Al-Fata
Definition
Al-fata — the young companion or attendant — is the Quranic term for Yusha ibn Nun when he accompanied Musa on the journey to find al-Khidr. The title 'young man' or 'servant,' used for someone who would later become a prophet and the leader who conquered the Holy Land, carries a deliberate pedagogical point: greatness in Islamic tradition is preceded by willing service and humble companionship. Al-fata who carried the fish, who forgot the fish when it came to life in the water, and who dutifully reported this to Musa when asked — this ordinary service was the spiritual preparation for the extraordinary mission that would follow. Ibn Kathir reads the title as an honor, not a description of low status.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Al-Fata.
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"The young man questioned Harith about his work, and Harith replied that he conceals calamities and attracts benefits. The young man was so moved by Harith's words that he fainted and remained unconscious for two days. Upon awakening, Harith gave him new garments, which the young man wore before leaving. The young man then visited al-Ma'mun, admonishing him to fear Allah. Al-Ma'mun, moved by his words, ordered his execution."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 19: The Book of Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil
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"Al-Ma'mun, moved by his words, ordered his execution. As the young man was taken away, Harith hid, and strangers buried the young man. Harith mourned him in a mosque, where he dreamt of the young man surrounded by beautiful maidens. The young man told Harith that he was among those who conceal their states and obey their Lord."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 19: The Book of Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil
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"In a narration it is said that during the time of ignorance, a man came to Mecca and stayed with Abbas ibn al-Muttalib. One day, as the sun rose high in the sky, he observed a young man approach the Kaaba, look up at the sky, and then stand facing the Kaaba. Soon a boy joined him, standing to his right, and a woman stood behind them. The young man bowed, and the others followed his actions. The man asked Abbas about this, and Abbas explained that the young man was Muhammad ibn Abdullah, his nephew. The boy was Ali ibn al-Muttalib, and the woman was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Muhammad's wife. Abbas shared that Muhammad had been commanded by the Lord of the"
— Ibn Kathir, Volume 3 — The Sīrah: From the First Revelation to Badr
Appears in
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