The Druze and their secret religion
- contatogilsonss
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The Druze are an Arab religious (ethno-religious) group located in the Levant region, encompassing the countries of Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Cyprus. They have followers in the USA, Canada, Jordan, Australia, and Germany. In total, the Druze population is estimated to be between 800,000 and 2 million people.
Druzeism
Druze is the religion of the Druze people. It developed from Ismailism, a branch of Shi'a Islam. Despite its origins, the Druze do not consider themselves Muslims, even though they maintain the Arabic language and culture.
Druze is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and syncretic religion (merging different doctrines). It is explicitly a Unitarian religion, meaning it believes that all religions point to a single God. One of the major points of divergence between Druze and Muslims is the belief in reincarnation, the main parameter in the Druze faith. Another point is the belief in the revelation of divinity in human form (incarnation of the One). Its main scriptures are the Quran and the Epistles of Wisdom.
Why is religion considered secret?
The Druze and their secret religion
To understand this, we need to go back to the moment of its emergence in the 10th and 11th centuries in the Fatimid Caliphate of the Islamic Empire in North Africa and the Levant region. AL HAKIM BI AMR ALLA, or "Ruler by the grace of God," was proclaimed as MAHDI, or the "divine incarnation." He was the 6th Fatimid caliph and the 16th Ismaili imam. He ruled between 996 and 1021. In 1010, AL HAKIM BI AMR ALLA destroyed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He persecuted Christians. The new faith was spread among Muslims, but it was never well received by traditional and radical Muslims. The name Druze is derived from the commander ANUJUR ADDIRUZI, who led the Fatimid forces in Syria.
After Al-Hakim's death, the Druze faith began to be rejected and persecuted. The Druze did not seek a state of their own. To survive, adherents of Druze had to keep their faith secret, practicing Taqiyyah (or dissimulation, caution, prudence), that is, they kept their faith secret and formally accepted the dominant Muslim religion. The Druze maintained secret formulas among themselves to recognize each other.
The Taqiyyah tradition is followed to this day. For example, Druze people living in Brazilian Catholic communities baptize their children in the Church to feel more secure about their integration into society.
This fact, in addition to the esoteric and secret interpretations of their scriptures, makes the
Druzimo is considered a secret religion.
HOW THE DRUZU VIEW GOD
For the Druze, God is transcendent and immanent. He is above all attributes and at the same time present in the universe. God is wise, powerful, and just not because of his wisdom, power, and justice, but because of his essence. God is limitless and unknowable.
Reincarnation for the Druze
The Druze conceptualize reincarnation as the alternation of souls in human bodies so that they may be tested and purified. Each soul needs a body and cannot live without it. Reincarnation is the basis of all understanding of human evolution.
For the Druze, all human souls were created at once. Their number is fixed and does not increase with births or decrease with deaths. In the Druze faith, souls are free to choose between right and wrong, as they were created with an equal tendency towards good and evil.
According to the Druze, reincarnation occurs instantly after someone's death, as the duality between body and soul is eternal. It is impossible for a soul to exist without a body, and vice versa. Unlike other religions such as Buddhism or Hinduism, it is not possible for the soul to reincarnate into another type of being. A male soul can only reincarnate into a male human, and a female soul into a female human.
The Druze believe that on the "Last Day" souls will regain the memory of all their existences, in order of events and deeds. The day of "Judgment Day" will be the end of a long journey of repeated existences for the soul to reach full development.
Finally, it should be mentioned that a Druze soul can only reincarnate into another Druze.
Druzeism Today
Today, the religion is presented as a Shiite Islamic sect that incorporated concepts from Greek philosophy, Gnosticism, and Christianity. It is secretive and esoteric in its worship. They proclaim the divinity of the Imams and the belief in metemphysis or body change, reincarnation, and transmigration of the soul. Their most respected prophet is Jethro (or Shu'ayb), Moses' father-in-law and priest of Midian (the region where Moses lived). Even though they are Unitarians, they recognize many prophets such as Jesus, Muhammad, John the Baptist, and Moses.
Druze communities are divided into 2 categories:
The UUKAL, wise or intelligent ones. They are those initiated into the study of the religion and its secrets. Only they can participate in certain religious celebrations. They make up about 20% in each community and wear specific clothing;
The JUHAL, the ignorant or imperfect, make up about 80% in each community.
Sheikhs are central figures in the Druze tradition. They can be religious or family leaders. Religious leaders are literate, being heads of their community after studying and memorizing sacred texts (the Quran and the Epistles of Wisdom, as mentioned). Family leaders are limited to the role of representing the family, serving as advisors to the clan.
The Practices of the Druze Religion
Druze has managed to stay away from all the collective practices of Muslims, or the "5 pillars of Islam" (learn more at https://www.fecuriosa.com/post/compromissosdaf%C3%A9mu%C3%A7ulmana ).
THE 7 DRUZO COMMANDMENTS
It defines moral obligations. These are:
To tell the truth;
To nurture and protect our siblings;
To eradicate deceit and falsehood;
Reject the villain and the aggressor;
To worship God at all times and in all places;
To joyfully accept everything that comes from God;
To submit oneself willingly to God's will.
Feast of Sacrifice or Eid al-Adha al-Muharak
It occurs at the end of the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims sacrifice animals, recalling the ram in the test of faith that God gave to Abraham. For the Druze, animal sacrifice does not take place. It is a day of celebration to gather family and friends for fellowship.
ZIYARAT AL-NABI SHU'AYB FESTIVAL
An important annual pilgrimage performed by the Druze, celebrating the Prophet Shu'ayb or Jethro, taking place in April at the Nabi Shu'ayb shrine in Israel. It is a public holiday for the Druze community. Pilgrims visit the shrine and often touch the Prophet's footprint for good luck.
The Wedding
It is endogamous. It only occurs among Druze, aiming to maintain the unitarian purity of the group. They are based on the partial community of property. The couple's commitment is written (as in Judaism). Separation and divorce are foreseen in special situations.
FINISHING UP...
It is normal for Druze communities to isolate themselves. The men wear turbans, loose trousers, a vest, and a large cloak. The women wear turbans or a white veil, a dress, and a black skirt. The Druze do not have the custom of drinking alcohol, eating pork, or smoking.
In Brazil, the Druze arrived along with the Arabs at the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. The Brazilian Druze Home in São Paulo can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/lar_druzo_brasileiro_oficial/
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Ghabar, Nadjala. Brazilian Druze Home: The green and yellow Druze movement. Master's thesis in Religious Studies at PUCSP. Available at tede2.pucsp.br ;
ifcj.org (International Fellowship of Christianity and Jews)
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