CONTRIBUTIONS OF SHİHĀBEDDĪN ʿUMAR AL-SUHRAWARDĪ IN THE ORGANIZATION OF FUTUWWA

Abstract

Derived from the Arabic word fetā " فتى " and containing meanings such as "sacrifice, generosity, courage, youth, bravery, bravery, virility, brotherhood", futuwwa is a summary of the moral virtues that a Muslim should acquire in the most general sense. Futuwwa requires prioritizing the interests of his religious brother rather than his own self, worrying about people's problems, giving unexpected and unrequited favours and treats, and seeing others as more important, valuable and respected than himself. Although it is possible to trace its origins back to pre-Muslim times, futuwwa gained a religious content in the Islamic period, and their adoption of similar moral teachings enabled the ṣūfīs to embrace futuwwa. The people of Ṣūfism have completely disguised futuwwa by isolating it from its non-Islamic manifestations. In the historical process, the official identity of the futuwwa organization coincides with the period of Abbasid Caliph Nāsır li-Dīnillāh. Seeing the Futuwwa troops as a great power, the Caliph Nāsır aimed to restore the political and social authority of the state through this organization. In this way, he brought together the futuwwa groups, which lacked a central administration and sometimes attempted rebellion movements and enabled the futuwwa to turn into an official institution of the state and an organization. The contribution of Shihābeddīn ʿUmar al-Suhrawardī, who advised Caliph Nāsır in many ways, in the organization of the futuwwa cannot be denied. Due to her reputation with the Caliph Nāsır, Suhrawardī served as an embassy in the activities carried out in order to gain an institutional dimension for futuwwa. In addition, the work called Risālatu'lfutuwwa, in which he explains the basic principles of futuwwa and tries to build a theoretical ground, is evaluated in the provision of the first regulation on futuwwa in the Islamic geography. This study aims to deal with the futuwwa structure, which forms the basis of Akhism, in line with the political, religious and socio-cultural background of the period. In this context, the activities put forward in the process of institutionalization of futuwwa and the central place of Caliph Nāsır and Shihābeddīn ʿUmar al-Suhrawardī in this process will be determined. Keywords: Ṣūfism, Futuwwa, Akhism, Caliph Nāsir, Shihābeddīn ʿUmar al-Suhrawardī.