Futuwwa
The programs with the participation of Igor Mikhailovich Danilov on ALLATRA TV have become for many people an inexhaustible source of pure Knowledge and a pointer to the right direction to start their own research. One of these important directions for all humanity was the information about Geliars, the warriors of Light. At different times they were called differently, but the essence is the same: they are people who serve the One God, they stand behind people and protect them from invisible evil and all kinds of evil.
For centuries there have been legends and tales of these courageous heroes. But it is important to understand that true service to God is never advertised, it is not shouted about in the streets or documented in various sources. If we look into the depths of history, we cannot find direct evidence of their exploits. Especially since the battle waged by Geliars is fought on a level invisible to the human eye.
The knowledge of how to resist the invisible force that takes people's lives was given only to the most worthy people. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) bestowed it upon Ali ibn Abu Talib. And he not only became Geliar himself, but also taught it to the most worthy ashabs.
Imam Ali was the fourth righteous caliph, follower, associate, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Today he is known as an outstanding and fearless warrior who gave his life in the service of Allah the One. Imam Ali, having been brought up from childhood by the Prophet himself (peace be upon him), was by his side throughout his prophetic activity and took the most active part in all the affairs of the Muslim community. For his bravery in battles he was nicknamed Asadullah, which means the Lion of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave Imam Ali the sword Zulfakar and said: "There is no young man equal to Ali and there is no sword equal to Zulfaqar." There is also a famous hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gateway." This statement of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shows that Imam Ali was not only a fearless warrior but also had a profound knowledge of Islam.
But why today do we confidently declare that Imam Ali was a Geliar? Because numerous "Futuvvetname" have been preserved, reading which, from the position of Knowledge about the activity of Geliars, one understands the information conveyed in them in a completely different way than a person who is not familiar with the information about Geliars. It should be noted that these "Futuvvetname" were studied in educational institutions throughout the Islamic world until the twentieth century and were the basis of the adab of a Muslim. In particular, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Vladimir Aleksandrovich Gordlevsky in his work "Selected Works. Historical Works. Volume I" cited a translation of one of the numerous "Futuvvetnama", which reads as follows:
"But then one day the Messenger of Allah (may peace and prayers be upon him) – was sitting in Mihrab after performing the evening prayers, and it was Monday. In the permission of Allah indeed, Jabrail (may peace be upon him) came down from the sky to the earth. – And, giving our Prophet greetings from the True God, he said: Oh, Muhammad! Here is a decree from Allah for you: all the crafts that are on earth, and each one individually, have appeared through some man and have been revealed. God the Most High has commanded you to invite Ali to yourself, and all these crafts (379 different crafts in all) I, by Allah's permission, will teach you, and you, through my teachings, should transfer it to Ali, and he will teach the crafts, each one separately, to some ashab as he wishes, you will bless each ashab, the master of the crafts that Ali taught them, and make the benedictions. When Jabrail spoke thus, the Messenger of Allah fulfilled the will of Allah truly. He called Ali and expounded to him the will of Allah as it were. Ali, by the guidance and permission of the Prophet, taught the crafts of the ashabs to whom he wished – all the great ashabs – may Allah be pleased with them all! The matter was entirely finished, each according to his degree received a share. Then Ali – may Allah honour his face! – ahead of him, and after him - 379 great ashabs came to the "friend of Allah", and he blessed each of them. And now – until the rising from the dead all the feasts and hearths are held by the blessings of prayer and the favors of our Prophet – may the prayers be upon him and may peace rest upon him! – And may he keep them always! Amen!"
The average person, reading these lines, may think that we are talking about simple, worldly crafts. But let us think, why would Jabrail himself come down to earth and through the Prophet (peace be upon him) pass on worldly crafts to such warriors as Ali, if people already possessed those crafts? Unfortunately, we don’t have the opportunity to read the original texts of numerous futuvvatname, and we don’t know which word the translators translated as crafts. But if you read a fragment in the next chapter, we understand that we are talking about invisible crafts or Geliars:
As has already been said, Imam Ali through the knowledge transmitted by Jabrail himself through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) became a Geliar and founded a secret order of Geliars called the Futuwwat. And the most dignified men, led by Imam Ali, stood guard over the people against all manner of evil. Today, few Muslims even know that in the world of Islam there was such a unique brotherhood of knights as the Futuwwa, who the Islamic Fathan-Knights were and what an important and meaningful contribution they have made to humanity.
The root of the word “futuwwa” is the Arabic word “fathan”, meaning "young man", "youth", and "man of valour". In the pre-Islamic period, the word was used to describe a valiant warrior. In Qur'anic rendering, these terms are symbols of the young believers' rebellion against the abomination of idolatry, all kinds of injustice, as well as the selfless pursuit of sincere service to Allah.
In a historical context, futuwwa refers to the ideal of justice and heroic virtue as true masculine qualities that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is considered to embody. Futuwwat as a quality of personality was inherent in all prophets and Allah's chosen ones. And the standard of the valiant veil was Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib. The sincere faith of Imam Ali, his selflessness and devotion to the Prophet (peace be upon him) courage and military valour established him as the brightest representative of the Futuwwa in the history of Islam. The Honour Code, which later became the basis of the image of a valiant knight, first emerged among the followers of the Futuwwa and was based on the qualities displayed by Imam Ali.
Later on, this spiritual code was refined, expanded and deepened. Young Muslims who were part of the first Futuwwa associations, aspired to become as valiant as Imam Ali. They vowed to be humble, selfless and devoted to Allah alone. By helping people in need, they set an example of generosity, humility and piety. Thus, the term “futuwwa” came to mean service to Allah the One rather than organization.
It should be noted that the members of the Futuwwa have always taken a very active stance in society. They helped young people to find their place in society and taught them how to live in accordance with spiritual values. Many members of the Futuwwa owned crafts and helped others to learn crafts and earn an honest living. The handicrafts associations were the first professional niche for the Futuwwa, so the activities of these associations were further imbued with the spiritual guidance of the Futuwwa. Perhaps this explains the fact that Muslim craftsmen almost never signed their wares, as they considered their craftsmanship not as their own merit, but as the grace of Allah the One. The following saying is even retained: "Futuwwa means to work for Allah, not for retribution".
An important principle was that mentors, disciples (murids) gave a certain part of their income to the poor, orphans, lonely people and travelers. Another important aspect was that the followers of these movements, at a time when the state was without a ruler and a government, they took it upon themselves to defend the homeland against external enemies and internal unrest.
It is absolutely natural that such a powerful movement of free spirit people, which originated in the Muslim comunities, should won the hearts not only of Muslims themselves, but also of people from neighbouring countries and nations. Later on, futuwwa began to penetrate and influence Europe. Because of this, chivalric movements and orders began to form in the Christian world, based on the principles of honour, nobility and the courage from which the futuwwa was born.
Iblis does not sleep and is always doing his best to substitute and distort everything that contributes to people's spiritual growth. This is exactly what happened to the Futuwwa. After numerous attempts to use the power and strength of the Futuwwa for political purposes, the Futuwa became associated with youth organizations which became in opposition to those in power. In other words, there was a substitution of the essence of the Futuwwa.
In fact, futuwwat is the nobility that is genetically dormant in every human being. And today it depends on us, ordinary people, whether we will awaken this nobility in ourselves and in society and strive for sincere service to the One God. Will we be able to tame our exorbitant egos? Will we be able to start appreciating, respecting and loving one another as creatures of the One Allah?
"Worthy of respect is one who lives and acts for the sake of his soul and the spiritual future of all mankind!"
Rigden Jappo
Kamila, participant of ALLATRA IPM
