Faqir

(variant of fakir, from the Arabic poor)
In the strictest sense of the word, this
refers to a Muslim ascetic, as is hinted
by the Arabic origin of the word.
Colloquially, the word has been used
much more broadly, as an appellation
for any ascetic (witness Winston
Churchill’s characterization of Mohandas
Gandhi as a “half-naked faqir”). Both
usages are still current in modern India.
Although since the partition of India in
1947 the word more commonly designates a Muslim, Hindu ascetics still
describe someone who is detached from
all things and dependent on God for
support as a “faqir baba.”