Words of Rumi

All praise is due to Allah Who has opened the path of Futuwwah, which leads to the most beautiful form of the fulfillment of our duties to Him, and Who has cleared and cleansed that path from all errors and all evil and raised its level to the highest. The prophets whom He has sent and the chosen servants who are close to Him are on this path. All for whom the path to Truth has been opened and whose names are written as pure in the Book of Righteousness learned to follow this path and attained the noble levels of those who embody Futuwwah.

The first to follow the call of Futuwwah, to honor munificence and good conduct, was Adam - whose name is fixed in the Will of Allah, whose being lives in the house of Majesty, who is supported by the Holy Light and Purity, and who has been crowned by the Crown of Munificence and entered into the Realm of Salvation. When his son Cain renounced Futuwwah, his other son, Abel, took it up. The prophet Seth gave Futuwwah its due and protected it from all and everything that was improper.

The prophet Enoch was brought to high stations by it and was saved from the traps of the Devil. Noah suffered for his devotion to Futuwwah, and thus became illuminated by it. 'Ad was named after Futuwwah, which protected him from pride. Hud showed the beauty of loyalty to his people with Futuwwah, and Salih saved himself from evil with its help.

Abraham, the friend of Allah, who was a true fata, broke the statues and idols. Through Futuwwah, Ishmael was ready to be sacrificed to his Lord Most High, and Lot reached the high heaven from which there is no descent. With Futuwwah, Isaac prays until the Day of Reckoning. Jacob held fast to the ideals of Futuwwah. In Futuwwah, Job found comfort in his sickness.

With Futuwwah, Joseph tread the most beautiful of paths and succeeded at every step. Dhul-Kifl, abiding with the high ranks of Futuwwah, did his good deeds. Shu'ayb, taking the laurels in the race, won the first place - with Futuwwah he was kept from all doubt and error. Moses was honored by being invested with the robe of Futuwwah. Aaron abode with it and spoke well.

The Companions of the Cave and the Inscription were honored by it. and were saved and entered into the realm of God's gifts. David's heart was revivied by it and because of it he found it sweet to bow and prostrate. Solomon received Futuwwah from David; both men and jinns came to be under his command on its account. Jonah saw Reality in the rules of Futuwwah, and he followed them.

Zachariah entered the realm of peace and joy with it. John, with his loyalty to it, in difficult moments was saved from the pangs of suffering. Jesus shone with the purest of light through it, and came to be called the Spirit and the Messiah through it.

Entire victory was given to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and the brothers Abu Bakr and 'Umar and his uncle's son 'Ali became the guardians of it.

Whoever hopes to meet his Lord should do good deeds and worship none but his Lord. (Koran 18:110)

All praise is due to Allah, Whose gifts are eternal, and all power belongs to Allah Most High, Who begets no son, and has no partner in His dominion; nor needs He any to protect Him from humiliation - yea, magnify Him for His greatness and glory! (Koran 17:111)

All thanks are due to Allah, Who showed the signs of His generosity in His chosen servants, driving them to obedience and saving them from revolt; and informed us that their state is the state of His Friend (s.a.w.s.).

In the Holy Koran He said:
They said: We heard a noble youth [fata] called Ibrahim speak of them. (Koran 21:60)

He gave the title fata to the one He loves because the one who bears the sign of Futuwwah and is called by its name gives all the love that he had for himself, for his family, for his property and children, to Allah. he empties his being of everything and leaves it to the Owner of All Things. he leaves the whole universe and all that there is in it. That is when Allah calls His chosen friends:

Surely they were noble youths [fityan] who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance. (Koran 18:13)

They were given abundant guidance and climbed to His proximity because they believed in their Lord only for their Lord's sake, and said:

Our Lord is the good Lord of Heaven and Earth. Never shall we call upon any god other than Him. (Koran 18:14)

Allah dressed them with His own clothes, and He took them in His high protection and turned them in the direction of His beauties and said:

And we turn them about to the right and to the left. (Koran 18:18)

All who enter the path of Futuwwah are under Allah's direction and protection.

[O my son], may Allah accord you His pleasure. You asked about Futuwwah. Know that Futuwwah means following the ordinances of perfect devotion, leaving all evil, and attaining in action and in thought the best of visible and hidden good conduct.

Every condition and every moment demand from you one aspect of Futuwwah. There is no state or time without that demand. There is a Futuwwah fit for your behavior toward God, another toward the Prophet, and others toward his companions; yet others toward the pure ones of the past, your sheikh, your brotherhood, and the two angels on your shoulders who keep the accounting of your deeds.

Bring joy into the lives of your friends and meet their needs. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said: "when one brings joy with his words into the life of a believer or satisfies his worldly needs, whether small or large, it becomes an obligation upon Allah to offer him a servant on the Day of Last Judgment."

Respond to cruelty with kindness, and do not punish for an error... Do not find fault with your friends... "If you start seeking faults in Muslims, you will cause dissent among them or you will at least start dissension."

Maintain good conduct and behavior, the kind that reflects the perfect behavior of the people of Paradise. "Serve whatever we have to our brother, even if it is a piece of bread, because the Messenger of Allah said,
'Generosity is a characteristic of the people of Paradise.'

The Prophet said, "To visit each other for Allah's sake is generous behavior."

The host should serve everything he has to his brother. Even if he has only a drop of water left, he should serve that. If he does not offer what is possible for him to offer, his day and night are under the curse of Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said: "The believer is the one with whom one can be close. The one who is not close and the one to whom one cannot be close are of no use. The good among men are those from whom others profit."

Above all, be generous. The Messenger said, "Paradise is the home of the generous."

Maintain old relationships. the Prophet said, "Allah approves the keeping of old friendships."

Keep your friends interests at heart and care for your neighbors. Ibn 'Abbas (r.a.a.) said, "Someone who eats while his next door neighbor is hungry is not a believer."

In affairs that are not clearly sinful, be lenient with your friends. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said, " The first sign of intelligence is to believe in Allah. The next is to be lenient with people in affairs other than the abandoning of Truth."

Get along with friends and help them.