We grew up hearing about Hazrat Ali’s bravery and sagacity and his egalitarian nature. Ya Ali madad a constant refrain in times of need.
But i had not heard the word jawanmardi till i did a instagram live session on Hazrat Ali with Prof Sajjad Rizvi , whose bio reads, Ali da Malang. He explained the concept of futuwwah & how different it is from western notions of chivalry. For that i am indebted to him forever.
Thereafter, i researched and found a book on Fatuwwah and the result are these passages in my book “In Search of the Divine: Living Histories of Sufism in India”.

“In Ali, a man of medium build with piercing eyes, were combined not only mystical knowledge but also chivalry and bravery. The Arabic traditions of futuwwah (chivalry) were very different from its European connotations. After the advent of Islam the word futuwwah meant a code of honourable conduct in the tradition of prophets, saints, and those who are Allah’s beloved.

The noun was fata which meant an ideal, noble, and perfect person, generous to a fault, one ready to give up everything including their life for the sake of their friends, and of course follow the path of Allah. The Prophet was himself a supreme example of futuwwah. The Persian equivalent of this is jawan-mardi (chivalry), and Ali was the epitome of it. Futuwwah is also one of the essential requirements of a Sufi.

there are many hadiths in which the Prophet extolled Ali, and according to Schimmel, ‘[T]hese served the Sufis when they elaborated their own definitions of the various stages and states.’20 Ali’s chivalry and perfect behaviour or adab is seen as a continuous act of devotion in Sufism as it is a constant reminder of the existence of God and being on the right path.”

Prof Rizvi adds”That Javanmardi work is an excellent volume – the important thing is anyone can follow the path of Amir al-muminin to become a javanmard – as Molana says the quest is to become a mard-e Khoda – it would be contrary to divine mercy and to the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt to make that gendered.
لا فتى الا علي ولا سيف الا ذوالفقار”

(image from pinterest of Imam Ali pulling the door of Khaybar fortress.)

So a visit to the house of Samuel Clemens with Kashif ul Huda,who took the pen name of Mark Twain was special. it was a living history tour with a character actor leading it.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) lived here between 1874 to 1891, designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter & built in the American High Gothic style and was described as

“part steamboat, part medieval fortress and part cuckoo clock.”

The interiors are exotic with extensive woodwork with walls and ceilings decorated by Louis C. Tiffany & Co.‚ Associated Artists‚ (Tiffany was the son of the founder of the famed jewelry store‚ Tiffany & Co.)

Of articular notice is the entry hall with a gold framed ceramic plate with paintings of the Mughal emperors

“This is indeed India; the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle “… – Mark Twain

The rooms are very beautifully designed too.

On the mantle piece were many objects & Mark Twain would tell stories to his three daughters every night using each object on it : a different story every night!

I found a picture hanging in the children ‘s Room of the first book I ever bought and poem I learnt!

Oh mother Dear

I sadly fear

Our mittens we have lost!

Seeing the three lite kittens framed in the children ‘s Room in the Mark Twain house I remembered my first ever book.

A lady in the tour group of my age also remembered learning this verse.

Memories!

In the basement where photography is allowed

With the Patrick the Coachman ( character actor who gave us the tour)

Another of the collections from his travels.

A self sticking scrap book designed by Mark Twain

His shirt