The Shah Fakir are a Muslim community in South Asia. They are included in theOther Backward Caste list of the Indian states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.[1][2]
The wordfakir orfaqir (Arabic:فقیر (noun of faqr)) is derived from the wordfaqr (Arabic:فقر, "poverty"). They are claimed[by whom?] to be the descendants of Sufi saints belonging to Syeds lineage traced toAli. Faqirs were wanderingDervishes teachingIslam in South Asia.[3]
The Faqir ofWest Bengal are also known as Shahji. The majority of the West Bengal Faqir are now cultivators, living in multi-caste villages, in their own quarters known as Faqir paras. They cultivate paddy, jute, mustard and tilli seeds. A small number are also landless agricultural labourers. The Faqir speakBengali and follow the Sunni sect of Islam. But they practice a number of folk beliefs, collectively referred to asfaqirmat. This involves paying special reverence to a number of Sufi saints. A significant number of Faqir are also involved in the production of cooking oil, an activity traditionally associated with theTeli caste in other parts of India.[4]They claim to be descendants of the Sayyids, descendants of Ali. Fakirs were wandering dervishes who taught Islam in South Asia. [ 3 ]