This article is about the role of Fakirs in the revival of Islam. The only vast source of guidance is the great personality of Prophet Mohammad pbuh. The matchless beneficence he received from Allah on the path of Faqr filled Islam with more energy and an everlasting name in the entire existence. Till the final day, his ummah shall achieve Faqr by his will and sight of beneficence. Right after the death of Prophet pbuh, enemies of Islam began raising their heads once again so as to take over the religion, whilst Allah chose his men, People of the Cloak, Prophet’s companions, and Fakirs to guard Islam and to keep the its legacy alive till the Day of Judgement.

The eras of these special chosen people took place in the following order: after the companions came companions of the companions (Tabaeen) and then their companions (Taba Tabaeen) and finally began the era of the Fakirs. From then onwards till the last, the soul of Faqr shall reach the ummah through the beneficence bestowed upon these Fakirs by Allah.

Who is a Fakir?

Normally a person who begs from door to door is referred to as a Fakir, which is absolutely incorrect. Such people are known as beggars and tramps. Hadiths strictly discourage begging and also state people who help them are undoubtedly disobeying Allah. Someone who has acquired Faqr is known as a Fakir. Faqr is the Divine Essence and a Fakir is the reflection of Faqr. When a saint acquires Faqr, he becomes a Fakir.

Regarding Fakirs, Ghaus ul Azam RA states:

• A Fakir is someone who says “be” and it’s done (Divine Covenant). (Risala Al-Ghausia)
• Fakirs are given the name of Sufis and it is said that they wear the robes of mysticism. They have cleansed their inwards of all worldly desires and of everything except Allah. Some people call them Sufi because it is believed that on the Day of Judgement, they will stand in the first row in front of Allah. (Sirr-ul-Asrar)

Quotes on the grandeur of Fakirs:

• Fakirs are appointed guardians on people living in cities. Due to them, creation of Allah remains safe from affliction. And it is because of them that Allah blesses mankind with rain, fruits and crops. (Ghaus ul Azam) (Al-Fatah Rabbani- Majlis 21)

Sultan Bahoo RA:

• A Fakir is the one who returns to Allah what he receives from Him or through means from Him. (Ain ul Faqr)
• A person who doesn’t hold sacred anybody but Allah and is free from lust is a Fakir. (Mohkim ul Fuqra)

Further Quotes

• Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli defines a Fakir as a person who doesn’t care about anyone but Allah. (Awarif Almarif)
• Hazrat Abu al Hussain al Noori RA said: “A fakir is satisfied and content even in times of poverty, and when he is financially stable, he becomes more generous and altruist. (Awarif al Marif)

A Hadith Qudsi states: “Having love for fakirs is having love for Me.” (Sirr ul Asrar)

Hence, the best of paths is the path of Faqr and the best obedience done is to the Perfect Fakir.

They are the spiritual successors of prophets. Having love and respect for them is a part of our faith. A Hadith Qudsi states: “We created the Perfect Fakir for humans as valuable as was the Holy Prophet (pbuh).” (Mohkim ul Fukra)

Significance of Fakirs in the light of Quran

A Fakir is vicegerent of Allah on earth. The following Quranic hadiths are referring to this fakir. Allah says:

• And (recall) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to place My vicegerent on the earth.’ (Surah Al Baqarah -30)
• Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) are the people who will be in the company of those (spiritual dignitaries on the Last Day) whom Allah has blessed with His (special) favor: The Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the most pious. And how excellent these companions are! (an-Nisā’, 4: 69)

• And (on the contrary) amongst people there is also someone who sells even his life to attain the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is Most Kind to the servants. (al-Baqarah, 2: 207)

• Beware! Verily, the friends of Allah will not have any fear, nor will they grieve. (Yūnus, 10: 62)

Significance in the light of Prophetic Hadiths:

The Holy Prophet pbuh has mentioned the importance of fakirs on various accounts. Some of which are stated as follows:

• He said to his wife, Hazrat Aisha RA, “O Aisha! Be a part of the gatherings of fakirs and saints in this world, so you could be a part in the next. Indeed, their prayers will be accepted and they will enter paradise without judgement. Also, I will meet these fakirs on the final day. (Mohkim ul Fukra)
• Sa’id ibn Jubayr narrates a tradition from the Prophet pbuh: “Do not show arrogance or resistance in front of fakirs, indeed their morals are the morals of prophets, and their attires are the attires of the pious.” (Mohkim ul Fuqra)
• Prophet Mohammad pbuh said: “Serve the fakirs, undoubtedly, Allah has treasures for them.” (Mohkim ul Fuqra)
• On another account, he stated: “The love of fakirs and saints comes from the morals of Prophets and their gathering is from the pious, and to run away from them is a habit of the hypocrites.” (Mohkim ul Fuqra)

Importance

Quranic verses and hadiths are proof that having love for fakirs and having the honour of their company is mandatory for every Muslim man and woman, since it strengthens faith. One who holds a grudge against them is a hypocrite and depraved. No matter how many times he recites the Shahada, in reality he is an enemy of Allah and His Prophet pbuh. After prophets, the Fakirs have the highest ranks in the court of Allah. This is for the Divine love that dwells in their inwards.

These personalities are lovers of Allah and Allah is their Lover. Fakirs played a key role in the revival of Islam and restoration of humanity. Be it the society of Arab or the streets of Baghdad, or the extremely chaotic era of the subcontinent, even western influenced society of modern-day Muslims, it is the fakirs who enlighten the inwards of people with Faqr in every era.

Role of Fakirs in Quranic History

Allah sent Abdul Qadir Jillani ra when the streets of Baghdad were void of the soul of Islam. Humanity, which had turned to barbarism, slowly began to restore. My spiritual guide, Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman has narrated this account of the revival of Islam in his book. “Hayat o Talimat Sai’idna Ghaus ul Azam”:

• Ghaus ul Azam RA says, “one day I went out of Baghdad. On the way back I saw a sick old man in a poor condition who was unable to walk. When I reached close to him, he said: ‘o saint! Pay your attention to me and give me strength with your mystic powers.’ I prayed to Allah for his health. In that exact moment, I saw him recover and regain his health. He stood up and said, ‘Abdul Qadir! Did you recognise me?’ I said, ‘no’, he answered, ‘I am your grandfather’s religion, and due to old age, I have become feeble. Now Allah has granted me this fresh life through you so you are ‘Mohayyudin’, the great reformer of your religion.” (Hayat o Talimat Sai’dna Ghaus ul Azam)

History

Thousands of his disciples became Sufis and saints owing to his everlasting and exemplary word and the beneficence of his spiritual sight and matchless guidance. The rays of Islam gradually reached the subcontinent because of these Fakirs. These Fakirs migrated to the subcontinent at a time when Islamic society was very weak. They build Khanqahs and guided people towards Allah, this helped Islam flourish in this part of the world.

Papers of history make it prominent that in the Mughal age, Jalal ud Din Akbar denied Din e Mohammadi completely and introduced a new faith for his people. At that time the fakirs secretly struggled in order to help out seekers of the Truth. Seekers of the world however lived the same life of humiliation and abasement. Likewise, in every era, fakirs come to save the fading faith of Muslims and to stop their downfall. Whenever the enemies of Islam tried to cause harm, Allah sent his beloved men to guide His creation.

Subcontinent

History of Pakistan proves that the enemies of Islam tried every scheme possible to harm the religion and its followers and to remove their identity. They ran various movements to destroy Islamic religious, social, economic and political systems. In these situations, fakirs helped out Muslims with their spiritual powers and reinforced Islam. It is merely a fakir’s spiritual sight that allows a person to reach high spiritual ranks.

It is only because of these fakirs that Allah’s creation receives guidance towards Divine Love. The reality and significance of fakirs in regard to being saviors of humanity and morals is immense. Whosoever denies it has hypocrisy at heart.

The Divine Light present in fakirs’ hearts is powerful enough to still keep their names alive after hundreds of years. Allah induced their love and respect in the hearts of people who built their tombs. These tombs remain a source of beneficence for the people long after the saint’s demise.

Disobedience of a Fakir

A person who holds negative thoughts about fakirs and relates false accusations with them, and misleads Allah’s people, about such a man Allah says:

• Allah (as a result of their own choice) has set a seal on their hearts and their ears, and there is a blindfold (set) over their eyes. And for them there is a severe torment. (al-Baqarah, 2: 7)

• In their hearts is a disease. So, Allah has worsened their disease. And for them, there is painful punishment because they used to tell lies. (al-Baqarah, 2: 10)

Allah never goes against His grandeur. If He says He loves His men seventy times as much as a mother’s love, then He indeed does. He is Gracious, Merciful, Forgiving, The Provider, it’s all His love. It is indeed His love for His creation that He kept sending prophets, messengers, companions and then His beloved fakirs to rectify the wrongdoings of people and to show them the path of righteousness whilst elevating their souls spiritually (to attain Divine Vision). Then how is it possible that one wants to get closer to Allah but does not follow His commands. It is against Allah’s Greatness to not bestow bounties upon a man who humbly surrenders before Him.

Allah says:

• He specifies His mercy for whom He wills and Allah is the Lord of Infinite Bounty.’ (Āl-i-‘Imran, 3 : 74)

Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman

Undoubtedly, Allah has sent in today’s era of sedition, His beloved Fakir Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman. He is working day and night to enlighten the common man about the Truth and spiritual reality of Islam. His own spiritual level is beyond our comprehension. He’s spreading the Word of Allah in every corner of the world by using the latest means of technology, social media, books, magazines and digital media etc. Allah has destined the revival of Islam in this era through Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman.

He is a perfect Fakir. His books are the greatest guidance for a man in search of Allah. These books not only contain a treasure of knowledge within them but also they have hidden spiritual beneficence that arouses Divine love in the reader’s inward.

Success in spiritual journey

Real success doesn’t lie in worldly achievements and luxury. This world is temporary and so are all its achievements. The real achievement in fact is that of Allah’s contentment. One should be more concerned about how happy Allah is with him and should put in more effort for this matter since it is the only one thing that truly makes a difference and also why we were sent to the world in the first place. We can only make Allah happy by being obedient to the One Allah has chosen for us. The One in whose presence our hearts feel lighter and full of Divine love, who pulls us closer to Allah. They are none other than the perfect fakirs.

Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman is a perfect fakir as well as a perfect spiritual guide. He is helping seekers get out of their dark lives and with the invocation of Allah’s Personal Name they are gradually walking the path of divine Love. Indeed, he is the fakir of this era. Without any greed for money, fame or respect He is taking people out of their miserable lives and setting them on the path of righteousness. His love and beneficence are equal for all, there’s no distinction of caste, colour or status among his disciples.

For all who seek the Truth are invited free of cost, to come visit and receive Ism e Allah Zaat (Personal Name of Allah) from Sultan ul Ashiqeen, to enlighten their hearts with faith.

Benefitted from:

• Sirr ul Asrar by Ghaus ul Azam Abdul Qadir Jilani RA
• Mohkim ul Fukra by Sultan Bahoo RA
• Hayat o Talimat Ghaus ul Azam by Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman
• Awarif ul Marif by Shahab ud Din Suhrwardi RA

Note:

This article is an English translation of the Urdu article that appeared in the August 2020 issue of the monthly Sultan ul Faqr Magazine titled:

احیائے دین اور فقرائے کاملین

Anila Yaseen Sarwari Qadri authored the original article. Zuhaa Fatima Sarwari Qadri has translated it in English. Tap below to read the original article:

https://www.mahnama-sultan-ul-faqr-lahore.com/august-2020-ahyaa-e-deen-or-fuqara-e-kamleen/