Chivalry, Agility and Generosity Before and After Islamic Era

Generosity is an important moral value in Persian-Islamic tradition. According to available sources it rooted in the ancient Iranian religions and traditions. Based on Futuwwat nāmahs (treatises on generosity) there are different views about generosity: some believe that it has it root in ancient Iranian traditions and for others it flourished out of Islamic traditions. In this essay we study the roots of generosity in both ancient Iranian and Islamic traditions and try to compare the two sources. Therefore we survey two important treatises, namely Samak 'ayyār and Futuwwat nāmah-ye Sultāni. Finally, based on these texts, we portray the moral characteristics of a man of generosity.