SAEDNEWS: The recent Israeli defense of the Druze community in As‑Suwayda has brought renewed attention to the unique doctrines, worldview, and political stance of the Druze faith.
According to Saed News, the Druze are a distinct religious community that emerged from Ismaili Shi‘ism but evolved into an independent faith. They live primarily in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan. Below, we explore their beliefs in detail:
The Druze faith originated in the 11th century CE during the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt, especially under Caliph al‑Hakim bi‑Amr Allah. Its intellectual founder, Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad, proclaimed the divinity of al‑Hakim. The term “Druze” derives from a figure named Nāshṭakin ad‑Darazī, though adherents prefer to call themselves al‑Muwaḥḥidūn (“Unitarians”).
Druze monotheism transcends conventional Islamic concepts. They believe in a formless, attribute‑less God beyond human comprehension—devoid of body, name, or qualities.
Druze hold that the sixth Fatimid caliph, al‑Hakim, was God’s incarnation on Earth. After his disappearance, they believe he entered occultation and will return.
Belief in the soul’s rebirth into new human bodies until it attains perfection. This cyclical view replaces the Islamic notion of resurrection.
While prophets guide humanity, the Druze elevate intellect (‘aql) as a divine light. They adhere to the “Five Intellectual Principles” (Ḥudūd al‑Khums):
‘Aql (Intellect)
Nafs (Soul)
Kalima (Word)
Sabq (Precedence)
Tali (Succession)
Their sacred text, Rasā’il al‑Ḥikma (“Epistles of Wisdom”), comprises 111 secret treatises. Only initiated clergy may study these writings.
A small, ascetic group privy to the faith’s inner teachings and the sole readers of the Epistles.
The larger body, unaware of esoteric doctrines, who follow outward religious practices and obey the ‘Uqqāl.
The Druze faith is closed: membership is by birth and entirely hereditary. Apostasy is not permitted. They practice taqiyya (dissimulation) to protect themselves, and conventional Islamic rituals—prayer, fasting, pilgrimage—are absent or interpreted symbolically. Moral virtues such as honesty, purity, loyalty, communal solidarity, and defense of one’s homeland are paramount.
Druze women enjoy a respected social standing. Marriages must be endogamous—intermarriage with non‑Druze is strictly forbidden.
They view all revealed faiths as expressions of a single divine truth. Druze honor figures from various traditions—Plato, Aristotle, Jesus, Muhammad, Salman al‑Farsi—as bearers of wisdom.
These core tenets illustrate why the Druze remain one of the Middle East’s most enigmatic and resilient communities.
