Author: Alaaddin Başar (Prof.Dr.), 09-5-2006

The word ‘fakr’ (poverty) in the hadith speaks of the inability of human beings to sustain themselves and their absolute need for God. When it is said poverty, it should not only be related to the material poverty. So many people who live in a very luxurious manner, endowed with ample financial means are actually in absolute spiritual poverty. They are in need of God’s infinite benefactions.

Absolute insolvency and absolute poverty are the two basic characteristics of human beings.

Human being is unable to make hair, but he is in need of it. He cannot make eyes, ears, a nose, or lips either, but he is in need of them too. He can make neither a heart, nor a liver or a kidney, but he needs them to sustain.

Let us try to explain the absolute insolvency of human beings with couple of examples.

Imagine a man; he scuffs his old loose shoes while walking. He has seventy something patches on his garment, hard to know the original fabric of it and an old pale shirt. What would you think of him? Doubtless, you would feel pity for him. Your judgment is right, it is so normal to feel pity for him. And while thinking as if there is somebody poorer than him, you suddenly figure someone who is not the owner of the garments that he wears. This man is certainly poorer than the first one. And that poor is us, every one of us, all humankind.

Are these our organs that we carry? Every one of it is the creation of the God. Is it legs that we own or feet or toes? All are the bounties of our Cherisher. Do we own our mind, memory, or heart? God grants all on us. If we are not the possessors of our own, who could be much poorer than us?

Having the consciousness of being poor, human being fulfills his heart with absolute gratitude. As in the every other beauty, in praising too, Messenger of God (peace be upon him) is the prime representative. Thus, encourages us to this sublime attribute with the hadith.