(See The Dervishes or Oriental Spiritualism, by John P. Brown; Malcolm’s Persia; Lane’s Modern Egyptians; D’Ohsson’s Ottoman Empire; Ubicini’s Letters on Turkey; Herklots’ Musalmans; Taẕkiratu ʾl-Auliyā, by Shaik͟h Farīdu ʾd-Dīn al-ʿAt̤t̤ār.)
FAQR (فقر). The life of a Faqīr or an ascetic.
FARAʿ (فرع). The first-born of either camels, sheep, or goats, which the Arab pagans used to offer to idols. This was allowed by the Prophet at the commencement of his mission, but afterwards abolished. (Mishkāt, book iv. c. 50.)
FARĀʾIẒ (فرائض), pl. of Farīẓah. “Inheritances.” A term used for the law of inheritance, or ʿIlmu ʾl-Farāʾiẓ. Farīẓah means literally an ordinance of God, and this branch of Muslim law is so called because it is established fully in the Qurʾān, [Sūrah iv]. [[INHERITANCE].]
FARAQ (فرق). Lit. “Separation.” Faraq-i-Awwal is a term used by Ṣūfī mystics to express that state of mind in which the soul is drawn away from a contemplation of God by a contemplation of his creation; and faraq-i-s̤ānī (the second separation) is when the soul is constantly contemplating the stability of the creation with the eternity of the Creator. (ʿAbdu ʾr-Razzāq’s Dictionary of Ṣūfī Terms.)
FĀRAQLĪT̤ (فارقليط). The Arabic rendering of the Greek παράκλητος, “Paraclete.” Muḥammadan writers assert that it is the original of the word translated Aḥmad in the following verse in the Qurʾān, [Sūrah lxi. v. 6]:—
“And call to mind when Jesus, son of Mary, said:—‘O children of Israel! Verily I am an Apostle of God unto you, attesting the Taurāt revealed before me, and giving good tidings of a Prophet that shall come after whose name is Aḥmad.’”
Aḥmad is another derivative of the root to which Muḥammad belongs, signifying, like it, “the Praised.” It is not improbable that in some imperfect copies of [St. John xvi. 7], παράκλητος may have been rendered περικλυτος, which in some early Arabic translation of the Gospel may have been translated Aḥmad. In the Majmaʿu ʾl-Biḥār, a work written three hundred years ago, the word fāraqlīt̤ is said to mean a distinguisher between truth and error. The word also occurs several times in the well-known Shīʿah work, the Ḥayātu ʾl-Qulūb (vide Merrick’s translation, page 86). The author says, “It is well known that his (the Prophet’s) name in the Taurāt is Mūādmūād, in the gospels (Injīl) Tābtāb, and in the Psalms (Zabūr) Farakleet.” And again (p. 308), “God said to Jesus, O Son of my handmaid … verily I will send the chosen of prophets, Aḥmad, whom I have selected of all my creatures, even Farakleet, my friend and servant.” [[JESUS].]
FARSAK͟H (فرسخ). Persian Farsang. A land measure which occurs in Muḥammadan books of law. It is a league of 18,000 feet, or three and a half miles in length.
FARWAH (فروة). An Arab of the Banū Juẕām and Governor of ʿAmmān, who is represented by tradition (upon imperfect evidence) as one of the early martyrs of Islām. Having been converted to Islām, the Roman authorities crucified him. (Muir’s Life of Mahomet, vol. ii. p. 103.)