Advice

What is Futuwwah?

What is Futuwwah?

Futuwwah linguistically derives from fa-ti-ya, meaning to be youthful. It is related to the word fatā meaning a young male, and Fityan being a gathering or group of youth. Fata is understood from the aspect of age to be one in between the period of early teens and manhood. It connotes the meaning of a youth moving from one stage of life to another, or transitioning from adolescence into an age of a youth having greater maturity.

This transitioning into a stage of greater maturity, of course, does not equal entering into the stage of wisdom displayed by elders, just as Yazid al-Raqashi stated that youthfulness displayed by elders is a despicable trait. Fata can also carry the meaning of a slave, or one who serves another who is superior in social rank.

What Do I Do When the Month of Rabi al-Awwal Arrives?

What Do I Do When the Month of Rabi al-Awwal Arrives?

When Rabi al-Awwal comes, open your heart to receive the divine outpouring and to attain closeness to Allah and His Beloved. Do not place anything above him. We have not been permitted to love anyone or anything, however great, as much as him. May Allah not deprive any of us of the goodness that You have because of the evil which we have.