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The Druze Religion of Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan
The Spiritual Bookstore Online World Religion Library
The Druzes
One Thousand Years of
Tradition and Reform
This article was
published in Intercom, the International Studies and Overseas
Programs' newsletter. Vol. 21, No. 1. October 1998.
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.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries Druze immigrant communities were
established around the world and could be found in Australia, Canada,
Europe, the Philippines, South and Central America, the United States, and
West Africa. Like many other immigrants, they strive to preserve their
traditions and maintain frequent contact with co-religionists. In the United
States, for example, the American Druze Society (ADS) has organized annual
conventions since 1946 and, more recently, established its main center in
Eagle Rock, California. In fact, Southern California is home of the largest
concentration of Druzes in the U.S.
Druze
Origins: 1000 Years of History
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.
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.
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.
Druze communities in the Middle East
Druze Society: Dualistic Structure
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.
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.
Druze Beliefs: Profoundly Monotheistic
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.
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