The Internet ,
which occupies an ever
greater place in our
daily lives , is gradually eliminating the borders and distances which
separate peoples and nations
, and transforming our world into
a global village in which "residents"
living thousands of miles apart become close "neighbors". Groups with a common denominator
- ethnic , professional , religious, etc. - Have
begun to take advantage
of the Internet in
order to preserve their
common interests , enhance relations , and strengthen cooperation
between group members .
In recognition of the unique character of the Druze community -
numbering 1.5
million in Israel , Syria , Lebanon and around
the world - we have
decided to work diligently toward the rapid establishment of a central
web site to serve this population . The site will serve as a
" bridge " and " meeting place
" for members of this
community who have been
separated by artificial barriers and regional borders .
We
sincerely hope that this site will faithfully serve the Druze
community and
contribute to the strengthening of ties between
its members . May this be the forerunner of peace and harmony for all the
peoples of the region .
The Druse are a fiercely independent group concentrated in Lebanon
around the base of Mount Hermon , and in the mountains behind Beirut and
Sidon . A few villages are also located on the Golan Heights, in Syria
and just inside the
Northern border of Israel.
Very
little
information is known about the Druse religion. It started in the 9th Century CE as a
break - away group from Islam . Darazi ( a preacher ) and Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad (a
Persian mystic) were instrumental in founding the Religion . They
announced that God had manifested himself in human form as al-Hakim B i- amr Allah , ( 985
or 996 -1021 CE ) , a Muslim caliph from Cairo Egypt. They now believe
that Darazi started to distort the message; he is now considered blasphemous.
They
refer to themselves as Mowahhidoon ( plural ) or
Mowahhid ( singular) which
means "monotheistic". Unfortunately, the rest of the world
tends to refer to them
as " Druze " or
" Druse " , a
name derived from their
fallen preacher Darazi.
After the death of their leader Baha al-Din
in 1031 CE , their religion became Exclusive : they do
not accept converts ;
they do not marry
other than fellow Druse ;
they do not leave the
faith . They currently total
about 200 to 300 Thousand members. The Druse keep their
religion secret, and often pose as members of the locally dominant religion.
The Druse hold the
Qur'an to be sacred , but look upon it as an outer shell,
holding an " inner ,
esoteric meaning " . Their religious texts are known
collectively as "
Kitab Al Hikma " ( The Book Of
Wisdom). It is a collection of books, of which the first six are most
commonly used.
They are firmly monotheistic, believing in a
single God. He has no partner ; he is not part of a Trinity. They
recognize seven major prophets , including Adam, Abraham , and Jesus ( who they believe to be the son
of Joseph ) . Each major
prophets had seven minor prophets; each of the latter had twelve
disciples, including Daniel, Plato and other
individuals from Biblical and Greek
history .
Prophets are not worshipped , although
their names may be called out
for help in times of trouble. The prophets are considered special
people who are free of mistakes and of sin.
They
believe transmigration of the soul : that ,
at death , one's soul is
instantaneously reincarnated
( in time and space); it is reborn into another life. (2) Through successive reincarnations . the soul eventually
unites with " the ultimate ( The one and only GOD ) . (2)
They conception of heaven and hell is spiritual in nature . " Heaven is the
ultimate happiness that the soul encounters when it unites and meets
its creator ...... Hell
is..... the
bitter feeling of
being deprived endlessly of the glorious presence of the Mighty .
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