and bearing harm without resistance. The inward five are love of the Master’s presence, fear of separation from Him, hope of reaching Him, regret for one’s deeds, and reverent shame before one’s Lord.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَةِ أَنْ لَا يَتَزَيَّنَ الْعَبْدُ بِزِيِّ الْفِتْيَانِ، إِلا بَعْدَ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ أَثْقَالَ الْفُتُوَّةِ. وَيَقُومُ بِشَرَائِطِهَا. قِيلَ لأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السِّجْزِيِّ: لِمَ لَا تَلْبَسُ الْمُرَقَّعَةَ؟ فَقَالَ: مِنَ النِّفَاقِ أَنْ تَلْبَسَ لِبَاسَ الْفِتْيَانِ. وَلَا تَدْخُلَ فِي حَمْلِ أَثْقَالِ الْفُتُوَّةِ، إِنَّمَا يَلْبَسُ لِبَاسَ الْفِتْيَانِ مَنْ يَصْبِرُ عَلَى حَمْلِ أَثْقَالِ الْفُتُوَّةِ. فَقِيلَ لَهُ: مَا الْفُتُوَّةُ؟ فَقَالَ: رُؤْيَةُ أَعْذَارِ الْخَلْقِ، وَتَقْصِيرُكَ وَتَمَامُهُمْ،

wamina al-futuwati ʾan lā yatazayyana al-ʿabdu biziyyi al-fityāni, ʾilā baʿda ʾan yaḥmila ʾathqāla al-futuwwati. wayaqūmu bisharāʾiṭihā. qīla lʾabī ʿabdi Allāhi al-sijziyyi: lima lā talbasu al-muraqqaʿata? faqāla: mina al-nifāqi ʾan talbasa libāsa al-fityāni. walā tadkhula fī ḥamli ʾathqāli al-futuwwati, ʾinnamā yalbasu libāsa al-fityāni man yaṣbiru ʿalā ḥamli ʾathqāli al-futuwwati. faqīla lahu: mā al-futuwwatu? faqāla: ruʾyatu ʾaʿdhāri al-khalqi, wataqṣīruka watamāmuhum,

Part of futuwwa is not to dress like its practitioners until one can carry its burdens and meet its conditions. Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Sijzī was asked, ‘Why do you not wear a patched Sufi cloak?’ He answered, ‘It would be hypocrisy to put on their clothing without bearing the burdens of futuwwa. Only someone able to bear them should wear it.’ Asked what futuwwa is, he said, ‘To see excuses for other people, your own shortcomings and their completeness,

وَنُقْصَانَكَ وَالشَّفَقَةُ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمْ، بِرُّهُمْ وَفَاجِرُهُمْ. وَكَمَالُ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَشْغَلَكَ عَنِ اللَّهِ شَاغِلٌ. وَقَالَ مَعْرُوفٌ الْكَرْخِيُّ رَحمَهُ اللهُ: مَنْ ادَّعَى الْفُتُوَّةَ فَلْيَكُنْ فِيهِ ثَلَاثُ خِصَالٍ: وَفَاءً بِلَا خِلَافٍ، وُجُودٌ بِلَا مَدْحٍ، وَعَطَاءٍ بِلَا سُؤَالٍ.

wanuqṣānaka wa-l-shafaqatu ʿalā al-khalqi kullihim, birruhum wafājiruhum. wakamālu al-futuwwati ʾan lā yashghalaka ʿani Allāhi shāghilun. waqāla maʿrūfun al-karkhiyyu raḥmahu Allāhu: man addaʿā al-futuwwata falyakun fīhi thalāthu khiṣālin: wafāʾan bilā khilāfin, wujūdun bilā madḥin, waʿaṭāʾin bilā suʾālin.

your own lack and compassion for every person, upright or wayward. Perfect futuwwa is to let nothing distract you from God.’ Maʿrūf al-Karkhī—may God have mercy on him—said, ‘Whoever claims futuwwa should have three qualities: faithfulness without opposition, generosity without seeking praise, and giving before being asked.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَتَأَسَّفَ الإِنْسَانُ عَلَى مُفَارَقَةِ إِخْوَانِهِ، وَأَنْ يَخْتَارَ مَا أَمْكَنَهُ فِي الْجَمْعِ بَيْنَهُمْ. حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ بْنُ مِقْسَمٍ الْمُقْرِئُ بِبَغْدَادَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الْمُكَاتَبُ الْعَاقُولِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْمُبَرِّدُ. قَالَ: ذُكِرَ لِي أَنَّ رَجُلا مِنَ الْعَرَبِ كَانَتْ لَهُ جَارِيَةٌ، وَكَانَ بِهَا مُعْجَبًا، وَكَانَ مُوسِرًا، فَأَنْفَقَ عَلَيْهَا مَالَهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ مَا فِي يَدَيْهِ، فَكَانَ يَأْتِي إِخْوَانَهُ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yataʾassafa al-ʾinsānu ʿalā mufāraqati ʾikhwānihi, waʾan yakhtāra mā ʾamkanahu fī al-jamʿi baynahum. ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-ḥasani bnu miqsamin al-muqriʾu bibaghdāda, ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-ʿabbāsi al-mukātabu al-ʿāqūliyyu, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu yazīda al-mubarridu. qāla: dhukira lī ʾanna rajulā mina al-ʿarabi kānat lahu jāriyatun, wakāna bihā muʿjaban, wakāna mūsiran, faʾanfaqa ʿalayhā mālahu ḥattā dhahaba mā fī yadayhi, fakāna yaʾtī ʾikhwānahu,

Part of futuwwa is to grieve over friends’ separation and do whatever one can to bring them together again. Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Miqsam al-Muqriʾ told us in Baghdad: Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Mukātib al-ʿĀqūlī told us: Muḥammad ibn Yazīd al-Mubarrad told us, ‘I was told that an Arab man owned an enslaved young woman whom he loved. He had been wealthy but spent all his money on her. He began going to his friends

فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ، وَيُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهَا، فَبَلَغَهَا ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَتْ: لَا تَفْعَلْ، وَلَكِنْ بِعْنِي فَلَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَرْزُقَنَا اجْتِمَاعًا، فَخَرَجَ بِهَا إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَعْمَرٍ، وَكَانَ عَامِلَ فَارِسٍ، فَعَرَضَهَا عَلَيْهِ فَأَعْجَبَتْهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: بِكُمْ؟ فَقَالَ: بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَهِيَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ لِلرَّغْبَةِ فِي الْمَوْضِعِ، فَأَخَذَهَا بِذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا دَفَعَ الْمَالَ وَقَبَضَهُ الرَّجُلُ وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ، أَنْشَأَتْ تَقُولُ:

fayasʾaluhum, wayunfiqu ʿalayhā, fabalaghahā dhālika, faqālat: lā tafʿal, walakin biʿnī falaʿalla Allāha ʾan yarzuqanā ajtimāʿan, fakharaja bihā ʾilā ʿumara bni ʿubaydi Allāhi bni maʿmarin, wakāna ʿāmila fārisin, faʿaraḍahā ʿalayhi faʾaʿjabathu, faqāla lahu: bikum? faqāla: bimiāʾati ʾalfi dirhamin, wahiya khayrun min dhālika lilrraghbati fī al-mawḍiʿi, faʾakhadhahā bidhalika, falammā dafaʿa al-māla waqabaḍahu al-rajulu waʾarāda ʾan yakhruja, ʾanshaʾat taqūlu:

to ask for help so he could keep supporting her. When she learned this, she said, “Do not do that. Sell me instead; perhaps God will bring us together again.” He took her to ʿUmar ibn ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Maʿmar, governor of Fars. ʿUmar admired her and asked her price. “One hundred thousand dirhams,” the man said, “though she is worth more to me.” ʿUmar bought her for that sum. Once the man had received the money and was about to leave, she recited:

هَنِيئًا لَك الْمَالَ الّذِي قَدْ قَبَضْته ... فَلَمْ يَبْقَ فِي كَفّي إلّا تَذَكّرِي

hanīʾan lak al-māla alladhī qad qabaḍth ... falam yabqa fī kaffy ʾillā tadhakkrī

May you enjoy the money you have taken; / all that remains in my hands is memory of you.

أَقُولُ لِنَفْسِي حِينَ جَاشَتْ لِمُقْلَتِي ... أَقَلّي فَقَدْ بَانَ الْحَبِيبُ أَوْ أَكْثَرِي

ʾaqūlu linafsī ḥīna jāshat limuqlatī ... ʾaqally faqad bāna al-ḥabību ʾaw ʾaktharī

When tears rose to my eyes, I told myself, / “Let them flow a little or a great deal: my beloved has gone.”

أَوْبَ بِهِمْ فِي الْفُؤَادِ مُبَرّحٌ ... أُنَاجِي بِهِ قَلْبًا طَوِيلَ التّفَكُّرِ فَنَظَرَ إلَيْهَا ثُمّ تَرَكَهَا وَأَنْشَأَ يَقُولُ:

ʾawba bihim fī al-fuʾādi mubarrḥun ... ʾunājī bihi qalban ṭawīla al-tfakkuri fanaẓara ʾilayhā thumm tarakahā waʾanshaʾa yaqūlu:

A searing ache has lodged in my heart; / I speak to a heart lost in long reflection.’ [The opening words of this verse are uncertain in the source.] He looked at her and left her, then recited:

فَلَوْلَا قُعُودُ الدّهْرِ عَنْك لَمْ يَكُنْ ... يُفَرّقُنَا شَيْءٌ سِوَى الْمَوْتِ فَاعْذُرِي

falawlā quʿūdu al-dhri ʿank lam yakun ... yufarrqunā shayʾun siwā al-mawti fāʿdhurī

If hard times had not left me unable to keep you, / nothing but death could have parted us. Forgive me.

أَرُوحُ بِحُزْنٍ مِنْ فِرَاقِك مُوجِعًا ... أُنَاجِي بِهِ قَلْبًا كَثِيرَ التَّفَكُّرِ

ʾarūḥu biḥuznin min firāqik mūjiʿan ... ʾunājī bihi qalban kathīra al-tafakkuri

I leave in pain and grief at our parting, / speaking to a heart lost in thought.

عَلَيْك سَلَامٌ لَا زِيَارَةَ بَيْنَنَا ... وَلَا وَصْلَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ ابْنُ مَعْمَرٍ

ʿalayk salāmun lā ziyārata baynanā ... walā waṣla ʾillā ʾan yashāʾa ibnu maʿmarin

Farewell: there can be no visit between us, / nor any reunion unless Ibn Maʿmar wills it.’

فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَعْمَرٍ: فَقَدْ شِئْتَ، فَخُذْهَا وَالْمَالُ لَكَ فَانْصَرَفَ وَمَعَهُ الْجَارِيَةُ، وَمِائَةُ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَعَادَ إلَى السُّرُورِ. فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَعْمَرٍ: وَاللَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرَى بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ مَكْرُمَةٍ فَوْقَ هَذِهِ أَنْ يَجْمَعَ الإِنْسَانُ بَيْنَ مُتَحَابَّيْنِ حَلَالا وَيُخَلِّصَهُمَا مِنْ غَمَّةِ الْفِرَاقِ.

faqāla ʿumaru bnu ʿubaydi Allāhi bni maʿmarin: faqad shiʾta, fakhudhhā wa-l-mālu laka fānṣarafa wamaʿahu al-jāriyatu, wamiāʾatu ʾalfi dirhamin, waʿāda ʾilā al-surūri. faqāla ʿumaru bnu ʿubaydi Allāhi bni maʿmarin: wa-llāhi lā yashtarā bimiāʾati ʾalfi dirhamin makrumatin fawqa hādhihii ʾan yajmaʿa al-ʾinsānu bayna mutaḥābbayni ḥalālā wayukhalliṣahumā min ghammati al-firāqi.

ʿUmar ibn ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Maʿmar said, ‘I will it. Take her, and keep the money too.’ The man left with the woman and the hundred thousand dirhams, restored to happiness. ʿUmar said, ‘By God, no hundred thousand dirhams could buy a finer deed than reuniting two people who love one another lawfully and freeing them from the pain of separation.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَبْدَأَ الرَّجُلُ بِالْعَطَاءِ قَبْلَ السُّؤَالِ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا أَعْطَى بَعْدَ السُّؤَالِ كَانَ ثَمَنًا لِمَاءِ وَجْهِهِ، وَالْكَرِيمُ لَا يَسْتَبْدِلُ وُجُوهَ إِخْوَانِهِ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنُ بَطَّةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بِالْكُوفَةِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمَرْزُبَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ الْقُرَشِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَقْظَانِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَمْرٍو الْمَدِينِيُّ،

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yabdaʾa al-rajulu bi-l-ʿaṭāʾi qabla al-suʾāli faʾinnahu ʾidhā ʾaʿṭā baʿda al-suʾāli kāna thamanan limāʾi wajhihi, wa-l-karīmu lā yastabdilu wujūha ʾikhwānihi. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū ʿabdi Allāhi bnu baṭṭata, ḥaddathanā al-ḥasanu bnu muḥammadi bni al-ḥasani bi-l-kūfati, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-marzubāni, ḥaddathanā ʿabdu al-Raḥmāni bnu muḥammadin, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ṣāliḥin al-qurashiyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-yaqẓāni, ḥaddathanī ʾabū ʿamrinw al-madīniyyu,

Part of futuwwa is to give before someone asks. Once a person must ask, your gift merely compensates for the loss of dignity the request has cost, and a generous person does not trade in a friend’s self-respect. Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn Baṭṭa informed us: al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan told us in Kufa: Muḥammad ibn al-Marzubān told us: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad told us: Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-Qurashī told us: Abū al-Yaqẓān told us: Abū ʿAmr al-Madīnī told me,

عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لابْنِ أَخِيهِ: إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الْعَطِيَّةِ مَا أَعْطَيتَ الرَّجُلَ قَبْلَ الْمَسْأَلَةِ، فَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ فَإِنَّمَا تُعْطِيهِ ثَمَنَ وَجْهِهِ حِينَ بَذَلَهُ لَكَ، وَأَنْشَدْتُ فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى:

ʿani al-ḥusayni bni ʿabdi Allāhi bni ʿubaydi Allāhi bni ʿabbāsin, qāla: qāla ʿubaydu Allāhi bnu ʿabbāsin lābni ʾakhīhi: ʾinna ʾafḍala al-ʿaṭiyyati mā ʾaʿṭayta al-rajula qabla al-masʾalati, faʾidhā saʾalaka faʾinnamā tuʿṭīhi thamana wajhihi ḥīna badhalahu laka, waʾanshadtu fī hādhā al-maʿnā:

from al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās, who said, ‘ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās told his nephew, “The best gift is what you offer before someone asks. If he must ask, you are only paying him for the dignity he spent in asking.”’ These lines were recited to me on the same theme:

مَا اعْتَاضَ بَاذِلُ وَجْهَهُ بِسُؤَالِهِ ... عِوَضًا وَإِنْ نَالَ الْغِنَى بِسُؤَالِ

mā aʿtāḍa bādhilu wajhahu bisuʾālihi ... ʿiwaḍan waʾin nāla al-ghinā bisuʾāli

One who bares his face to ask receives no true exchange, / even if his asking wins him wealth.

إذَا السّؤَالُ مَعَ النّوَالِ وَزِنَتُهُ ... رَجّحَ السّؤَالَ وَخَفّ كُلّ نَوَالٍ

ʾidhā al-sʾālu maʿa al-nwāli wazinatuhu ... rajjḥa al-sʾāla wakhaff kull nawālin

Weigh the shame of asking against what is given: / the asking outweighs every gift.

وَأُنْشَدَتْ أَيْضًا:

waʾunshadat ʾayḍan:

These lines were also recited to me:

مَا مَاءُ كَفَكّ إنْ جَادَتْ وَإِنْ بَخِلَتْ ... مِنْ مَاءِ وَجْهِي إذَا أَفْنَيْتُهُ عِوَضُ

mā māʾu kafakk ʾin jādat waʾin bakhilat ... min māʾi wajhī ʾidhā ʾafnaytuhu ʿiwaḍu

Whether your hand pours gifts or withholds them, / its bounty cannot replace the dignity I would spend in asking.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِعْمَالُ الأَخْلاقِ. وَرُؤْيَةُ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ. سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَزَوِينِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الطَّيِّبِ الْعَكِّيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ الأَنْبَارِيِّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ بَعْضُ تَلامِذَةِ أَبِي يَزِيدَ: قَالَ لِي أَبُو يَزِيدَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: إِذَا صَحِبَكَ إِنْسَانٌ، وَأَسَاءَ عَشَرَتَكَ فَادْخُلْ عَلَيْهِ بِحُسْنِ أَخْلَاقِكَ يَطِيبُ لَكَ عَيْشُكَ. وَإِذَا أَنْعَمَ عَلَيْكَ فَاشْكُرِ اللَّهَ. فَإِنَّهُ الَّذِي أَعْطِفُ عَلَيْكَ الْقُلُوبَ.

wamina al-futuwwati astiʿmālu al-ʾakhlāqi. waruʾyatu faḍli Allāhi fī kulli ḥālin. samiʿtu ʿaliyya bna muḥammadin al-qazawīniyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabā al-ṭayyibi al-ʿakkiyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ibna al-ʾanbāriyyi yaqūlu: qāla baʿḍu talāmidhati ʾabī yazīda: qāla lī ʾabū yazīda raḥimahu Allāhu: ʾidhā ṣaḥibaka ʾinsānun, waʾasāʾa ʿasharataka fādkhul ʿalayhi biḥusni ʾakhlāqika yaṭību laka ʿayshuka. waʾidhā ʾanʿama ʿalayka fāshkuri Allāha. faʾinnahu alladhī ʾaʿṭifu ʿalayka al-qulūba.

Part of futuwwa is to practice good character and recognize God’s grace in every state. I heard ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Qazwīnī say: I heard Abū al-Ṭayyib al-ʿAkkī say: I heard Ibn al-Anbārī say: One of Abū Yazīd’s pupils told me, ‘Abū Yazīd—may God have mercy on him—said to me: “When someone keeps your company but treats you badly, answer with your best character and life together will become easier. When someone treats you well, thank God: He is the one who turned that person’s heart toward you.

وَإِذَا ابْتُلِيتُ بِبَلاءٍ، فَأُسْرِعْ إِلَى الاِسْتِقَامَةِ، وَاصْبِرْ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ نَفْسٌ تَفْنَى بِالصَّبْرِ.

waʾidhā abtulītu bibalāʾin, faʾusriʿ ʾilā al-istiqāmati, wāṣbir faʾinnahu laysa nafsun tafnā bi-l-ṣabri.

And when hardship comes, hasten to walk uprightly and be patient. Patience alone has never brought a life to an end.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَجْتَهِدَ فِي حِفْظِ النَّعَمِ عَلَى أَرْبَابِهَا. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنُ بَطَّةَ الْعُكْبَرِيُّ بِهَا، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو ابْنُ حَمْدُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَرَفَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: قَالَتِ الْحُرَقَةُ بِنْتُ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ الْمُنْذِرِ لِسَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ: لَا ابْتَلاكَ اللَّهُ بِلَئِيمٍ، فَيُسِيءُ إِلَيْكَ، وَلَا ابْتَلَى بِكَ كَرِيمًا فَتُسِيءُ إِلَيْهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yajtahida fī ḥifẓi al-naʿami ʿalā ʾarbābihā. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū ʿabdi Allāhi bnu baṭṭata al-ʿukbariyyu bihā, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʾaḥmada bni thābitin, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu ʿamrinw ibnu ḥamdūnin, ḥaddathanā al-ḥasanu bnu ʿarafata, ʿan hishāmi bni muḥammadin, ʿan ʾabīhi, qāla: qālati al-ḥuraqatu bintu al-nuʿmāni bni al-mundhiri lisaʿdi bni ʾabī waqqāṣin: lā abtalāka Allāhu bilaʾīmin, fayusīʾu ʾilayka, walā abtalā bika karīman fatusīʾu ʾilayhi.

Part of futuwwa is to strive to preserve other people’s blessings. Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn Baṭṭa informed us in ʿUkbarā: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Thābit told us: Aḥmad ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥamdūn told us: al-Ḥasan ibn ʿArafa told us, from Hishām ibn Muḥammad, from his father, who said, ‘Al-Ḥurqa daughter of al-Nuʿmān ibn al-Mundhir said to Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ: “May God never test you with a mean person who treats you badly, nor test a noble person through your treating him badly.

وَعَقَدَ لَكَ الْمِنَنَ فِي أَعْنَاقِ الأَجْوَادِ، وَلَا أَزَالُ عَنْ كَرِيمِ نِعْمَةً بِكَ، وَلَا أَزَالُهَا بِغَيْرِكَ إِلَاّ جَعَلَكَ السَّبَبَ لِرَدِّهَا.

waʿaqada laka al-minana fī ʾaʿnāqi al-ʾajwādi, walā ʾazālu ʿan karīmi niʿmatan bika, walā ʾazāluhā bighayrika ʾilā jaʿalaka al-sababa liraddihā.

May He bind the generous to you with bonds of gratitude. May He never take a blessing away from a noble person through you; and if He takes it through someone else, may He make you the means of restoring it.”’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ بَذْلُ الْمَالِ لِلإِخْوَانِ وَالرُّفَقَاءِ. أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُعَافَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا الْقَاضِي الْجُرَيْرِيُّ بِبَغْدَادَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، أَنْشَدَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ لِسُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَحْي ابْنِ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ، وَإِنَّمَا نُسِبَ إِلَى جَدِّهِ:

wamina al-futuwwati badhlu al-māli lilʾikhwāni wa-l-rufaqāʾi. ʾakhbaranā al-muʿāfā bnu zakariyyā al-qāḍī al-jurayriyyu bibaghdāda, ḥaddathanā al-ḥasanu bnu al-qāsimi, ʾanshadanā ʾabū jaʿfarin lisulaymāna bni yaḥy ibni ʾabī ḥafṣata, waʾinnamā nusiba ʾilā jaddihi:

Part of futuwwa is to spend one’s wealth on friends and companions. Judge al-Muʿāfā ibn Zakariyyā al-Jurayrī informed us in Baghdad: al-Ḥasan ibn al-Qāsim told us: Abū Jaʿfar recited to us these lines by Sulaymān ibn Yaḥyā ibn Abī Ḥafṣa, who was known by his grandfather’s name:

وَقَائِلَةٍ مَا بَالُ مَالِكٍ نَاقِصًا ... وَأَمْوَالُ أَقْوَامٍ سِوَاكٍ تَزِيدُ

waqāʾilatin mā bālu mālikin nāqiṣan ... waʾamwālu ʾaqwāmin siwākin tazīdu

A woman asked, ‘Why does your wealth diminish / while other people’s riches keep growing?’

فَأَخْبَرْتهَا إنِّي أَجُودُ بِمَا حُوتْ ... يَدَايَ وَبَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ لَيْسَ يَجُودُ

faʾakhbarthā ʾinnī ʾajūdu bimā ḥūt ... yadāya wabaʿḍu al-qawmi laysa yajūdu

I answered, ‘I give freely of what my hands hold, / while some people never give.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اجْتِنَابُ مُعَادَاةِ الرِّجَالِ لِمَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْفَسَادِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ الرَّازِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِكٍ. حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ يَحْيَى النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْجُنَيْدِ، حَدَّثَنَا صَالِحُ بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، يَقُولُ: إِيَّاكَ وَمُعَادَاةَ الرَّجُلِ، فَإِنَّهَا لَنْ تَعْدِمَكَ مَكْرٌ حَلِيمٌ، أَوْ مُعَادَاةُ جَاهِلٍ، وَقَالَ: الأَغْلَبُ مَنْ غَلَبَ بِالْخَيْرِ، وَالْمَغْلُوبُ مَنْ غَلَبَ بِالشَّرِّ.

wamina al-futuwwati ajtinābu muʿādāti al-rijāli limā fīhā mina al-fasādi. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿabdi al-wāḥidi al-rāziyyu, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu ʿaliyyi bni ʿabdikin. ḥaddathanā zakariyyā bnu yaḥyā al-naysābūriyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾibrāhīmu bnu al-junaydi, ḥaddathanā ṣāliḥu bnu ḥamzata, yaqūlu: ʾiyyāka wamuʿādāta al-rajuli, faʾinnahā lan taʿdimaka makrun ḥalīmun, ʾaw muʿādātu jāhilin, waqāla: al-ʾaghlabu man ghalaba bi-l-khayri, wa-l-maghlūbu man ghalaba bi-l-sharri.

Part of futuwwa is to avoid making enemies, for enmity brings harm. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wāḥid al-Rāzī informed us: Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAbdak told us: Zakariyyā ibn Yaḥyā al-Nīsābūrī told us: Ibrāhīm ibn al-Junayd told us: Ṣāliḥ ibn Ḥamza told us, ‘Beware of making an enemy of anyone. You may face the cunning of a patient man or the hostility of a fool.’ He also said, ‘The true victor prevails through goodness; whoever prevails through evil is the loser.

وَاعْتَزَلَ الشَّرَّ كَيِّ يَعْتَزِلَكَ.

wāʿtazala al-sharra kayyi yaʿtazilaka.

Keep away from evil, and evil will keep away from you.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَصُونَ الرَّجُلُ سَمِعَهُ عَنِ اسْتِمَاعِ الْقَبِيحِ. كَمَا يَصُونُ لِسَانُهُ عَنِ النُّطْقِ بِهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْمَرْزُبَانِ إِجَازَةً، قَالَ: أَنْشَدْتُ لِبَعْضِهِمْ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yaṣūna al-rajulu samiʿahu ʿani astimāʿi al-qabīḥi. kamā yaṣūnu lisānuhu ʿani al-nuṭqi bihi, ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿumara bni al-marzubāni ʾijāzatan, qāla: ʾanshadtu libaʿḍihim:

Part of futuwwa is to protect one’s hearing from ugly speech as one protects one’s tongue from saying it. Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar ibn al-Marzubān informed us by authorization and recited these lines by an unnamed poet:

وَسَمْعَك صِنٌّ عَن اسْتِمَاعِ الْقَبِيحِ ... كَصَوْنِ اللِّسَانِ عَن اللَّفْظِ بِهِ

wasamʿak ṣinnun ʿan astimāʿi al-qabīḥi ... kaṣawni al-lisāni ʿan al-lafẓi bihi

Guard your ears against hearing ugly speech, / as you guard your tongue against saying it.

فَإِنّك عِنْدَ اسْتِمَاعِ الْقَبِيحِ ... شَرِيكٌ لِقَائِلِهِ فَانْتَبَهَ

faʾinnk ʿinda astimāʿi al-qabīḥi ... sharīkun liqāʾilihi fāntabaha

When you listen to it, you share / responsibility with the speaker. Take heed.

وَكَمْ أَزْعَجَ الْحِرْصَ مِنْ طَالِبٍ ... وَوَافَى الْمُنْيَةَ فِي مَطْلَبِهِ

wakam ʾazʿaja al-ḥirṣa min ṭālibin ... wawāfā al-munyata fī maṭlabihi

How many people greed has driven on, / only for death to find them in pursuit of their goal!

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَبْذُلَ الرَّجُلُ جَاهَهُ لإِخْوَانِهِ كَمَا يَبْذُلُ مَالَهُ. أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْمَرْزُبَانِ، قَالَ أُنْشَدْتُ لِبَعْضِهِمْ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yabdhula al-rajulu jāhahu lʾikhwānihi kamā yabdhulu mālahu. ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʿumara bni al-marzubāni, qāla ʾunshadtu libaʿḍihim:

Part of futuwwa is to use one’s standing for friends as freely as one uses one’s money. Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar ibn al-Marzubān informed us and recited these lines by an unnamed poet:

جَعَلْت فِدَاك أَخْطِرْنِي بِبَالِك ... وَصِنِّي بِابْتِدَائِك عَنْ سُؤَالِك

jaʿalt fidāk ʾakhṭirnī bibālik ... waṣinnī biābtidāʾik ʿan suʾālik

I would give my life for you. Keep me in mind; / spare me the need to ask by offering help first.

وَوَسِعَ لِي بِجَاهِك بَعْضَ جَاهِي ... كَمَا وَسِعَت لِي مَالِي بِمَالِكِ

wawasiʿa lī bijāhik baʿḍa jāhī ... kamā wasiʿat lī mālī bimāliki

Use your influence to expand my standing / as you used your wealth to relieve my need.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اجْتِنَابُ الأَخْلَاقِ الرَّدِيئَةِ. وَمُلازَمَةُ الأَخْلَاقِ السَّنِّيَّةِ. أَنْشَدَنِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنُ بَطَّةَ، أَنْشَدَنِي أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ الْحَرْبِيُّ، أَنْشَدَنَا ابْنُ مَسْرُوقٍ:

wamina al-futuwwati ajtinābu al-ʾakhlāqi al-radīʾati. wamulāzamatu al-ʾakhlāqi al-sanniyyati. ʾanshadanī ʾabū ʿabdi Allāhi bnu baṭṭata, ʾanshadanī ʾabū al-ḥusayni al-ḥarbiyyu, ʾanshadanā ibnu masrūqin:

Part of futuwwa is to avoid poor character and hold to noble conduct. Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn Baṭṭa recited to me lines that Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Ḥarbī had recited from Ibn Masrūq:

إذَا سَاءَ خَلْقُ الْمَرْءِ لَمْ يَصِفْ عَيْشَهُ ... وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِ سُبُلُهُ وَمَذَاهِبُهُ

ʾidhā sāʾa khalqu al-marʾi lam yaṣif ʿayshahu ... waḍāqat ʿalayhi subuluhu wamadhāhibuhu

When a person’s character turns bad, life loses its ease / and every road before him narrows.

وَلَمْ يَحْمَدْ النّاسَ امْرَءًا سَاءَ خَلْقُهُ ... وَلَكِنْ حُسْنَ الْخُلُقِ يَحْمَدُ صَاحِبُهُ

walam yaḥmad al-nāsa amraʾan sāʾa khalquhu ... walakin ḥusna al-khuluqi yaḥmadu ṣāḥibuhu

No one praises a person of bad character, / while good character brings its owner praise.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ الْجَارِ وَالْمُجَاوَرَةِ، كَذَلِكَ رُوِيَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ علَيه وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: ((مَا زَالَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ يُوصِينِي بِالْجَارِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُ)) ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنُ بَطَّةَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ الْوَرَّاقُ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرٌ الصَّائِغُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الطَّيِّبِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْفَتْحِ الرَّقِّيُّ، قَالَ: قَالَ الْحَسَنُ:

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu al-jāri wa-l-mujāwarati, kadhalika ruwiya ʿan rasūli Allāhi ṣallā Allāhu ʿlayh wasallama ʾannahu qāla: ((mā zāla jibrīlu ʿalayhi al-salāmu yūṣīnī bi-l-jāri ḥattā ẓanantu ʾannahu sayuwarrithuhu)) , ʾakhbaranā ʾabū ʿabdi Allāhi bnu baṭṭata, ḥaddathanā ʾismāʿīlu bnu ʿabdi Allāhi bni al-ʿabbāsi al-warrāqu, ḥaddathanā jaʿfarun al-ṣāʾighu, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu al-ṭayyibi, ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-fatḥi al-raqqiyyu, qāla: qāla al-ḥasanu:

Part of futuwwa is to honor one’s neighbor and the duties of living alongside them. The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—is reported to have said, ‘Gabriel kept urging me to care for my neighbor until I thought he would make the neighbor an heir.’ Abū ʿAbd Allāh ibn Baṭṭa informed us: Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-ʿAbbās al-Warrāq told us: Jaʿfar al-Ṣāʾigh told us: Aḥmad ibn al-Ṭayyib told us: Abū al-Fatḥ al-Raqqī told us: al-Ḥasan said:

لَيْسَ حُسْنَ الْجِوَارِ أَنْ لَا تُؤْذِيَ جَارَكَ، إِنَّ مِنْ حُسْنِ الْجِوَارِ أَنْ تَحْمِلَ أَذًى جَارِكَ.

laysa ḥusna al-jiwāri ʾan lā tuʾdhiya jāraka, ʾinna min ḥusni al-jiwāri ʾan taḥmila ʾadhan jārika.

‘Being a good neighbor means more than refraining from harm; it means patiently bearing a neighbor’s harm.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الصَّبْرُ عَلَى أَذَى السُّؤَالِ. أَنْشَدَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ الْهَاشِمِيَّ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْعُثْمَانِيُّ لابْنِ دُرَيْدٍ:

wamina al-futuwwati al-ṣabru ʿalā ʾadhā al-suʾāli. ʾanshadanā ʿabdu al-wāḥidi bna ʾaḥmada al-hāshimiyya, qāla: ʾanshadanī ʿabdu Allāhi bnu yaḥyā al-ʿuthmāniyyu lābni duraydin:

Part of futuwwa is to bear the inconvenience of being asked for help. ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Aḥmad al-Hāshimī recited to us lines that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Yaḥyā al-ʿUthmānī had recited by Ibn Durayd:

لَا يُرْهِقَنَك ضَجْرَةٌ مِنْ سَائِلٍ ... فَلِخَيْرِ دَهْرِك أَنْ تَرَى مَسْؤُولًا

lā yurhiqanak ḍajratun min sāʾilin ... falikhayri dahrik ʾan tarā masʾūlan

Do not let annoyance with a petitioner overtake you; / the best of your days are those when people can ask you for help.

لَا تُجْبِهَنّ بِالدّفْعِ وَجْهٌ مُؤَمّلٌ ... فَبَقَاءُ عِزّكَ أَنْ تَرَى مَأْمُولًا

lā tujbihann bi-l-dfʿi wajhun muʾammlun ... fabaqāʾu ʿizzka ʾan tarā maʾmūlan

Do not shut the door in the face of someone who hopes in you; / your dignity endures as long as you remain a source of hope.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ تَصْحِيحُ الإِخْوَةِ بِتَرْكِ الْمُكَافَأَةِ عَلَى الإِسَاءَةِ. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَبِي حَسَّانَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي الْحَوَارِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْمُغِيسِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْجُهَنِيِّ، قَالَ: فِي الْمُوَاسَاةِ تَجْدِيدُ الْمُؤَاخَاةِ، وَتَرْكُ الْمُكَافَأَةِ بَيْنَ الْمُعَادَاةِ.

wamina al-futuwwati taṣḥīḥu al-ʾikhwati bitarki al-mukāfaʾati ʿalā al-ʾisāʾati. ʾakhbaranā ʿabdu Allāhi bnu muḥammadi bni ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni, ḥaddathanā ʾisḥāqu bnu ʾibrāhīma bni ʾabī ḥassāna, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu ʾabī al-ḥawāriyyi, ḥaddathanā ʾabū al-mughīsi, ʿan ʾabī ʿabdi Allāhi al-juhaniyyi, qāla: fī al-muwāsāti tajdīdu al-muʾākhāti, watarku al-mukāfaʾati bayna al-muʿādāti.

Part of futuwwa is to keep brotherhood sound by refusing to repay harm in kind. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān informed us: Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Abī Ḥassān told us: Aḥmad ibn Abī al-Ḥawārī told us: Abū al-Mughīth told us, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Juhanī, who said, ‘Sharing what you have renews brotherhood; a refusal to return kindness reveals enmity.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ مَا أَخْبَرَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُوسَى، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ الأَنْبَارِيِّ يَقُولُ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ ابْنِ الأَعْرَابِيِّ، قَالَ: قِيلَ لِبَعْضِ الأَعْرَابِ: مَا الْفُتُوَّةُ؟ قَالَ: طَعَامٌ مَبْذُولٌ، وَبَشَرٌ مَقْبُولٌ، وَعَفَافٌ مَعْرُوفٌ، وَأَذًى مَكْفُوفٌ.

wamina al-futuwwati mā ʾakhbaranā al-ḥusaynu bnu ʾaḥmada bni mūsā, qāla: samiʿtu ibna al-ʾanbāriyyi yaqūlu: ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu yaḥyā ʿani ibni al-ʾaʿrābiyyi, qāla: qīla libaʿḍi al-ʾaʿrābi: mā al-futuwwatu? qāla: ṭaʿāmun mabdhūlun, wabasharun maqbūlun, waʿafāfun maʿrūfun, waʾadhan makfūfun.

Part of futuwwa is what al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad ibn Mūsā informed us: I heard Ibn al-Anbārī say: Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā related from Ibn al-Aʿrābī that a Bedouin was asked, ‘What is futuwwa?’ He replied, ‘Food freely shared, a welcoming face, honorable restraint, and harm kept from others.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ اسْتِعْمَالُ الْمُرُوءَةِ مَعَ قِلَّةِ ذَاتِ الْيَدِ. أَنْشَدَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ طَاهِرٍ الْوَزِيرِيُّ لِبَعْضِهِمْ:

wamina al-futuwwati astiʿmālu al-murūʾati maʿa qillati dhāti al-yadi. ʾanshadanī muḥammadu bnu ṭāhirin al-wazīriyyu libaʿḍihim:

Part of futuwwa is to show noble conduct even when one has little. Muḥammad ibn Ṭāhir al-Wazīrī recited these lines by an unnamed poet to me:

وَفَتَى خَلَا مِنْ مَالِهِ ... وَمِنْ الْمُرُوءَةِ غَيْرَ خَالِي

wafatā khalā min mālihi ... wamin al-murūʾati ghayra khālī

A young man may have no wealth at all, / yet never be without nobility.

أَعْطَاك قَبْلَ سُؤَالِهِ ... فَكَفَاك مَكْرُوهُ السُّؤَالِ

ʾaʿṭāk qabla suʾālihi ... fakafāk makrūhu al-suʾāli

He gives before you have to ask, / sparing you the pain of asking.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ الْعَفْوُ عَنِ الْمُسِيءِ. أَنْشَدَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي زَايِدٍ الْمِصْرِيُّ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنَا أَبِي لِمَنْصُورٍ:

wamina al-futuwwati al-ʿafwu ʿani al-musīʾi. ʾanshadanā jaʿfaru bnu ʾaḥmada bni ʾabī zāyidin al-miṣriyyu, qāla: ʾanshadanā ʾabī limanṣūrin:

Part of futuwwa is to forgive someone who has done wrong. Jaʿfar ibn Aḥmad ibn Abī Zāyid al-Miṣrī recited to us lines that his father had recited by Manṣūr:

أَذْنَبْت ذَنْبًا عَظِيمًا ... وَأَنْتَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْهُ

ʾadhnabt dhanban ʿaẓīman ... waʾanta ʾaʿẓamu minhu

I have committed a grave offense, / but your greatness surpasses it.

فَجَدْ بِعَفْوِك أَوْ لَا ... فَاصْفَحْ بِحِلْمِك عَنْهُ

fajad biʿafwik ʾaw lā ... fāṣfaḥ biḥilmik ʿanhu

Be generous with your pardon; if not, / let your forbearance overlook it.

إنْ لَمْ أَكُنْ فِي فَعَالِي ... مِنْ الْكِرَامِ فَكَتّهُ

ʾin lam ʾakun fī faʿālī ... min al-kirāmi fakatthu

Even if my actions fall short / of noble conduct, let yours be noble. [The Arabic transcription has an apparent error in the last word; the translation follows the attested reading fa-kunhu.]

وَبِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنِي مَنْصُورُ الْفَقِيهُ:

wabihadhā al-ʾisnādi qāla: ʾanshadanī manṣūru al-faqīhu:

Through this same chain he said, ‘Manṣūr al-Faqīh recited to me:’

هَبْنِي أَسَأْت كَمَا زَعَمْت فَأَيْنَ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُخُوّةِ؟ ... وَإِذَا أَسَأْت كَمَا أَسَأْت فَأَيْنَ فَضْلُك وَالْمَرْوَةُ؟!

habnī ʾasaʾt kamā zaʿamt faʾayna ʿāqibatu al-ʾukhūti? ... waʾidhā ʾasaʾt kamā ʾasaʾt faʾayna faḍluk wa-l-marwatu?!

Suppose I have wronged you, as you say: what becomes of our friendship? / And if I have behaved badly, where are your grace and generosity?

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَلْزَمَ الإِنْسَانَ الْعُزْلَةَ إِذَا فَسَدَ الزَّمَانُ. أَنْشَدَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْمُزَكِّي، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَ الْحَاكِمُ عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ لِبَعْضِهِمْ:

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yalzama al-ʾinsāna al-ʿuzlata ʾidhā fasada al-zamānu. ʾanshadanī ʾabū bakri bnu ʾabī jaʿfarin al-muzakkī, qāla: ʾanshada al-ḥākimu ʿabdu al-ḥamīdi bnu ʿabdi al-Raḥmāni libaʿḍihim:

Part of futuwwa is to seek solitude when the times have grown corrupt. Abū Bakr ibn Abī Jaʿfar al-Muzakkī recited to me lines that the judge ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān had recited by an unnamed poet:

أَنْتَ بِوَحْدَتِي وَلَزِمْت بَيْتِي ... فَتَمَّ الْعِزُّ لِي وَنُمّى السُّرُورُ

ʾanta biwaḥdatī walazimt baytī ... fatamma al-ʿizzu lī wanummā al-surūru

I grew content with solitude and stayed at home; / my dignity became whole, and my joy increased. [The Arabic transcription’s first word appears to have lost letters.]

وَأَدّبَنِي الزّمَانُ فَلَيْتَ أَنّي ... هَجَرْت فَلَا أَزَارُ وَلَا أَزُورُ

waʾaddbanī al-zmānu falayta ʾanny ... hajart falā ʾazāru walā ʾazūru

Time has taught me a lesson. I wish / I could withdraw, visiting no one and receiving no visits.

وَلَسْت بِقَائِلٍ مَا دُمْت حَيّا ... أَسَارَ الْجُنْدُ أَمْ رَكِبَ الْأَمِيرُ

walast biqāʾilin mā dumt ḥayyā ... ʾasāra al-jundu ʾam rakiba al-ʾamīru

As long as I live, I will never ask, / ‘Have the troops set out? Has the prince mounted his horse?’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ شَرَائِطِ الْمُرُوءَةِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْعَبَّاسِ الْعِصْمِيَّ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمْدَانُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْكِنْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ زَافِرِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ. قَالَ: يُقَالُ الْكَامِلُ الْمُرُوءَةُ الَّذِي أَحْرَزَ دِينَهُ، وَوَصَلَ رَحِمَهُ، وَعَمَّرُ مَالَهُ، وَأَكْرَمَ إِخْوَانَهُ. وَقَالَ فِي بَيْتِهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu sharāʾiṭi al-murūʾati. samiʿtu muḥammada bna al-ʿabbāsi al-ʿiṣmiyya, qāla: ʾakhbaranā muḥammadu bnu ʾabī ʿaliyyin, ḥaddathanā ʿaliyyu bnu al-ʿabbāsi, ḥaddathanā ḥamdānu bnu ʿaliyyin al-kindiyyu, ḥaddathanā al-ḥasanu bnu sālimin, ḥaddathanā yaḥyā bnu sulaymin, ʿan zāfiri bni sulaymāna. qāla: yuqālu al-kāmilu al-murūʾatu alladhī ʾaḥraza dīnahu, wawaṣala raḥimahu, waʿammaru mālahu, waʾakrama ʾikhwānahu. waqāla fī baytihi.

Part of futuwwa is to observe the duties of honorable conduct. I heard Muḥammad ibn al-ʿAbbās al-ʿIṣmī say: Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿAlī informed us: ʿAlī ibn al-ʿAbbās told us: Ḥamdān ibn ʿAlī al-Kindī told us: al-Ḥasan ibn Sālim told us: Yaḥyā ibn Sulaym told us, from Ẓāfir ibn Sulaymān, who said, ‘A person of complete honor is one who safeguards his religion, keeps ties with his relatives, tends his property, honors his friends, and behaves honorably at home.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ عَهْدٍ مَنْ صَحِبَكَ فِي حَالِ الْقِلَّةِ وَالْعُسْرَةِ. سَمِعْتُ الشَّيْخَ أَبَا سَهْلٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ سُلَيْمَانَ. قَالَ: أُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّ أَبَا سَالِمٍ كَانَ يَتَعَصَّبُ لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ عِيسَى فِي طُولِ أَيَّامِهِ، فَلَمَّا وَلِيَ الْوَزَارَةَ، لَمْ يَكُنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ كَمَا يَجِبُ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ:

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu ʿahdin man ṣaḥibaka fī ḥāli al-qillati wa-l-ʿusrati. samiʿtu al-shaykha ʾabā sahlin muḥammada bna sulaymāna. qāla: ʾukhbirtu ʾanna ʾabā sālimin kāna yataʿaṣṣabu liʿaliyyi bni ʿīsā fī ṭūli ʾayyāmihi, falammā waliya al-wazārata, lam yakun yanẓuru ʾilayhi kamā yajibu, fakataba ʾilayhi:

Part of futuwwa is to honor the bond with someone who kept you company in poverty and hardship. I heard Shaykh Abū Sahl Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān say: I was told that Abū Sālim had supported ʿAlī ibn ʿĪsā for many years. When ʿAlī became vizier, he did not give Abū Sālim the attention he deserved. Abū Sālim wrote to him:

رَجَوْت لَك الْوَزَارَةُ طُولَ عُمْرِي ... فَلَمّا كَانَ مِنْهَا مَا رَجَوْتُ

rajawt lak al-wazāratu ṭūla ʿumrī ... falammā kāna minhā mā rajawtu

All my life I hoped you would become vizier; / when the hope I cherished came true,

تَقَدَمُنِي أُنَاسٌ لَمْ يَكُونُوا ... يَرُومُونَ الْكَلَامَ إذَا أَتَيْت

taqadamunī ʾunāsun lam yakūnūā ... yarūmūna al-kalāma ʾidhā ʾatayt

people who had not even dared to speak when I arrived / were received ahead of me.

فَأَحْبَبْت الْمَمَاتَ وَكُلّ عَيْشٍ ... أُرِيدُ الْمَوْتَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ مَوْتُ

faʾaḥbabt al-mamāta wakull ʿayshin ... ʾurīdu al-mawta minhu fahuwa mawtu

Then I longed to die: any life / that makes one wish for death is itself a kind of death.

أَنْشَدَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَمْدَانَ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنِي ابْنُ الأَنْبَارِيِّ لإِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ:

ʾanshadanī ʿaliyyu bnu ḥamdāna, qāla: ʾanshadanī ibnu al-ʾanbāriyyi lʾibrāhīma bni al-ʿabbāsi:

ʿAlī ibn Ḥamdān recited to me lines that Ibn al-Anbārī had recited by Ibrāhīm ibn al-ʿAbbās:

وَكُنْتُ أَخِي بِأَخَا الزّمَانِ ... فَلَمّا انْقَضَى صِرْت جَرْمًا عَوَانًا

wakuntu ʾakhī biʾakhā al-zmāni ... falammā anqaḍā ṣirt jarman ʿawānan

You were my brother while fortune favored us; / when it turned, you became a bitter enemy. [The Arabic transcription of this verse is corrupt; the translation follows a parallel attestation.]

وَكُنْتُ أَعْذُكَ لِلنّائِبَاتِ ... فَأَصْبَحْتُ أَطْلُبُ مِنْك الأَمَانَا

wakuntu ʾaʿdhuka lilnnāʾibāti ... faʾaṣbaḥtu ʾaṭlubu mink al-ʾamānā

I once counted on you in times of trouble; / now it is from you that I seek safety.

وَكُنْت أَذُمّ إلَيْك الزَّمَانَا ... فَهَا أَنَا أَحْمَدُ فِيك الزَّمَانَا

wakunt ʾadhumm ʾilayk al-zamānā ... fahā ʾanā ʾaḥmadu fīk al-zamānā

I used to complain to you about the times; / now, by comparison with you, I praise the times.

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ إِكْرَامُ النَّاسِ جَمِيعًا. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ بْنَ مِقْسَمٍ بِبَغْدَادَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْحَاقَ الْمَرْوَزِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَدَائِنِيَّ يَقُولُ: أَوْصَى يَحْيَى بْنُ خَالِدٍ الْبَرْمَكِيُّ ابْنَهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا بُنَيَّ، لَا تَدَعْ إِكْرَامَ النَّاسِ، فَإِنَّكَ إِنَّمَا تُكْرِمُ نَفْسَكَ إِذَا أَكْرَمْتَهُمْ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾikrāmu al-nāsi jamīʿan. samiʿtu ʾabā al-ḥasani bna miqsamin bibaghdāda yaqūlu: samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʾisḥāqa al-marwaziyya yaqūlu: samiʿtu ʾabī yaqūlu: samiʿtu al-madāʾiniyya yaqūlu: ʾawṣā yaḥyā bnu khālidin al-barmakiyyu abnahu, faqāla: yā bunayya, lā tadaʿ ʾikrāma al-nāsi, faʾinnaka ʾinnamā tukrimu nafsaka ʾidhā ʾakramtahum.

Part of futuwwa is to honor everyone. I heard Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Miqsam say in Baghdad: I heard Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq al-Marwazī say: I heard my father say: I heard al-Madāʾinī say: Yaḥyā ibn Khālid al-Barmakī advised his son, saying, ‘My son, never fail to treat people with honor. When you honor them, you honor yourself.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ حِفْظُ عُهُودِ الأَوْطَانِ لِحِفْظِ حُرُمَاتِ سَاكِنِيهَا. سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْفَضْلِ السُّكَّرِيَّ يَقُولُ: [سَمِعْتِ] أَبَا عَمْرٍو مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ يَقُولُ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ امْرَأَةً جَاءَتْ فَدَخَلْتْ قِصْرَ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، وَتَمَرَّغْتْ فِي تُرَابِ بَعْضِ الْقَصْرِ، وَكَتَبْتُ عَلَى بَعْضِ حِيطَانِهِ:

wamina al-futuwwati ḥifẓu ʿuhūdi al-ʾawṭāni liḥifẓi ḥurumāti sākinīhā. samiʿtu ʾabā al-faḍli al-sukkariyya yaqūlu: [samiʿti] ʾabā ʿamrinw muḥammada bna ʾismāʿīla yaqūlu: balaghanī ʾanna amraʾatan jāʾat fadakhalt qiṣra sufyāna bni ʿāṣimin, watamarraght fī turābi baʿḍi al-qaṣri, wakatabtu ʿalā baʿḍi ḥīṭānihi:

Part of futuwwa is to preserve one’s attachment to a place out of respect for those who have lived there. I heard Abū al-Faḍl al-Sukkarī say: I heard Abū ʿAmr Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl say: I was told that a woman entered the palace of Sufyān ibn ʿĀṣim. She rolled in the dust of one part of the palace and wrote on one of its walls:

أَلَيْسَ كَفَى حُزْنًا بِذِي الشّوْقِ أَنْ يُرَى ... مَنَازِلَ مَنْ يَهْوِى مُعَطّلَةً قُفَرَى

ʾalaysa kafā ḥuznan bidhī al-shwqi ʾan yurā ... manāzila man yahwiā muʿaṭṭlatan qufarā

Is it not grief enough for someone in love / to see the beloved’s dwelling deserted and bare?

مُقِيمًا بِهَا يَوْمًا إلَى اللّيْلِ لَا يَرَى ... أَوَانِسَ قَدْ كَانَتْ تَحِلّ بِهَا دَهْرًا

muqīman bihā yawman ʾilā al-lyli lā yarā ... ʾawānisa qad kānat taḥill bihā dahran

One may remain there from morning until night, / yet see none of the women who once lived there for years.

عَلَى إنَّ ذَا الشَّوْقِ الْمُوَكَّلَ بِالصّبَا ... يَزِيدُ اشْتِيَاقًا فَلَمَّا حَاوَلَ الصّبْرَا

ʿalā ʾinna dhā al-shawqi al-muwakkala bi-l-ṣbā ... yazīdu ashtiyāqan falammā ḥāwala al-ṣbrā

For one held captive by youthful love, / longing only grows when one tries to be patient.

وَكُتَبَتْ تَحْتَهَا: كَتَبَتْهَا آمِنَةُ بِنْتُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ زَوْجَةُ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ.

wakutabat taḥtahā: katabathā ʾāminatu bintu ʿabdi al-ʿazīzi zawjatu sufyāna bni ʿāṣimin.

Beneath the verses she wrote, ‘Written by Āmina daughter of ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, wife of Sufyān ibn ʿĀṣim.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ يَجْتَنِبَ خِيَانَةَ الأَصْدِقَاءِ وَيُصَدَّقَ فِي مَوَدَّتِهِمْ. أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْمُفَضَّلِ الشَّيْبَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْوَزِّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْحَرْقَانِ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ سُفْيَانَ بْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ يَقُولُ: إنَّمَا سَمُّوا إِخْوَانًا لِتَنَزُّهِهِمْ عَنِ الْخِيَانَةِ، وَسَمَّوا أَصْدِقَاءَ لأَنَّهُمْ تَصَادَقُوا حَقَّ الْمَوَدَّةِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan yajtaniba khiyānata al-ʾaṣdiqāʾi wayuṣaddaqa fī mawaddatihim. ʾakhbaranā ʾabū al-mufaḍḍali al-shaybāniyyu, ḥaddathanā ʾaḥmadu bnu muḥammadi bni bashshārin, ḥaddathanī muḥammadu bnu al-wazzi, ḥaddathanā muḥammadu bnu al-ḥusayni bni al-ḥarqāni qāla: samiʿtu sufyāna bna ʿuyaynata yaqūlu: ʾinnamā sammūā ʾikhwānan litanazzuhihim ʿani al-khiyānati, wasammawā ʾaṣdiqāʾa lʾannahum taṣādaqūā ḥaqqa al-mawaddati.

Part of futuwwa is to avoid betraying friends and to be sincere in one’s affection for them. Abū al-Mufaḍḍal al-Shaybānī informed us: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Bashshār told us: Muḥammad ibn al-Wazz told me: Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Ḥurqān told us: I heard Sufyān ibn ʿUyayna say, ‘They are called brothers because they refrain from treachery, and friends because they are true in their affection.’

وَمِنَ الْفُتُوَّةِ أَنْ لَا يَعِيبَ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى صَدِيقِهِ يَوْمًا بَعْدَمَا عَرَفَ صِدْقَ مَوَدَّتِهِ. سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ تَوْبَةَ الْمَرْوَزِيَّ [يَقُولُ:] إِذَا عَرَفْتَ الرَّجُلَ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ فَسَيِّئَاتُهُ كُلُّهَا مَغْفُورَةٌ، وَإِذَا عَرَفْتَهُ بِالْعَدَاوَةِ، فَحَسَنَاتُهُ كُلُّهَا مَرْدُودَةٌ عَلَيْهِ.

wamina al-futuwwati ʾan lā yaʿība al-rajulu ʿalā ṣadīqihi yawman baʿdamā ʿarafa ṣidqa mawaddatihi. samiʿtu muḥammada bna ʾaḥmada bni tawbata al-marwaziyya [yaqūlu:] ʾidhā ʿarafta al-rajula bi-l-mawaddati fasayyiʾātuhu kulluhā maghfūratun, waʾidhā ʿaraftahu bi-l-ʿadāwati, faḥasanātuhu kulluhā mardūdatun ʿalayhi.

Part of futuwwa is never to reproach a friend for a fault once one knows the friendship is sincere. I heard Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Tawba al-Marwazī say, ‘When you know a person’s affection is genuine, you forgive all his faults. When you know him as an enemy, you discount even his good deeds.’

وَاعْلَمْ –تَوَلَّى اللَّهُ رِعَايَتَكَ- أَنَّ أَصْلَ الْفُتُوَّةِ هُوَ حِفْظُ مُرَاعَاةِ الدِّينِ، وَمُتَابَعَةِ السُّنَّةِ. وَاتِّبَاعُ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ نَبِيَّهُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ {خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ} . وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ} .

wāʿlam –tawallā Allāhu riʿāyataka- ʾanna ʾaṣla al-futuwwati huwa ḥifẓu murāʿāti al-dīni, wamutābaʿati al-sunnati. wāttibāʿu mā ʾamara Allāhu bihi nabiyyahu ʿalayhi al-salāmu min qawlihi {khudhi al-ʿafwa waʾmur bi-l-ʿurfi waʾaʿriḍ ʿani al-jāhilīna} . waqāla taʿālā: {ʾinna Allāha yaʾmuru bi-l-ʿadli wa-l-ʾiḥsāni waʾītāʾi dhī al-qurbā, wayanhā ʿani al-faḥshāʾi wa-l-munkari wa-l-baghyi yaʿiẓukum laʿallakum tadhakkarūna} .

Know—may God take care of you—that the foundation of futuwwa is faithfully observing religion and following the Sunna. It includes obeying what God commanded His Prophet, peace be upon him: ‘Take what is freely given, enjoin what is right, and turn away from the ignorant’ (Qur’an 7:199). The Exalted also says: ‘God commands justice, kindness, and generosity toward relatives; and He forbids indecency, wrongdoing, and oppression. He instructs you so that you may remember’ (Qur’an 16:90).

وَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ دُخُولِهِ مَكَّةَ: ((يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ، وَأَطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ، وَصَلُّوا الْأَرْحَامَ، وَصَلُّوا بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ، وَادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَامٍ)) ، وَمَا نَهَى النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ: ((لَا تَقَاطَعُوا وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِخْوَانًا كَمَا أَمَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ)) .

wamā qāla al-nabiyyu ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallama yawma dukhūlihi makkata: ((yā ʾayyuhā al-nāsu ʾafshūā al-salāma, waʾaṭʿimūā al-ṭaʿāma, waṣallūā al-ʾarḥāma, waṣallūā bi-l-layli wa-l-nāsu niyāmun, wādkhulūā al-jannata bisalāmin)) , wamā nahā al-nabiyyu ʿalayhi al-salāmu min qawlihi: ((lā taqāṭaʿūā walā tadābarūā wakūnūā ʿibāda Allāhi ʾikhwānan kamā ʾamarakumu Allāhu)) .

It also includes what the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said on entering Mecca: ‘People, spread greetings of peace, feed others, maintain ties of kinship, pray at night while others sleep, and enter Paradise in peace.’ He also forbade estrangement, saying: ‘Do not cut one another off or turn your backs on one another. Be brothers, servants of God, as God has commanded you.’

وَمِنْ مُوجِبَاتِ الْفُتُوَّةِ: الصِّدْقُ، وَالْوَفَاءُ، وَالسَّخَاءُ، وَحُسْنُ الْخَلْقِ، وَكَرَمُ النَّفْسِ، وَمُلَاطَفَةُ الْإِخْوَانِ، وَمُعَاشَرَةُ الأَصْحَابِ، وَمُجَانَبَةُ سَمَاعِ الْقَبِيحِ، وَالرَّغْبَةُ فِي اصْطِنَاعِ الْمَعْرُوفِ، وَحُسْنُ الْمُجَاوَرَةِ. وَلُطْفُ الْمُحَادَثَةِ، وَكَرَمُ الْعَهْدِ، وَالإِحْسَانُ إِلَى مَنْ وَلَاّكَ اللهُ أَمْرَهُ مِنْ الْأَهْلِ وَالْعَبِيدِ، وَتَأْدِيبُ الأَوْلَادِ، وَالتَّأَدُّبُ بِالأَكَابِرِ، وَالتَّبَاعُدُ عَنِ الْحِقْدِ وَالْغِشِّ وَالْبَغْضَاءِ،

wamin mūjibāti al-futuwwati: al-ṣidqu, wa-l-wafāʾu, wa-l-sakhāʾu, waḥusnu al-khalqi, wakaramu al-nafsi, wamulāṭafatu al-ʾikhwāni, wamuʿāsharatu al-ʾaṣḥābi, wamujānabatu samāʿi al-qabīḥi, wa-l-raghbatu fī aṣṭināʿi al-maʿrūfi, waḥusnu al-mujāwarati. waluṭfu al-muḥādathati, wakaramu al-ʿahdi, wa-l-ʾiḥsānu ʾilā man walāka Allāhu ʾamrahu min al-ʾahli wa-l-ʿabīdi, wataʾdību al-ʾawlādi, wa-l-taʾaddubu bi-l-ʾakābiri, wa-l-tabāʿudu ʿani al-ḥiqdi wa-l-ghishshi wa-l-baghḍāʾi,

Among the requirements of futuwwa are truthfulness, fidelity, generosity, good character, nobility of spirit, kindness to friends, good companionship, avoiding ugly speech, eagerness to do good, consideration for neighbors, gentle conversation, faithfulness to one’s commitments, kindness to the family and servants entrusted to one’s care, raising children well, showing respect to elders, and keeping away from resentment, deceit, and hatred;

وَالْمُوَالَاَةُ فِي اللهِ، وَالْمُعَادَاةُ فِي اللهِ، وَالتَّوْسِعَةُ عَلَى الإِخْوَانِ فِي مَالِهِ وِجَاهُهُ، وَتَرْكُ الِاِمْتِنَانِ عَلَيْهِمْ بِذَلِكَ، وَقَبُولُ الْمِنَّةِ مِمَّنْ انْبَسَطَ إلَيْهِ فِي مَالِهِ وِجَاهُهُ، وَالْقِيَامُ بِخِدْمَةِ الأَضْيَافِ، وَإِعْشَاقُ الْمِنَّةِ لَهُمْ فِي إجَابَتِهِمْ وَتَحَرُّمِهِمْ بِطَعَامِهِ، وَالسَّعْيُ فِي حَوَائِجِ الإِخْوَانِ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ، وَمُكَافَأَةِ الإِسَاءَةِ بِالإِحْسَانِ، وَالتَّهَاجُرِ بِالتَّوَاصُلِ، وَمُلَاَزَمَةِ التَّوَاضُعِ،

wa-l-muwālaatu fī Allāhi, wa-l-muʿādātu fī Allāhi, wa-l-tawsiʿatu ʿalā al-ʾikhwāni fī mālihi wijāhuhu, watarku al-imtināni ʿalayhim bidhalika, waqabūlu al-minnati mimman anbasaṭa ʾilayhi fī mālihi wijāhuhu, wa-l-qiyāmu bikhidmati al-ʾaḍyāfi, waʾiʿshāqu al-minnati lahum fī ʾijābatihim wataḥarrumihim biṭaʿāmihi, wa-l-saʿyu fī ḥawāʾiji al-ʾikhwāni binafsihi wamālihi, wamukāfaʾati al-ʾisāʾati bi-l-ʾiḥsāni, wa-l-tahājuri bi-l-tawāṣuli, wamulaazamati al-tawāḍuʿi,

showing loyalty for God’s sake and opposing wrongdoing for God’s sake; sharing one’s wealth and standing freely with friends, without reminding them of the favor; gratefully accepting the help of someone whose wealth and standing one has benefited from; serving guests and feeling honored that they have accepted one’s invitation and food; striving to meet friends’ needs with one’s own effort and wealth; answering injury with kindness and estrangement with renewed contact; remaining humble;

وَمُجَانَبَةِ الْكِبْرِ. وَتَرْكُ الْإِعْجَابِ بِأَحْوَالِهِ وَأَسْبَابِهِ، وَبِرِّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ، وَصِلَةُ الأَقَارِبِ، وَالْغَضِّ عَنْ مَسَاوِئِ الْإِخْوَانِ، وَسَتْرُ قَبَائِحِهِمْ، وَالنَّصِيحَةُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَلْوَةِ، وَالدُّعَاءُ لَهُمْ فِي جَمِيعِ الأَوْقَاتِ، وَرُؤْيَةُ أَعْذَارِ الْخَلْقِ فِيمَا هُمْ فِيهِ، وَمُلَازَمَةُ اللائِمَةِ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ لِمَا تُيَقَّنَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا وَغَدْرِهَا وَالتَّآلُفِ مَعَ الْخَلْقِ، وَالشَّفَقَةِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُلَاطَفَةُ مَعَهُمْ، وَالإِحْسَانُ إِلَيْهِمْ،

wamujānabati al-kibri. watarku al-ʾiʿjābi biʾaḥwālihi waʾasbābihi, wabirri al-wālidayni, waṣilatu al-ʾaqāribi, wa-l-ghaḍḍi ʿan masāwiʾi al-ʾikhwāni, wasatru qabāʾiḥihim, wa-l-naṣīḥatu lahum fī al-khalwati, wa-l-duʿāʾu lahum fī jamīʿi al-ʾawqāti, waruʾyatu ʾaʿdhāri al-khalqi fīmā hum fīhi, wamulāzamatu al-lāʾimati ʿalā nafsihi limā tuyaqqana min sharrihā waghadrihā wa-l-taʾālufi maʿa al-khalqi, wa-l-shafaqati ʿalā al-muslimīna wa-l-mulāṭafatu maʿahum, wa-l-ʾiḥsānu ʾilayhim,

avoiding arrogance and self-congratulation over one’s condition or resources; honoring parents and maintaining ties with relatives; overlooking friends’ faults and concealing their shortcomings; advising them in private and praying for them at all times; recognizing that others may have good reasons for their conduct; holding oneself accountable, knowing how readily the self inclines to harm and betrayal; living in harmony with others; treating Muslims with compassion and gentleness, and doing good to them;

وَالرَّحْمَةُ عَلَى الْفُقَرَاءِ وَالإِشْفَاقِ عَلَى الأَغْنِيَاءِ، وَالتَّوَاضُعُ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ، وَقَبُولُ الْحَقِّ مِمَّنْ يَسْمَعُ، وَحِفْظُ اللِّسَانِ عَنِ الْكَذِبِ وَالْغِيبَةِ، وَحِفْظُ السَّمْعِ عَنْ سَمَاعِ الْخَتَا، وَغَضِّ الْبَصَرِ عَنِ الْمَحَارِمِ، وَالإِخْلَاصِ فِي الأَعْمَالِ، وَالِاسْتِقَامَةُ فِي الأَحْوَالِ، وَمُرَاعَاةُ الظَّاهِرِ، وَمُرَاقَبَةُ الْبَاطِنِ، وَرُؤْيَةُ الْخَيْرِ فِي الْخَلَائِقِ، وَصُحْبَةُ الْأَخْيَارِ، وَمُجَانَبَةُ الْأَشْرَارِ، وَالإِعْرَاضُ عَنِ الدُّنْيَا،

wa-l-raḥmatu ʿalā al-fuqarāʾi wa-l-ʾishfāqi ʿalā al-ʾaghniyāʾi, wa-l-tawāḍuʿu lilʿulamāʾi, waqabūlu al-ḥaqqi mimman yasmaʿu, waḥifẓu al-lisāni ʿani al-kadhibi wa-l-ghībati, waḥifẓu al-samʿi ʿan samāʿi al-khatā, waghaḍḍi al-baṣari ʿani al-maḥārimi, wa-l-ʾikhlāṣi fī al-ʾaʿmāli, wāliāstiqāmatu fī al-ʾaḥwāli, wamurāʿātu al-ẓāhiri, wamurāqabatu al-bāṭini, waruʾyatu al-khayri fī al-khalāʾiqi, waṣuḥbatu al-ʾakhyāri, wamujānabatu al-ʾashrāri, wa-l-ʾiʿrāḍu ʿani al-dunyā,

showing mercy to the poor and concern for the rich; being humble before scholars; accepting the truth from whoever speaks it; guarding one’s tongue from lies and backbiting, one’s ears from harmful speech, and one’s eyes from what is forbidden; being sincere in one’s actions and upright in one’s conduct; attending to outward behavior and watching over the inner life; seeing good in other people; keeping company with the virtuous and avoiding the wicked; turning away from worldly distractions;

وَالإِقْبَالِ عَلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى، وَتَرْكُ الْمُرَادَاتِ، وَخُلُوُّ الْهِمَّةِ عَنِ التَّدَنُّسِ بِهَذِهِ الْفَانِيَةِ، وَالتَّعَزُّزِ بِمُجَالَسَةِ الْفُقَرَاءِ، وَالتَّرَقِّي عَنْ تَعْظِيمِ الأَغْنِيَاءِ لِسَبَبِ غِنَائِهِمْ، يَكُونُ غِنَاهُ بِرَبِّهِ، وَيَكُونُ شَاكِرًا فِي غِنَاهُ، وَقَوْلُ الْحَقِّ مِنْ غَيْرِ مُبَالَاتِهِ لَائِمَةً، وَالشُّكْرُ عَلَى الْمُحَابِ، وَالصَّبْرُ عَلَى الْمَكَارِهِ، وَالتَّبَاعُدُ عَنِ الْخِيَانَةِ، وَكِتْمَانِ الأَسْرَارِ، وَالرِّضَا بِالدُّونِ مِنْ الْمَجْلِسِ،

wa-l-ʾiqbāli ʿalā Allāhi taʿālā, watarku al-murādāti, wakhuluwwu al-himmati ʿani al-tadannusi bihadhihi al-fāniyati, wa-l-taʿazzuzi bimujālasati al-fuqarāʾi, wa-l-taraqqī ʿan taʿẓīmi al-ʾaghniyāʾi lisababi ghināʾihim, yakūnu ghināhu birabbihi, wayakūnu shākiran fī ghināhu, waqawlu al-ḥaqqi min ghayri mubālātihi lāʾimatan, wa-l-shukru ʿalā al-muḥābi, wa-l-ṣabru ʿalā al-makārihi, wa-l-tabāʿudu ʿani al-khiyānati, wakitmāni al-ʾasrāri, wa-l-riḍā bi-l-dūni min al-majlisi,

turning toward God Most High; setting aside selfish desires and keeping one’s aspirations free from the stain of this passing world; finding honor in the company of the poor, without exalting the wealthy merely for their money; finding one’s true wealth in one’s Lord and giving thanks for material wealth; speaking the truth without fearing blame; giving thanks for what one loves and bearing what one dislikes with patience; avoiding treachery, keeping confidences, and willingly taking the humbler place in a gathering;

وَتَرْكَ مُطَالَبَةِ حُقُوقِهِ، وَاسْتِيفَاءِ حُقُوقِهِمْ، وَمُطَالَبَةِ النَّفْسِ بِذَلِكَ، وَحِفْظُ حُرُمَاتِ اللهِ فِي الْخَلَوَاتِ، وَالْمَشُورَةِ مَعَ الأَصْحَابِ، وَالِاعْتِمَادُ عَلَى اللهِ دُونَ غَيْرِهِ عِنْدَ الْعَدَمِ، وَقِلَّةِ الطَّمَعِ، وَالتَّعَزُّزِ بِالْقَنَاعَةِ، وَتَحَمِلُ مُؤَنِ الْخَلْقِ، وَحَمْلُ مُؤُونَتِهِ عَنْهُمْ، وَمَعْرِفَةُ حُرْمَةِ الصَّالِحِينَ، وَالشَّفَقَةُ عَلَى الْمُذْنِبِينَ، وَالِاجْتِهَادُ أَنْ لَا يَتَأَذَّى بِهِ أَحَدٌ، وَأَنْ لَا يُخَالِفَ ظَاهِرُهُ بَاطِنَهُ،

watarka muṭālabati ḥuqūqihi, wāstīfāʾi ḥuqūqihim, wamuṭālabati al-nafsi bidhalika, waḥifẓu ḥurumāti Allāhi fī al-khalawāti, wa-l-mashūrati maʿa al-ʾaṣḥābi, wāliāʿtimādu ʿalā Allāhi dūna ghayrihi ʿinda al-ʿadami, waqillati al-ṭamaʿi, wa-l-taʿazzuzi bi-l-qanāʿati, wataḥamilu muʾani al-khalqi, waḥamlu muʾūnatihi ʿanhum, wamaʿrifatu ḥurmati al-ṣāliḥīna, wa-l-shafaqatu ʿalā al-mudhnibīna, wāliājtihādu ʾan lā yataʾadhdhā bihi ʾaḥadun, waʾan lā yukhālifa ẓāhiruhu bāṭinahu,

not insisting on one’s own rights while giving others their full due, and demanding this of oneself; respecting God’s bounds even in private; consulting one’s companions; relying on God alone in times of need; expecting little from others and finding dignity in contentment; bearing the burdens of others while sparing them one’s own; recognizing the dignity of the righteous and showing compassion to those who sin; striving to cause no one harm, and to make one’s outward conduct agree with one’s inner state;

وَأَنْ يَكُونَ لِصِدِّيقِ صَدِيقِهِ [صَدِيقًا] ، وَلِعَدُوِّ صَدِيقِهِ عَدُوًّا، وَأَنْ لَا يُغَيِّرَهُ نَأْيَ الدَّارِ، وَلَا بَعْدَ الْمَزَارِ.

waʾan yakūna liṣiddīqi ṣadīqihi [ṣadīqan] , waliʿaduwwi ṣadīqihi ʿaduwwan, waʾan lā yughayyirahu naʾya al-dāri, walā baʿda al-mazāri.

being a friend to one’s friend’s friend and an adversary to one’s friend’s adversary; and letting neither distance from home nor the remoteness of a visit change one’s loyalty.

وَهَذِهِ وَأَشْبَاهِهَا مِنْ طُرُقِ الْفُتُوَّةِ وَأَخْلَاقِهَا، وَنَحْنُ نَسْأَلُ اللهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يَمُنَّ عَلَيْنَا بِالأَخْلَاقِ السَّنِّيَّةِ، وَيَرْزُقَنَا اسْتِعْمَالَ طُرُقِ الْفُتُوَّةِ، وَأَنْ لَا يُؤَاخِذَنَا بِمَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنْ تَضْيِيعِ أَوْقَاتِنَا وَإِهْمَالِ أَحْوَالِنَا، وَأَنْ يُوَفِّقَنَا لِمَا يُقَرِّبُنَا إِلَيْهِ، وَيُزَلِّفَنَا لَدَيْهِ، إِنَّهُ قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ.

wahadhihi waʾashbāhihā min ṭuruqi al-futuwwati waʾakhlāqihā, wanaḥnu nasʾalu Allāha taʿālā ʾan yamunna ʿalaynā bi-l-ʾakhlāqi al-sanniyyati, wayarzuqanā astiʿmāla ṭuruqi al-futuwwati, waʾan lā yuʾākhidhanā bimā naḥnu fīhi min taḍyīʿi ʾawqātinā waʾihmāli ʾaḥwālinā, waʾan yuwaffiqanā limā yuqarribunā ʾilayhi, wayuzallifanā ladayhi, ʾinnahu qarībun mujībun.

These and similar practices are the paths and qualities of futuwwa. We ask God Most High to bestow noble character upon us, enable us to practice the ways of futuwwa, and forgive us for wasting our time and neglecting our condition. May He guide us to what draws us nearer to Him and brings us into His presence. He is near and answers prayers.

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ الطَّاهِرِينَ أَجْمَعِينَ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا دَائِمًا كَثِيرًا

wa-l-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi al-ʿālamīna waṣallā Allāhu ʿalā sayyidinā muḥammadin sayyidi al-mursalīna waʿalā ʾālihi al-ṭayyibīna al-ṭāhirīna ʾajmaʿīna wasallama taslīman dāʾiman kathīran

Praise be to God, Lord of all worlds; and may God bless our master Muḥammad, chief of the messengers, and all his good and pure family, and grant them abundant and lasting peace.

Text and edition

Primary online transcription: al-Maktaba al-Shāmila, Kitāb al-Futuwwa, first Dār al-Rāzī edition, 1422 AH / 2002 CE. The continuation after passage 234 comes from Majmūʿat Āthār al-Sulamī, vol. 2, p. 291. Independent scanned collected edition.

Some wording in the online transcription remains damaged or incomplete, particularly one verse corresponding to source page 67. These words have not been silently supplied.