إِذْ أَوَى الْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَداً

10. (Events came to the point) when the young men⁵ took refuge in the cave and said: "Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Your Presence and arrange for us in our affair what is right and good!"

5. The word used to mean young (fatā) has a special meaning and usage in Islamic literature. Its infinitive form, futuwwah, meaning youth and chivalry, is a composite of virtues, such as energy, revolutionary vigor, heroism, generosity, munificence, modesty, chastity, trustworthiness, loyalty, mercifulness, knowledge, humility, and piety.

Futuwwah also signifies an altruistic character that enjoys helping others, wishing no one any harm. It is an important, indispensable dimension of good conduct and a significant aspect of humanity.

Derived from fatā meaning young man, futuwwah has become a symbol of rebellion against all kinds of evil and of sincere servanthood to God as the way to attain true freedom.

Some have summed up the descriptions made for futuwwah in the following cardinal virtues, in addition to those mentioned above:

• •  Forgiving when one is able to punish.
• •  Preserving mildness and acting mildly and gently when one is angry.
• •  Wishing well for all, including one's enemies, and doing good.
• •  Always being considerate of the well-being and happiness of others first, even when one is needy.

The signs of one being a fatā (young, chivalrous one) are that their spirit, which was created with the potential to accept Divine Unity and Islam, has utmost conviction of Divine Unity and urges them to live according to the requirements of this conviction, and that, without being captivated by carnal or bodily desires, they live a pure, spiritual life, always aiming to please God in all acts, thoughts, and feelings. It is not possible for one who cannot be saved from the temptations of their carnal soul, from Satan, from bodily appetites, or from a love of the world and the attachment to worldly life, to climb up toward the peak of futuwwah (Key Concepts, 1: 81–83).