Druze religion

[Iẓeḍwan n Nanna-Tuda]

Hey!

Any Druze people around there who could tell us more about their belief ?
How much is it distinct from "traditional Islam" ? Do they identify with Islam or not ?

[Ryuk]

Hey!

Any Druze people around there who could tell us more about their belief ?
How much is it distinct from "traditional Islam" ? Do they identify with Islam or not ?

The druze,people who never die.
Druzes believe reincarnation.They say,if a druze die a new druze born immediately.
Also,they believe that their founder al-Hakim is God's human form,and you can't being druze later,you being a druze by born.
Their name came from a ismaili turk Anuš Tegin Terzi or Dürzi,most prominent early leader of cult.

[Iẓeḍwan n Nanna-Tuda]

The druze,people who never die.
Druzes believe reincarnation.They say,if a druze die a new druze born immediately.
Also,they believe that their founder al-Hakim is God's human form,and you can't being druze later,you being a druze by born.
Their name came from a ismaili turk Anuš Tegin Terzi or Dürzi,most prominent early leader of cult.

Thanks for your reply.
I also know that Chou'aib (Jehtro) has a crucial importance in their religion. They do consider them a spiritual mentor.
What about the others Abrahamic prophets ?
Do they fast? How do they pray ? I'm very curious to know. I've found a few videos or articles but none of them provides sufficient information.
Thanks a lot.

[Tauromachos]

This would be an interesting topic for Sikeliot

He might consider becoming a Druze

[sean]

The Druze practice a secret faith, derived from yet separate from Islam (they're an offshoot of Shia Islam, they've hidden their holy books and beliefs from Muslim majorities). It incorporates elements of Christianity, Buddhism, and Greek philosophy (they consider the teachings of Plato and Socrates to be important for their faith, which is the main reason why Muslims consider them to be heretics). Their religion is secret and so is their endgame.

They are extremely conservative socially, and ethnically closed and narrow minded. They have clung to mountainous territory for self-determination and to maintain the secrets of their shadowy faith. Only elite initiates, known as "uqqal," participate fully in their religious services and have access to their holy scriptures.

They defended the Lebanese coast from Crusaders and won autonomy from the Ottomans after frequent rebellions. Druze leaders in Israel signed a deal in 1956 called the "Covenant of Blood" that made military service in the IDF compulsory for young Druze men. In return, the state was to protect and respect the Druze community and religion.

Their faith is pantheist in its spiritual outlook (they believe that God is not a separate entity but instead that all existence is the expression of an absolute deity), esoteric/gnostic in philosophy (such as belief in karma, reincarnation, cycles etc.), focused on self-growth, very political and mythological in its historical outlook (their history is written and understood in a way that reads as a divine chronology of events, where Caliphates and different history characters are embodiments of God and other otherworldly beings). This means that the politics of the 11th century are still influencing current level outlook one way or another.

They believe that God incarnated himself in the material world through the Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim. While Muslims believe the Caliph died in 1027, the Druze contend that he vanished and is waiting to reappear and bring about a new golden age.

They believe that the universe exists due to God’s divine nature (amr), as the will of God creates the divine imperative that creates the universe. Physical existence is the manifestation of God (badw), and God is therefore transcendent (munazzah) or above the universe, and immanent (mawjud) within it. Separation from God is described as the lack of divine light, also called adversity (didd).

Their faith is injected with elements from Buddhism. The star also known as the "خمس حدود" is meant to represent the Chakras (achieving personal growth in different things in your life). Some people have reached nirvana (not called that specifically but basically same thing) and reverted back to a sort of world consciousness where they don't have to come back to perfect their being.

Unlike most Abrahamic religions, the Druze believe that human souls transmigrate through reincarnation, with the good having more fortunate incarnations. Heaven and hell are abstract concepts denoting the relative spiritual distance from God, and human beings reincarnate until they are reunited with Al Aqal Al Kulli (cosmic mind).

Gerard Russell did a good intro chapter on them in his book Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms. The Druze approach to ensuring the survival of their religion is to keep it insular, away from the scrutiny of dominant religious groups who might easily massacre them if they suspect them of paganism or polytheism. They don't conduct missionary activities but they also don't allow their people to marry out of their religion, so they maintain steady numbers.