Futuwwa of Companions

Khutba 1:
Know that good character – makarim al-akhlaq – is one of the chief characteristics of the Prophets and Messengers, and it is only by means of it that the highest levels may be reached. Allah praises our noble Prophet by describing him with perfection of character, saying to him, “You are truly vast in character.”
And he instilled that good character in his companions, and encouraged them to form ties of brotherhood between them, and make those ties strong. Allah says, the translation of which is, “The believers are brothers.”
Taking on this quality of good character will bring you close to the Prophet on the Day of Qiyama, for the Prophet said to his Companions, “Should I not tell you which of you are most beloved to me and will sit closest to me on the Day of Qiyama.” “Please tell us,” they replied. He said, “Those who have the best character.”
The Prophet also said, “Every segment of the human body owes a sadaqa for every day that the sun rises: making peace between two is a sadaqa, helping someone get on his mount is a sadaqa, helping him load his mount is a sadaqa, a good word is a sadaqa, every step towards the prayer is a sadaqa, and removing harmful obstacles from the path is a sadaqa.”
All of this goes to show how the Messenger of Allah used to instill the qualities of futuwwa and good character in his Companions.
When the Companions made hijra to Madina, the Prophet established ties of brotherhood between the Muhajirun and the Ansar, after first having made peace between the Aws and Khazraj and replacing their state of enmity with one of brotherhood. Their state changed from one of wanting to be first to the dunya to one of wanting to be first to the akhira and compete with one another in acquiring the highest qualities of futuwwa and muru’a.
The Prophet established a tie of brotherhood between Abdurrahman ibn Awf and Sa’d ibn Rabi’a. Sa’d, a wealthy man, came to Abdurrahman and said to him, “I will give you half of all my wealth and give you someone to marry.” Abdurrahman said, “May Allah bless you in your family and wealth. All I require is that you point me towards the market.” And he did come back from there until he had made a profit.
The Prophet used to encourage his companions to help one another and embody the qualities of futuwwa and preferring others to themselves. A man came to the Prophet and told him that he had fallen on hard times, so the Messenger of Allah sent someone to his wives and found them bereft of anything. So he said to those around him, “Is there anyone here who will look after this man for the night.” A man of the Ansar jumped up and said, “I will take him, Messenger of Allah.” So he went home to his family and said to his wife, “This is the guest of the Messenger of Allah. Give him whatever we have and don’t keep anything back.” She replied, “By Allah, we have nothing except for what I was going to give the children.” He said, “Put the children to sleep, and then when the guest is eating, go to the lamp and put it out. We will do without tonight.” So she did as he said, and then next morning, when he went to the Messenger of Allah, the Messenger of Allah said to him, “Allah is well-pleased with So-and-so and his wife. Allah revealed the aya, ”They prefer them to themselves even when they themselves are needy.”
The Prophet praised his Companions for putting these qualities of futuwwa and preferring others to themselves into practice, saying, “The Ash’aris, whenever they run short of food on the battlefield or in the city, gather together all that they have and place it on a single cloth. Then they divide it up equally among themselves. They are from me and I am from them.”
When Abu Sufyan ath-Thawri was asked about futuwwa, he said, “Futuwwa is intellect and hayaa – shyness/ modesty. Its head is protecting oneself against wring action. Its beauty is hilm – forbearance and adab. Its nobility is knowledge and scrupulousness. And its jewels and adornment are holding fast to the prayers in their times, being good to one’s parents, maintaining the ties of kinship, doing a good turn for others, protecting one’s neighbours, forgoing pride, staying within the group, acting with gravitas, lowering the gaze by not looking at what is haram, speaking soft and gentle words and exchanging greetings. The best of the people of futuwwa are the people of ‘aql, those who understand and implement Allah’s Commands and Prohibitions, speak the truth, avoid meaningless chatter, openly show their love and affection, smile plentifully, honour those with whom they sit and keep company, listen attentively when spoken to, keep secrets that are confided in them, cover up the faults of others, fulfil their trusts, avoid deceit, keep their promises, remain silent in gatherings and not just because they are incapable of speech, act with humility and not just because they are forced to, respect their elders, show kindness to the young and mercy to the needy, and have patience in times of affliction and thankfulness in times of plenty. The perfection of futuwwa is fear of Allah. Every young man/ fata should embody these qualities, and if he has them all then he is a true man of futuwwa.

Khutba 2:
This noble life we have described, was a life based on taqwa and a true pure iman, on worship derived directly from the Revelation and the excellent example and correct transactions and human interactions that were overseen by the noblest of creation, the Messenger of Allah. A society that achieved the highest levels of good character and futuwwa. This was the life of Madina al-Munawarra, the life lived by the Companions and the Followers who came after them. The Imam of the Dar al-Hijra, Malik ibn Anas grew up and was raised in this environment and ambience, and acquired its qualities, making the consensus of its people a foundational principle of his noble madhhab, setting him apart from all the other imams of fiqh and the madhahib. And he did that because it is this ‘amal which shows the circumstances and living reality of the rulings, thereby giving indication of the purposes behind the Law.