page_title: Fakir
hierarchical_section_title: Fakir
caption_attribution_description: Pioneers in India by Johnston, Harry Hamilton, Sir, 1858-1927 Publication date 1913 Topics India -- Discovery and exploration, India -- History European settlements 1500-1765, India -- History British occupation, 1765-1947 Publisher London [etc.]&#160;: Blackie and son, limited Collection cdl; americana Digitizing sponsor MSN Contributor University of California Libraries Language English Bookplateleaf 4 Call number SRLF:LAGE-230522 Camera 5D Collection-library SRLF Copyright-evidence Evidence reported by alyson-wieczorek for item pioneersinindia00johniala on June 18, 2007: no visible notice of copyright; stated date is 1913. Copyright-evidence-date 20070618175118 Copyright-evidence-operator alyson-wieczorek Copyright-region US Identifier pioneersinindia00johniala Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t8bg2ks7d Identifier-bib LAGE-230522 Lcamid 1020705142 Openlibrary_edition OL7099511M Openlibrary_work OL1094605W Pages 372 Full catalog record MARCXML
context_page_description: A fakir, faqeer or faqir, derived from faqr is an Islamic term traditionally used for a Sufi Muslim whose contingency and utter dependence upon God is manifest in everything they do and every breath they take. They do not necessarily renounce all relationships and take a vow of poverty, some may be poor and some may even be wealthy, but the adornments of the temporal worldly life are kept in perspective and do not detract from their constant neediness of God. The connotations of poverty associated with the term relate to their spiritual neediness, not necessarily their physical neediness. The faqir seeks to attain the condition of the perfect slave of Allah, who "delivers his trust back to its Owner." They are said to be "faqir ila Allah" or impoverished in comparison to Allah, which is the most exalted state to attain.
  The term has taken on a more recent and colloqiual usage for an ascetic who renounces worldly possessions, and has even been applied to non-Muslims. Faqeers are prevalent in the Middle East and South Asia. A faqeer is thought to be self-sufficient and possesses only the spiritual need for God.
  Faqeers are characterized by their reverence for dhikr.
context_section_description: A fakir, faqeer or faqir (/fəˈkɪər/; Arabic: فقیر‎ (noun of faqr)), derived from faqr (Arabic: فقر‎, "poverty") is an Islamic term traditionally used for a Sufi Muslim whose contingency and utter dependence upon God is manifest in everything they do and every breath they take. They do not necessarily renounce all relationships and take a vow of poverty, some may be poor and some may even be wealthy, but the adornments of the temporal worldly life are kept in perspective and do not detract from their constant neediness of God. The connotations of poverty associated with the term relate to their spiritual neediness, not necessarily their physical neediness. The faqir seeks to attain the condition of the perfect slave of Allah, who "delivers his trust (existence) back to its Owner." They are said to be "faqir ila Allah" or impoverished in comparison to Allah, which is the most exalted state to attain. 
  The term has taken on a more recent and colloqiual usage for an ascetic who renounces worldly possessions, and has even been applied to non-Muslims. Faqeers are prevalent in the Middle East and South Asia. A faqeer is thought to be self-sufficient and possesses only the spiritual need for God.
  Faqeers are characterized by their reverence for dhikr (a practice of repeating the names of God, often performed after prayers). Sufism gained adherents among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE). Though, Sufis have spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, originally expressing their beliefs in Arabic, before spreading into Persian, Turkish, Indian languages and a dozen other languages.
  The term is also applied to Hindu ascetics (e.g., sadhus, gurus, swamis and yogis). 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 faqeers who took up residence at Sufi shrines.
caption: A Mughal king giving a discourse to a Fakir
exif: {"Image Software": "Picasa", "Image DateTime": "2018:04:15 19:56:27", "Image Artist": "Picasa", "Image ExifOffset": "96", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "364", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "6387", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2018:04:15 19:43:51", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1642", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2535", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "Interoperability RelatedImageWidth": "1998", "Interoperability RelatedImageLength": "2928", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "228", "EXIF ImageUniqueID": "305b8f6da4ac9c3f434f1918beb4fe3d"}