A Muslim ascetic who has taken vows of poverty and lives by begging. The term is also sometimes applied to Hindu ascetics or used more broadly for any wandering religious mendicant.
From Arabic فَقِير (faqīr), meaning 'poor' or 'needy', derived from the root ف-ق-ر (f-q-r) related to poverty and need. The word entered English in the 17th century through contact with Islamic cultures in India and the Middle East. In Islamic tradition, a fakir is someone who has chosen spiritual poverty, renouncing worldly possessions to focus on religious devotion.
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