The inner abundance of a fakir

Time of India

29-05-2025

Affan Yesvi is a Sufi scholar, columnist, and entrepreneur. As a descendant of the 11th-century Sufi saint, Khawaja Ahmed Yasawi - a mystic, poet, and founder of the Yasaviyya Sufi order in Central Asia - Affan carries a rich spiritual legacy. LESS ... MORE
One of the most beautiful and mystical states in the Sufi tradition is to experience the richness and abundance of a fakir. Only he is truly abundant who has given up attachment to all material wealth and chosen to accumulate spiritual wealth – basking in the glory of divine love.
Fakir is one of those terms whose layers and depths cannot be captured by any translation. One may refer to the fakir as an ascetic, but this word does not capture the inner plentitude of a fakir. Sufi mystics have said that being in the proximity of a fakir empowers a man's spiritual journey by removing the layers that contaminate his esoteric self. The nearness of a fakir leads a seeker to the true knowledge of the Almighty. For seekers of the Divine, the proximity of a fakir has been considered as vital as water is for life.
The word 'fakir' refers to the man of God who is completely engrossed in the vision of God. With his spiritual power, he purifies the inner self of the seekers of God. The beloved Sufi mystic Hazrat Rumi says, 'The spiritual sight of a perfect Fakir purifies more than the water does. In fact, water only purifies outwardly whereas the spiritual sight of a Fakir purifies inwardly from sin.'
In the Sufi tradition, the fakir is the one who becomes a vessel of the Grace of the Almighty and enjoys spiritual abundance. Even though he may receive adulation from people, the fakir always retains his innate simplicity and innocence. He recognizes his own spiritual poverty and is always fully aware that his reliance is upon God alone. His subservience is to the Almighty alone. In this way, the fakir is suffused with the blessed state of faqr and is always conscious of his inner neediness before the Self-Sufficient and All-Providing Divine.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (1077-1166), the Sufi mystic who was the eponym of the Qadiriyya, one of the oldest Sufi orders, said that a fakir is the one whose richness owes none except God. The Sufi master said that the fakir was prosperous because his prosperity came with his mystical bond with the Causer of all wealth in the world – God the Almighty.
Sufi mystics say that the fakir's spiritual authority and his profound connection with the Divine arose from his deep and abiding closeness with God.
Sultan Bahoo, the 17th-century mystic and poet whose verses are part of Punjab's folklore, said this of the fakir, 'O Faqir! This body of yours is a temple of divine abode, you look into yourself. Don't seek khidr (saint, a messenger of God, spiritual guide) to help you, since Water of Life is within you. You lit the lamp of longing and yearning in your dark inmost being; you might find your lost richness (Light of the Reality). They died before death who attained the secret of His divinity.'
Sultan Bahoo has written in depth on the blessed inner being of a fakir. The Sufi master has explained that the perennial source of a fakir's inner abundance and his spiritual empowerment come from the light of the Almighty shining within him, not from any outside source.
Sultan Bahoo has described that the word 'fakir' comes from the word 'faqr', which in itself is made up of three letters. These are Fay, Qaf, and Ray, symbolizing 'the destruction of ego', 'severity on ego', and 'satisfaction in God's will'.
Sultan Bahoo has also explained that Fay stands for pride, Qaf stands for nearness and Ray stands for mystery. These are levels of the inner illumination of a fakir. His complete detachment from worldly ego and its trappings keeps him anchored in the love of God.
Sultan Bahoo has described the stages of Faqr as follows:
Annihilation after annihilation (self-effacement)
Immortality after immortality (spiritual life beyond ego)
Becoming One with Allah (divine union)
The penultimate stage in the journey of a fakir is representative of his total immersion in the Almighty. It is the level where his own self disappears, and Divine Oneness remains the only reality.
A Sufi story illustrates the simplicity of a fakir, who always chooses to live in the will of God. There was a town in which the mosque was believed to be haunted. It was said that whoever sought shelter in the mosque was found dead before dawn. Scared by this strange pattern, the townspeople put up a sign outside the mosque stating that it was not safe to go in there at night.
A fakir arrived one day in the town and said he was not afraid of sleeping in the mosque at night. 'I've died in the flames of love already; I fear nothing,' he told the townspeople.
In the night, the fakir heard a dreadful voice.
'Be afraid!' said the voice.
'I fear not!' he replied.
Five times the voice spoke; five times the fakir replied.
The fifth time, gold rained down, filling the mosque.
The fakir worked until dawn hauling out the gold.
'Fear not,' said the fakir, and he gave the gold to the townspeople.
Then he headed forth on his path, going wherever God took him.
Hazrat Rumi has explained the divine poverty of a fakir that blesses all who seek his company. 'Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but Allah. Poverty unlocks the door—what a blessed key!'
This same inner abundance of a fakir is celebrated by Saint Kabir, among the most popular Sufi mystics of India, whose verses continue to be sung across the sub-continent. One of Saint Kabir's famous lines on the fakir has been sung by qawwals at dargahs and in Sufi performances for generations. 'Dil laage mero yaar fakiri mein…' (I am happy and content being an ascetic…) These simple lines reflect the spiritual bounty of a fakir which cannot be matched by any worldly possession. This bounty is a divine blessing. It flows perennially; it flows abundantly.
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author's own.