 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
_in_Eastern_Bengal_in_the_1860s.jpg)
Fakir,faqeer, orfaqīr (/fəˈkɪər/;Arabic:فقیر (noun of faqr)), derived fromfaqr (Arabic:فقر, 'poverty'),[1] is anIslamic term traditionally used forSufiMuslimascetics who renounce their worldly possessions and dedicate their lives to the worship ofGod. They do not necessarily renounce all relationships, or takevows of poverty, but the adornments of the temporal worldly life are kept in perspective. The connotations ofpoverty associated with the term relate to their spiritual neediness, not necessarily their physical neediness,[2][3] which they adopt to seek purity and mystical knowledge and so earn God's love.[4]
They are characterized by their reverence fordhikr (a devotional practice which consists of repeating thenames of God with various formulas, often performed after thedaily prayers).[5]Sufism in theMuslim world emerged during the earlyUmayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE)[6] and grew as a mystic[7] tradition in the mainstreamSunni andShiadenominations ofIslam,[7] which according to Eric Hanson andKaren Armstrong was likely in reaction to "the growing worldliness ofUmayyad andAbassid societies".[8] Sufi Muslim ascetics (fakirs anddervishes) were highly influential and greatly successful inspreading Islam between the 10th and 19th centuries,[7] particularly to the furthest outposts of the Muslim world in the Middle East andNorth Africa, theBalkans andCaucasus, theIndian subcontinent, and finallyCentral,Eastern, andSoutheast Asia.[7] Sufi Muslims have spread throughout several continents and cultures over a millennium, originally expressing their beliefs inArabic, before spreading intoPersian,Turkish,Indian languages, and a dozen other languages.[9]
The termfakir has taken on a more recent andcolloquial usage for an ascetic who renounces worldly possessions, and has even been applied tonon-Muslims.[10][11]Fakirs are prevalent in the Middle East andSouth Asia; they are thought to be self-sufficient and possess only the spiritual need for God.[12] The term is also frequently applied toHindu ascetics (e.g.,sadhus,gurus,swamis, andyogis).[13] These usages developed primarily in theMughal era in theIndian subcontinent. There is also a distinct clan offaqeers found inNorth India, descended from communities offakirs who took up residence atSufi shrines.
| Part ofa series on Sunni Islam |
|---|
 |
In terms ofIhsan: |
 Islam portal |
Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, who was the son ofʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and grandson ofMuhammad, is believed to have written a book,Mirat ul-Arfeen, on the topic oftasawwuf, which is said to be the first book onSufism. However, underUmayyad rule, this book was not allowed to be published and openly discussingtasawwuf, Sufism, orfaqr was not allowed. For a long time after Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, information and teachings aboutfaqr,tasawwuf, and Sufism was transferred from person to person.[14]
In English,faqir orfakir originally meant a mendicantdervish. In itsmystical usage, the wordfakir refers to man's spiritual need forGod, who alone is regarded as self-sufficient in theIslamic religion.[15][16][17] Although of Muslim origin, the term has come to be applied in theIndian subcontinent toHinduascetics andmystics as well, alongsideIndian terms such asgosvamin,sadhu,bhikku, and other designations. Fakirs are generally regarded as holy men who possess supernatural or miraculous powers. Among Muslims, the leading Sufi orders (tariqa) of fakirs are theShadhiliyyah,Chishtiyah,Qadiriyah,Naqshbandiyah, andSuhrawardiyah.[18] TheCambridge English Dictionary defines the termfakir as "a member of an Islamic religious group, or a holy man".[19]
The attributes of a fakir have been defined by many Muslim scholars.
The early Muslim scholar,Abdul-Qadir Gilani, definedSufism,tasawwuf and faqr in a conclusive[clarification needed] manner. Explaining the attributes of a fakir, he says, "faqir is not who can not do anything and is nothing in his self-being. But faqir has all the commanding powers (gifted from Allah) and his orders can not be revoked."[20][21]
Ibn Arabi explained Sufism, including faqr, in more detail. He wrote more than 500 books on the topic. He was the first Muslim scholar to openly introduce the idea ofWahdat al-wujud. His writings are considered a solid source that has defied time.[22][23][24][25]
Another well-known Muslim saint,Sultan Bahoo, describes a fakir as one "who has been entrusted with full authority from Allah (God)". In the same book, Sultan Bahoo says, "Faqir attains eternity by dissolving himself in oneness of Allah. He, when, eliminates himself from other than Allah, his soul reaches to divinity."[26] He says in another book, "faqir has three steps (stages). First step he takes from eternity (without beginning) to this mortal world, second step from this finite world to hereafter and last step he takes from hereafter to manifestation of Allah."[27]
In theFourth Way teaching ofG. I. Gurdjieff, the wordfakir is used to denote the specificallyphysical path of development, as opposed to the wordsyogi (which Gurdjieff used for a path ofmental development) andmonk (which he used for the path ofemotional development).[28]
Faqr (literally, 'poverty') is a term denoting different modalities and stages of material, psychological and spiritual want and neediness which a wayfarer on the Sufi path may adopt as a means to progress in earning God's love and compassion and of acquiring purity and mystical knowledge. The termfaqr is derived from the Arabic rootf-q-r, literally meaning 'to hollow out', 'to perforate', 'to make/become poor', 'to be in need' or 'to be/become needy'. Hencefaqr carries a general sense of being in a state of penury or destitution.
Faqr (literally, 'poverty') is a term denoting different modalities and stages of material, psychological and spiritual want and neediness which a wayfarer on the Sufi path may adopt as a means to progress in earning God's love and compassion and of acquiring purity and mystical knowledge. The termfaqr is derived from the Arabic rootf-q-r, literally meaning 'to hollow out', 'to perforate', 'to make/become poor', 'to be in need' or 'to be/become needy'. Hencefaqr carries a general sense of being in a state of penury or destitution.
Fakir: In general a religious mendicant; more specifically a Hindu marvel worker or priestly juggler, usually peripatetic and indigent.
{{cite encyclopedia}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite book}}:|journal= ignored (help)CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
