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The
Druzes are a Middle Eastern minority group with their formal origins in the
11th century. They are perhaps one of the most misunderstood and understudied
religious sects in the world. Most Druzes live today in mountainous regions
in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan. Taking all available figures into
consideration, the Druze population is nearly one million with 40%-50% living
in Syria, 30%-40% in Lebanon, 6%-7% in Israel, and 1%-2% in Jordan. In the
U.S. there are approximately 20,000 Druzes. system
consists of seven principles 1.
love of truth 2. take care of one another 3.renounce all other religions 4.avoid the demon (the calf?) and all wrongdoers 5.accept divine unity in humanity 6.accept all of al-Hakim’s acts . Historians trace Druze origins to 11th century
Fatimid Cairo where they began as an Islamic reform movement. The
establishment of this reform movement and doctrine revolves primarily around
several individuals, two of whom are Hakim and Hamza. A third individual,
named Darazi, is thought to be responsible for undermining the doctrine and
ironically lending his name to the sect itself. Hakim was the 6th Fatimid
Caliph who became the head of the Islamic Fatimid state in 996 at the age of
eleven. Although Hakim’s attitude towards the emerging reform movement that
later became known as ‘Druze’ is not fully discernible from available
sources, he is regarded within the Druze manuscripts as the founding father
of Druzism and the source of its strict unitarianism. Among the reforms he
introduced were resolutions to (1) abolish slavery, (2) prohibit polygamy,
and (3) implement a form of separation of church and state. While these
reforms did not become part of orthodox Islam, the Druzes, as well as other
Islamic sectarian movements, adopted them. MEANING OF THE DRUZE STAR
The
Druze star symbolizes the five
wise superior ministers, each with his quality.
Green is for “the mind”, ‘al-‘akl, which is necessary for understanding the
truth. Red is for “the soul”, ‘an - nafs. Yellow is for “the word”, ‘al -
kalima, which is the purest form of
expression of the truth. Blue, ‘as - sabik is for
the mental power of the will. White, ‘al - tali, is the realization of Blue,
where its power has been materialized in the world of matter. The
connection between Hakim and the Druzes is best substantiated through the
religious writings of Hamza, the second person associated with the Druze
faith, who was appointed as a religious leader by Hakim. He is considered the
main author behind most of the original Druze manuscripts. After a period of
teaching philosophy and religion, Hamza began to organize followers, train
missionaries, and write a religious doctrine. Prospective adherents were
requested to pledge their loyalty to a form of strict unitarianism (Tawhid),
a reform doctrine with a new interpretation of some aspects of Islam and
monotheism in general. Practices Ordinary
members , Jahill ( singula r)
and Juhaall (plural), do not normally have Access to religious texts . They attend only the first part of their religious meetings. The
remainder of the meetings are reserved for the Sheiks. There is no
actual prohibition of the
reading of religious books . It is just that if a person becomes educated in the truth of God and of life and yet do not follow the duties
arising from these truths, then their judgment would be worse that if they
had remained uneducated.The Druse have abandoned the Five Pillars of Islam (
recitation of the creed , reciting prayers five times a
day , donating to charity, fasting during the month of Ramadan and making a
pilgrimage to Mecca. Thus, they
are not regarded by
Muslims as Islamic . Their leaders are a group of aesthetics
called uqqal (sages) Their religious meetings are held on Thursdays. Druze ,
Middle Eastern Muslim sect and its members, also called Druse, who Live mainly in mountainous regions of Lebanon and southern Syria. The
basis of the Druze religion
is the belief that at
various times God has been divinely incarnated in a living person and that his last , and
final , incarnation was
al - Hakim bi - Amrih Allah, the sixth Fatimid caliph, who announced himself about 1016
as the earthly incarnation of God . In 1017 Hakim's
apostle Hamzah ibn Ali ibn Ahmad
gave the religion form and content and
coordinated its various dogmas into a single creed. The religion itself is an
outgrowth of Islam but is mixed with elements of Judaism and Christianity . The Druze
believe in one God , whose
qualities cannot be understood
or defined and who
renders impartial justice
. The seven cardinal principles to which they adhere are as follows: (1) truthfulness in dealing
with each other. (2) mutual protection and
assistance (3) renunciation of other
religions. (4) belief in the divine
incarnation of Hakim. (5) contentment with the
works of God. (6) submission to God's
will, and (7) separation from those in
error and from demons . The
resistance of the medieval populace to such interpretation, however, posed a
grave danger for Hamza and his associates. One of Hamza’s subordinates,
Darazi, seized the opportunity to take political control of the movement and
proclaimed himself "Guide of guides" which was meant to elevate him
over Hamza. More
importantly, Darazi began to falsify the doctrine of Tawhid by altering a
number of Hamza’s writings. Darazi was ultimately executed by Hakim in 1019.
Nonetheless, some of Darazi’s teachings were attributed to the Druzes by his
followers, referred to as "Darazis." Ironically, a few medieval
chroniclers of the time not only failed to make the distinction between
Druzes and Darazis but attributed Darazi’s doctrine to the followers of Hamza
and argued that Hakim supported Darazi’s ideas. Other historians have
reported that it was Hamza who was subordinate to Darazi, and still others
have referred to Hamza and Darazi as the same person: Hamza al-Darazi. As a
consequence, the name "Druze" became synonymous with the reform
movement. Despite the ironic and misleading origins of the sect’s name, the
title "Druze" never occurs in the Druze manuscripts of the 11th
century. After the execution of Darazi and his collaborators, Hamza continued
his preaching activities for two more years. Among Druzes today, Darazi is
known as a heretic and the uttering of his name constitutes the use of profanity.
Although
the structure of the Druze society helps unite them into a socially cohesive
community, it also divides them into two main classes: "the
initiated" known in Arabic as ‘uqqal, literally "wise,"
who are familiar with the religious teachings; and "the uninitiated"
known as juhhal, or literally "ignorant" who are not
initiated in the Druze doctrine. Only those members of the community who
demonstrate piety and devotion and who have withstood a lengthy process of
candidacy are initiated into the teachings of the Druze faith. Women may also
be initiated in the Druze doctrine. The Druze tradition considers women to be
more spiritually prepared than men to enter such circles because they are
considered less likely to be exposed to deviant or immoral practices such as
murder and adultery. The
initiated male and female members of the Druze community are easily
identified by their dark clothes and white head covers. They meet in the
Druze house of worship called khalwa or place of solitude for
recitation of the religious doctrine and other social and general community
discussions. The initiated are further subdivided into a number of categories
based on their level of advancement in religious knowledge. One group
receives its status as the result of being considered the most knowledgeable
and devout of their community. Known as ajaweed, or "the
good," these individuals occupy the most honored position in Druze
society. Whenever issues concerning the conduct of adherents of the sect
arise, the opinions of this religious elite are highly regarded. Other
members of the community listen when the ajaweed speak, act according
to their directives, and stand respectfully when they walk away. The ajaweed
not only provide exclusive authority on Druze religious doctrine, they also
prescribe the accepted cultural norms of the community, shaping its character
and reinforcing the members’ interactions within their families, villages,
and with the rest of the world.
Uninitiated
Druzes comprise the majority of the society. Though they are not familiar
with the specifics of the Druze religious doctrine, their behavior is
expected to conform with certain prescriptions, both spiritual (e.g. fealty
to God and His prophets) and moral (e.g. respect for elders and honor for
women). Those who are uninitiated may seek initiation at any stage of their
lives, but their acceptance in the ranks of the initiated is based on their
moral character and their conduct in the Druze community. The
interaction between the initiated and uninitiated provides a dualistic
communal structure and facilitates the cohesiveness and unity of the Druze
community in times of peace as well as war by shaping the social and
political behavior of members of the Druze society. In this dualistic
setting, religious leadership is generally provided by the initiated and
political and military leadership is often exercised by the uninitiated. The
initiated prescribe and model the accepted standards for the community while
the uninitiated draw strength from, as well as provide protection for, the
initiated and the way of life, beliefs, and values they represent. transmigration Transmigration,
passing of the soul at death into a new body or new form of being.
Transmigration and reincarnation, the soul’s rebirth in a new body, are
roughly synonymous. The ancient
Egyptians embalmed their dead in order to preserve the body so that it might
accompany the ka, an animating force, into the next world. Among the ancient
Greeks, transmigration was a doctrine closely associated with the followers
of philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras. Among Jews, only the mystical
believers in the Cabala adopted it as part of their philosophical system.
Among Christians, the Gnostics and the Manichaeans believed in
transmigration, but the church declared those who adopted the doctrine to be
heretics In Eastern religious thought and philosophy, transmigration doctrine
appears first in the Indian religious and philosophical collection of the
Upanishads. Ever since, samsara (the Sanskrit term) has been one of the major
tenets of three major Eastern religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Since ancient times, societies other than those embracing major Eastern or
Western religions have also believed in various forms of transmigration.
Among these cultures, it is believed that the soul of a dead person
reincarnates in the body of an infant of the same family Druzes
also exhibit what may be called "familial dualism" or dualism
rooted in family relations. Druze families often form two competing factions behind
two of the largest families or even behind two brothers or cousins within the
same family. Each faction negotiates its own interests on behalf of the
community, which generally benefits both sides. In
Druze society, as in Middle Eastern culture in general, the priority of the
family over the individual is predominant. Druzes build their houses when
possible on land adjacent to their parents, and extended families usually
remain in close proximity to one another. Decisions are often made in
consultation with other members of the family on matters such as whether to
buy a motorcycle, car, or truck, and, in previous centuries, whether to buy a
horse, donkey, or camel. The more important the decision, the greater the
number of family members involved in the decision-making process. Most
monotheists believe in exoteric or literal meanings of their scriptures while
some speak of esoteric or inner meanings. The mystical tradition in Islam,
Judaism, and Christianity also attempts esoteric reading or interpretation of
the scriptures. Druzes believe that both the Bible and the Qur’an have
esoteric meanings in addition to the exoteric or literal ones. Moreover,
Druzes also believe that above these two levels of meaning there is "the
esoteric of the esoteric." In Druze faith, there are prophets, helpers,
and luminaries. Each fulfills a different function in achieving complete
spirituality. For
example, Druzes venerate the messages of prophets in the Judaeo-Christian and
Islamic traditions, who preached the word of God in their respective
lifetimes. Each prophet, according to Druzes, preached only a partial truth
since humanity was not yet ready to receive the entire truth. However,
underneath the exoteric truth lay the esoteric message. For each of these
prophets, God provided a helper or assistant to propagate the doctrine of
strict unitarianism and to interpret the esoteric nature of the message. For
each period, Druzes argue there were also luminaries who taught these three
levels of interpretations. The
Druze doctrine contains rich examples outlining specific moral lessons and
rules of individual and communal conduct that are found in approximately
thirty manuscripts. Most scholars have mistakenly referred to only one single
manuscript, The Epistles of Wisdom, as embodying the complete Druze
scriptures. Some have included an additional two to three manuscripts. This
writer has documented 23 manuscripts showing the impact and importance of
each on Druze identity. For
nearly 1,000 years, Druzes have preserved their beliefs and traditions as
outlined in the manuscripts written between 1017-1043. Their doctrine and
dualistic structure have persisted despite the changes that their community
has undergone. |