O mankind! It is you who stand in need of God…He said:That is, ‘You [depend] upon Him in your very selves, for truly when God created all creatures He imposed upon His servants neediness (faqr) for Him, while He is the Rich and Independent (al-Ghanī). Furthermore, whoever claims to be wealthy has been veiled from God, Mighty and Majestic is He. On the other hand, whoever shows his need for God, will find that He joins his need to His wealth. The servant should feel the need for Him in his innermost secret (sirr), cutting himself off from all other than Him, so that his servanthood (ʿubūdiyya) becomes pure (maḥḍa); for pure servanthood is self-abasement (dhull) and humble submission (khuḍūʿ).He was asked, ‘How does one show one’s need for Him?’ He said:The neediness takes three [forms]: [the servants’] showing [awareness] of having been needy from pre-eternity (faqruhum al-qadīm); their showing need in their state (faqr ḥālihim), and their showing neediness through the death of the self to its [own] devising and managing [of things] (tadbīr). Whoever does not come up to [these standards] is false in his claim to neediness.He also said:The truly needful [person] (al-faqīr al-ṣādiq) is the one who does not ask [for things except from God] (lā yasʾalu), does not turn down [that which has been granted to him by God] (lā yaruddu), and does not hold back [from giving in the path of God when asked] (lā yaḥbisu).ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz said that the friends of God can be described [as having] three characteristics[lit. things]: confidence (thiqa) in God, Exalted is He, in everything; showing neediness for Him (faqr ilayhi) in everything; and taking refuge in Him (rujūʿ ilayhi) from everything.His words:
said that the friends of God can be described [as having] three characteristics[lit. things]: confidence (thiqa) in God, Exalted is He, in everything; showing neediness for Him (faqr ilayhi) in everything; and taking refuge in Him (rujūʿ ilayhi) from everything.His words: