Druse

this name keeps showing up in articles about Lebanon. I did a search and found following info,kinda interesting.




History:

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 popularizing the religion. Darazi announced that God had manifested himself in human form as al-Hakim Bi-amr Allah, (985 or 996-1021 CE), a Muslim caliph from Cairo Egypt. The Druse now believe that Darazi distorted the message; he was, in essence, excommunicated and later executed. His writings are now considered blasphemous.

The Druse 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 outside their faith. 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.

 

Beliefs:

[font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]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.[/font][font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]They are firmly monotheistic, believing in a single God. He has no partner or son; he is not part of a Trinity.[/font][font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]They recognize seven major prophets, including Adam, Abraham, and Jesus. They reject the concept of the virgin birth, and believe that Jesus was 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.[/font][font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]In common with the followers of many Eastern religions, they believe the transmigration of the soul: that, at death, one's soul is instantaneously reincarnated (in time and space); it is reborn into another life. 2[/font][font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Through successive reincarnations, the soul eventually unites with the Cosmic Mind "al- aaqal al kulli." The Cosmic Mind is considered as "God’s will" from whom the universe came into being.[/font][font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]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." 2[/font]

 

Practices:

[font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Ordinary members, Jahill (singular) and Juhaall (plural), do not normally have access to religious texts. They attend only the first part of their religious meetings. The remainder of the meetings are reserved for the Sheiks. There is no actual prohibition of the reading of religious books. It is just that if a person becomes educated in the truth of God and of life and yet do not follow the duties arising from these truths, then their judgment would be worse that if they had remained uneducated.[/font][font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]The Druse have abandoned the Five Pillars of Islam (recitation of the creed, reciting prayers five times a day, donating to charity, fasting during the month of Ramadan and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Thus, they are not regarded by Muslims as Islamic.[/font][font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Their leaders are a group of ascetics called uqqal (sages)[/font][font=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Their religious meetings are held on Thursdays[/font]

 

Interesting...


Thanks for posting that, Banjo.