Chivalry and its Relation to Social Mysticism

Mysticism (ʿirfān), as an invaluable inheritance left by posterity, has continued its social existence in various ways amongst the different schools of thought in Islam. One of the deviations and problems that has unfortunately appeared amongst the mystics is the tendency to retreat from society. To resolve this problem chivalric movements, called futuwwat, were formed so as to counteract the tendency towards a personal or individual mysticism. Such movements can be seen to be a type of ‘social mysticism.’ The latter is a type of mysticism in which in addition to personal wayfaring, social wayfaring plays an important part. The wayfarer in this case tries to purify his soul and then, in the manner of prophets, goes on to usher society towards divine perfection. Social mysticism can be divided into different levels and in one estimation it can be divided into the two levels or types of minimalist and maximalist. The present article purviews chivalric manuals and treatises and attempts to show the differences between personal and social mysticism on the one hand, and between minimalist and maximalist social mysticism on the other.