What is the meaning of poverty?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Linguistically, poverty (al-faqr) means need. It is derived from the breaking of the back (infaqar az-zahr), meaning the breaking of its vertebrae (faqarah). It is as if the poor person (al-faqir) has a broken back due to the intensity of their need. It has also been said that the poor person is one who has enough to eat, or some of what sustains them. And it has been said that the poor person is one who has just enough to live on.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/94292
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 94292
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy