Druze - Revision history

DavidWalker at 09:41, 30 October 2015

2015-10-30T09:41:44Z

PeterWilson at 15:06, 14 July 2011

2011-07-14T15:06:26Z

DavidWalker at 08:16, 4 July 2011

2011-07-04T08:16:29Z

DavidWalker: New page: The '''Druze''' are a secretive Muslim sect, usually considered to be a branch of Ismaili Shi'ism, though their beliefs also reflect the influence of [[Neoplatonism|Ne...

2011-07-04T08:11:03Z

New page: The '''Druze''' are a secretive Muslim sect, usually considered to be a branch of Ismaili Shi'ism, though their beliefs also reflect the influence of [[Neoplatonism|Ne...

New page

The '''Druze''' are a secretive [[Muslim]] [[sect]], usually considered to be a branch of [[Ismaili]] [[Shia|Shi'ism]], though their beliefs also reflect the influence of [[Neoplatonism|Neoplatonist]] philosophy, [[Gnosticism]], and several non-Islamic religions. Most '''Druze''' (about 700,000) live in Syria, but about 250,000 live in Lebanon and 100,000 in Israel.

The name '''Druze''' derives from Anushtakin al-Darazi (died 1018), who was an influential figure in the first years of the '''Druze''' movement, though later repudiated by the '''Druze''' as a heretic. The '''Druze''' themselves prefer to be referred to as 'The Monotheists' (Ø§Ù„Ù…ÙˆØÙ‘Ø¯ÙˆÙ†, ''almuwahhidun'') or 'The People of Monotheism' (Ø£Ù‡Ù„ Ø§Ù„ØªÙˆØÙŠØ¯, ''ahl altawhid'') - see further below.

The '''Druze''' trace their origins to the beginning of the eleventh century when Hamza bin Ali ibn Ahmad (985-after 1021), their founder, emigrated from Persia to Egypt and began to preach against various social evils. Drawing on the [[Ismaili]] belief that the [[imam]]s are embodiments of the Intelligences which emanate from Allah, Hamza proclaimed the Fatimid ruler Abu Ali Mansur Tariq al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (996-1021) to be the final such embodiment. (The '''Druze''' believe that al-Hakim did not die but disappeared and will one day return to initiate a golden age in the history of the world.) At the same time Hamza strenuously argued against philosophical accounts of the divine nature which appeared to compromise its unity and thus provide a basis for polytheism - hence the desire of the '''Druze''' to be known as 'The Monotheists' or 'The People of Monotheism'. The [[sect]] quickly spread throughout much of the [[Islamic]] world, but during the reign of al-Hakim's successor they were ruthlessly persecuted, large numbers surviving only in the regions in which they are found today, i.e., parts of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

The '''Druze''', who since 1043 have refused to allow outsiders to convert to their faith, live in closed communities, in which there is a clear division between an initiated minority (Ø§Ù„Ø¹Ù‚Ù‘Ø§Ù„, ''alâ€˜uqqal'', the ones who know) and the uninitiated majority (Ø§Ù„Ø¬Ù‡Ù‘Ø§Ù„, ''aljuhhal'', the ones who do not know). The initiated, who form about 20% of the '''Druze''' population, are distinguished from the uninitiated by their style of dress, by their living apart from the rest of the community, and by their having access to the '''Druze''' sacred texts.

The '''Druze''' have played, and continue to play, a significant part in the history of the Middle East. Although at various times they suffered persecution under the Fatimids, the Mamluks, and the Ottomans, the three foreign dynasties which in turn ruled the Middle East from the eleventh to the beginning of the twentieth century, the '''Druze''' often put their formidable military skills at the disposal of these dynasties. During the Crusades, for example, they succeeded in preventing the Crusaders in the port city of Beirut from advancing inland, and in the sixteenth century they prospered as the powerful local agents of the Ottoman [[Sultan]]s. The '''Druze''' have often been in conflict with their [[Christian]] neighbours, as in the civil war which broke out in Lebanon in the middle of the nineteenth century and, more recently in the civil war and disturbances which have been a feature of Lebanese history in the final decades of the twentieth century.

[[Category:Religion]][[Category:Culture]]

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 The '''Druze''' are a secretive [[Muslim]] [[sect]], usually considered to be a branch of [[Isma'ilis|Ismaili]] [[Shia|Shi'ism]], though their beliefs also reflect the influence of [[Neoplatonism|Neoplatonist]] philosophy, [[Gnosticism]], and several non-Islamic religions. Most '''Druze''' (about 700,000) live in Syria, but about 250,000 live in Lebanon and 100,000 in Israel.
-The name '''Druze''' derives from Anushtakin al-Darazi (died 1018), who was an influential figure in the first years of the '''Druze''' movement, though later repudiated by the '''Druze''' as a heretic. The '''Druze''' themselves prefer to be referred to as 'The Monotheists' (Ø§Ù„Ù…ÙˆØÙ‘Ø¯ÙˆÙ†, ''almuwahhidun'') or 'The People of Monotheism' (Ø£Ù‡Ù„ Ø§Ù„ØªÙˆØÙŠØ¯, ''ahl altawhid'') - see further below.
+The name '''Druze''' derives from Anushtakin al-Darazi (died 1018), who was an influential figure in the first years of the '''Druze''' movement, though later repudiated by the '''Druze''' as a heretic. The '''Druze''' themselves prefer to be referred to as 'The Monotheists' (اﻟﻤﻮﺣﺪﻭﻥ, ''almuwahhidun'') or 'The People of Monotheism' (ﺃﻫﻞ اﻟﺘﻮﺣﻴﺪ, ''ahl altawhid'') - see further below.
 The '''Druze''' trace their origins to the beginning of the eleventh century when Hamza bin Ali ibn Ahmad (985-after 1021), their founder, emigrated from Persia to Egypt and began to preach against various social evils. Drawing on the [[Isma'ilis|Ismaili]] belief that the [[imam]]s are embodiments of the Intelligences which emanate from Allah, Hamza proclaimed the Fatimid ruler Abu Ali Mansur Tariq al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (996-1021) to be the final such embodiment. (The '''Druze''' believe that al-Hakim did not die but disappeared and will one day return to initiate a golden age in the history of the world.) At the same time Hamza strenuously argued against philosophical accounts of the divine nature which appeared to compromise its unity and thus provide a basis for polytheism - hence the desire of the '''Druze''' to be known as 'The Monotheists' or 'The People of Monotheism'. The [[sect]] quickly spread throughout much of the [[Islamic]] world, but during the reign of al-Hakim's successor they were ruthlessly persecuted, large numbers surviving only in the regions in which they are found today, i.e., parts of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
-The '''Druze''', who since 1043 have refused to allow outsiders to convert to their faith, live in closed communities, in which there is a clear division between an initiated minority  (Ø§Ù„Ø¹Ù‚Ù‘Ø§Ù„, ''alâ€˜uqqal'', the ones who know) and the uninitiated majority (Ø§Ù„Ø¬Ù‡Ù‘Ø§Ù„, ''aljuhhal'', the ones who do not know). The initiated, who form about 20% of the '''Druze''' population, are distinguished from the uninitiated by their style of dress, by their living apart from the rest of the community, and by their having access to the '''Druze''' sacred texts.
+The '''Druze''', who since 1043 have refused to allow outsiders to convert to their faith, live in closed communities, in which there is a clear division between an initiated minority  (اﻟﻌﻘﺎﻝ, ''al'uqqal'', the ones who know) and the uninitiated majority (ﺍﻟﺠﻬﺎﻞ, ''aljuhhal'', the ones who do not know). The initiated, who form about 20% of the '''Druze''' population, are distinguished from the uninitiated by their style of dress, by their living apart from the rest of the community, and by their having access to the '''Druze''' sacred texts.
 The '''Druze''' have played, and continue to play, a significant part in the history of the Middle East. Although at various times they suffered persecution under the Fatimids, the Mamluks, and the Ottomans, the three foreign dynasties which in turn ruled the Middle East from the eleventh to the beginning of the twentieth century, the '''Druze''' often put their formidable military skills at the disposal of these dynasties. During the Crusades, for example, they succeeded in preventing the Crusaders in the port city of Beirut from advancing inland, and in the sixteenth century they prospered as the powerful local agents of the Ottoman [[Sultan]]s. The '''Druze''' have often been in conflict with their [[Christian]] neighbours, as in the civil war which broke out in Lebanon in the middle of the nineteenth century and, more recently in the civil war and disturbances which have been a feature of Lebanese history in the final decades of the twentieth century.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:06, 14 July 2011
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	The '''Druze''' have played, and continue to play, a significant part in the history of the Middle East. Although at various times they suffered persecution under the Fatimids, the Mamluks, and the Ottomans, the three foreign dynasties which in turn ruled the Middle East from the eleventh to the beginning of the twentieth century, the '''Druze''' often put their formidable military skills at the disposal of these dynasties. During the Crusades, for example, they succeeded in preventing the Crusaders in the port city of Beirut from advancing inland, and in the sixteenth century they prospered as the powerful local agents of the Ottoman [[Sultan]]s. The '''Druze''' have often been in conflict with their [[Christian]] neighbours, as in the civil war which broke out in Lebanon in the middle of the nineteenth century and, more recently in the civil war and disturbances which have been a feature of Lebanese history in the final decades of the twentieth century.		The '''Druze''' have played, and continue to play, a significant part in the history of the Middle East. Although at various times they suffered persecution under the Fatimids, the Mamluks, and the Ottomans, the three foreign dynasties which in turn ruled the Middle East from the eleventh to the beginning of the twentieth century, the '''Druze''' often put their formidable military skills at the disposal of these dynasties. During the Crusades, for example, they succeeded in preventing the Crusaders in the port city of Beirut from advancing inland, and in the sixteenth century they prospered as the powerful local agents of the Ottoman [[Sultan]]s. The '''Druze''' have often been in conflict with their [[Christian]] neighbours, as in the civil war which broke out in Lebanon in the middle of the nineteenth century and, more recently in the civil war and disturbances which have been a feature of Lebanese history in the final decades of the twentieth century.
		+
		+	::From 1921 to 1936, under the post-war French mandate of Syria, the Druze ruled an autonomous state in the south of the country called '''Jebel (''or'' Jabal) Druze''' ('Druze Mountain', ''Jabal ad-Duruz''). This was focussed on the Houran (''or'' Hawran) Mountains where the members of the faith had sought refuge from [[Maronite]] 'tit-for-tat' persecution in the 1860s. Jebel Druze was previously known as the State of Souaida


	[[Category:Religion]][[Category:Culture]]		[[Category:Religion]][[Category:Culture]]