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Fakir, faqeer, or faqīr (; (noun of faqr)), derived from faqr (, 'poverty'), is an Islamic term traditionally used for Sufism Muslims Asceticism who renounce their worldly possessions and dedicate their lives to the worship of God. They do not necessarily renounce all relationships, or take vows of poverty, but the adornments of the temporal worldly life are kept in perspective. The connotations of poverty associated with the term relate to their spiritual neediness, not necessarily their physical neediness.
They are characterized by their reverence for dhikr (a devotional practice which consists of repeating the names of God with various formulas, often performed after the Salah). A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection (2007) by Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi, Suha Taji-Farouki Sufism in the Muslim world emerged during the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE) See Google book search. and grew as a mystic tradition in the mainstream Sunni Islam and Shia Islam denominations of Islam, which according to Eric Hanson and Karen Armstrong was likely in reaction to "the growing worldliness of Umayyad and Abassid societies". Sufi Muslim ascetics (fakirs and ) were highly influential and greatly successful in spreading Islam between the 10th and 19th centuries, particularly to the furthest outposts of the Muslim world in the Middle East and North Africa, the Balkans and Caucasus, the Indian subcontinent, and finally Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Sufi Muslims have spread throughout several continents and cultures over a millennium, originally expressing their beliefs in Arabic, before spreading into Persian language, Turkish language, Indian languages, and a dozen other languages.Michael Sells, Early Islamic Mysticism, p. 1
The term fakir has taken on a more recent and Colloquialism usage for an ascetic who renounces worldly possessions, and has even been applied to Kafir. Fakirs are prevalent in the Middle East and South Asia; they are thought to be self-sufficient and possess only the spiritual need for God. The term is also frequently applied to Hinduism ascetics (e.g., , , , and ). These usages developed primarily in the Mughal era in the Indian subcontinent. There is also a distinct clan of faqeers found in North India, descended from communities of fakirs who took up residence at Dargah.
In English, faqir or fakir originally meant a mendicant dervish. In its mystical usage, the word fakir refers to man's spiritual need for God, who alone is regarded as self-sufficient in the Islam. Although of Muslim origin, the term has come to be applied in the Indian subcontinent to Hinduism ascetics and mystics as well, alongside Indian terms such as gosvamin, 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 the , Chishti Order, Qadiriyya, , and Suhrawardiyya. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines the term fakir as "a member of an Islamic religious group, or a holy man".
The early Muslim scholar, Abdul-Qadir Gilani, defined Sufism, tasawwuf and faqr in a conclusive 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." Biographical encyclopaedia of Sufis: Central Asia and Middle East by N. Hanif, 2002''The Sultan of the saints: mystical life and teaching of Shaikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, Muhammad Riyāz Qādrī, 2000, p24
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 of Wahdat al-wujud. His writings are considered a solid source that has defied time. Fusus al-hikam (The Bezels of Wisdom), ed. A. Affifi, Cairo, 1946;trans. R.W.J. Austin, The Bezels of Wisdom, New York: Paulist Press,1980 al-Futuhat al-makkiyya (The Meccan Illuminations ), Cairo, 1911; partial trans. Michel Chodkiewicz et al., Les Illuminations de la Mecque: The Meccan Illuminations, Textes choisis/Selected Texts, Paris: Sindbad,1988. The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn al-'Arabi's Metaphysics of Imagination, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.1981 Sufis of Andalusia, London, George Allen & Unwin.1971
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." 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."
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