Druze religion introduction

It fell below the replacement rate 2. Despite the decline in fertility rates in the Druze population, its average household size is higher than that of Jews and Christians because it is not common for Druze persons to live alone. These statistics point to a decrease in the number of marriages in the Druze population. Inthe average age of the Druze population at first marriage was Inthe average age at druze religion introduction marriage in the Druze population was The marriage age of Druze women is higher than that of Muslim and Jewish women and lower than that of Christian druze religions introduction.

The age at which Druze men marry is higher than that of Jewish and Muslim men and lower than that of Christian men. Since the founding of the State of Israel inthe Druze educational system has flourished. Some 30 years later, there were 18, Druze students, an increase by a factor of Today, more than 30, Druze students are in the school system - some 2.

Still, 2. Of those who did, 1. The percentage of Druze who went on to study for a first degree at the universities was lower than this percentage among all students in the Arab education system However, the percentage of Druze who went on to study for a first degree at academic colleges was higher than this percentage among all students in the Arab education system A substantially higher percentage of Druze men than Druze women studied at academic colleges On the other hand, a substantially higher percentage of Druze women than Druze men studied at the academic colleges of education No substantial difference was found between the percentages of Druze men and Druze women who went on to study for a first degree at the universities.

In61, Druze were employed, and the employment rate among Druze reached Of the approximately 42, Druze households in Among the Druze, as among the Moslems, there is a wide gap between the participation of men and that of women in the labor force. The percentage of Druze men who are part of the labor force reached The percentage of Druze women who are part of the labor force reached Among employed Druze, Of those who were employed, Since there is no ritual or ceremony in the Druze religion, physical places are not sanctified.

However, the Druze gradually instituted gatherings at significant sites to discuss community affairs, and over time, such gatherings have taken on the meaning of a sort of religious holiday. Most regional assembly places are located in or near Druze villages in upper and western Galilee, in the Golan, and on Mount Carmel. According to Druze tradition, Saladin had a dream on the eve of his battle against the Crusaders at this site, in which an angel promised him victory on the condition that after the battle he gallop westward on his horse.

Where the stallion would pull up, the angel promised, he would find the burial site of Nebi Sheuib. When the dream came true, the Druze built a tomb at the site, next to which is a rock bearing a footprint believed to belong to Nebi Sheuib. On April 25th of each year, the Druze gather at the site to discuss community affairs. A delegation of uqqal traveled to Syria and Lebanon and collected funds for this purpose, and the local Druze also contributed extensively.

Renovation work and additions to the building continued throughout the years of the British Mandate and more intensively after In recent years, access to the site has been improved, and electricity and water have been connected, with funding from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare and various other government ministries, and the Minorities Unit of the IDF.

Sabalan was a Druze prophet, believed to be either Zebulunthe sixth son of the Patriarch Jacob or one of the emissaries who propagated the Druze religion in the eleventh century. Lebanese Druze leader Walid Junblat, son of prominent Druze political activist Kamal Junblat, has been a key figure in the Lebanese anti-Syria movement, accusing the Syrian government of assassinating his father in Walid Junblat has allied himself with Syrian opposition figures and has called for a United States occupation of Syria.

Druze religion introduction: The Druze faith is one of

In the druze religion introduction Syrian conflict the Druze have largely remained neutral. Fears of persecution from Islamist Sunni rebels who view the Druze as heretical and from a potential Sunni-dominated opposition government have discouraged widespread participation in the opposition movement. However, Druze have participated on both sides of the struggle, including armed combat alongside rebels against the Syrian government.

Babak Dehghanpisheh, "Syria's Druze minority is shifting its support to the opposition," The Washington Post, February 8,accessed June 6. Skip to main content. Religion and Worldviews: the way forward. A national plan for RE [religious education worldviews]. Religion Bites [Podcasts] Religion Bites. Religion Facts [Websites] Religion Facts [religious studies].

Religion Outside the University [Organisations Websites] Religion Outside the University [kings college london united kingdom university religious studies]. Religions [Journals] Religions [religious studies]. Religious experiences Religious experiences. Religious Figures Religious Figures. Religious History Religious History. Reports Reports.

Research Projects Research Projects. Revelations of Divine Love [Books] Revelations of Divine Love [christianity women mystic mysticism religious experience]. Richard King [Scholars] Richard King [spirituality capitalism]. Ritual [Practices Concepts] Ritual [ritual order meaning]. Rizalism [Traditions] Rizalism [new religious movements christianity catholicism jose rizal philippines].

Robin Horton [Scholars] Robin Horton [anthropology philosophy africa indigenous religion magic myth ritual]. Ronald Grimes [Scholars] Ronald Grimes [ritual studies ritual anthropology american religion]. Rudolf Otto [Scholars] Rudolf Otto. Santo Daime [Traditions] Santo Daime. Satori [Experiences] Satori [zen buddhism enlightenment]. Scholars Scholars.

Secularism and Nonreligion [Journals] Secularism and Nonreligion [atheism non-religion secularism]. Self-Religion [Perspectives] Self-Religion. Seva [Concepts] Seva [sikhi sikhism]. Shechita [Practices] Shechita [judaism]. Sigmund Freud [Scholars] Sigmund Freud. Sikhi Sikhism [Traditions] Sikhi Sikhism [punjab india sikhi sikhism]. Singing [Practices] Singing.

Sounds Sounds. Sources Sources. Sourcetypes Sourcetypes. Spiritual Practices Spiritual Practices. Swami Vivekananda [Figures] Swami Vivekananda [hinduism]. Synagogue [Places] Synagogue [judaism]. Syria Syria. Tags Tags. Tanakh [Texts] Tanakh [judaism]. Taoism [Traditions] Taoism [taoism]. Text Talks [Podcasts] Text Talks [hinduism buddhism religious education gcse a level].

Texts Texts. Texts [Texts Concepts] Texts [texts scripture art material religion]. The Bible [Texts] The Bible. The Folklore Society [Organisations] The Folklore Society [folklore folktales fairy tales myths legends folk religion material culture plantlore weather lore]. The Druze faith. Abstract The Druze faith is an esoteric, monotheistic religion with roots in the Middle East, primarily found in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel.

Introduction The Druze faith is an esoteric, monotheistic religion with roots in the Middle East, primarily found in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. Reincarnation and the Cycle of Souls One of the most distinctive aspects of Druze belief is the concept of reincarnation. Deities and Spirits The Divine Hierarchy While the Druze faith is strictly monotheistic, it acknowledges a divine hierarchy of spiritual beings.

Central to this hierarchy are: Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah : Considered a divine manifestation and central figure in Druze theology. Hamza ibn Ali : The founder of the Druze faith and key spiritual leader. The Absence of Rituals Unlike many other religions, the Druze faith lacks formal rituals, places of worship, and clergy. Community and Ethics The Druze Community The Druze community is tightly knit, with a strong emphasis on social cohesion and mutual support.

The community is divided into two groups: Uqqal : The initiated, who are knowledgeable about the esoteric teachings and serve as spiritual leaders. Juhhal : The uninitiated, who follow the basic ethical and moral teachings of the faith without access to the deeper, esoteric knowledge. Ethical Conduct Ethical behavior and moral integrity are paramount in Druze belief.

Key ethical principles include: Truthfulness : Adherents are expected to be honest and trustworthy. Loyalty : Loyalty to the community and its values is highly emphasized. Patience and Perseverance : Endurance in the face of adversity is considered a virtue. Contemporary Practice and Challenges In the modern world, the Druze community faces numerous challenges, including political instability in the Middle East and pressures of assimilation.

Cultural Revival Recent years have seen a revival of interest in Druze culture and heritage. Conclusion The Druze faith offers a fascinating glimpse into an esoteric religious tradition that has withstood the test of time.

Druze religion introduction: Druze are a small Middle Eastern

A History of the Druzes. Brill, Betts, Robert Brenton. The Druze. Yale University Press, Dana, Nissim. The Druze in the Middle East. Sussex Academic Press, Thank you! You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Add a new link to your favourite organisation, podcast, or other online resource Name optional. Your email address optional. Any comments?

In terms of religious comparison, scholars consider Judaism and the Druze faith as ethnoreligious groups[ 28 ] both practicing endogamy[ 27 ] and both typically do not proselytize. Belief in reincarnation Gilgul exist in some strands of Judaism influenced by the Kabbalahsuch as Hasidic Judaismbut is rejected by mainstream Jewish denominations Reform JudaismConservative Judaism and Orthodox Judaism.

A study carried out by th Israeli Druze historian Kais M. Firro examines various theories about the origins of the Druze, including possible connections to the ArameansArabs, ItureansCuthitesHivitesArmeniansPersiansand Turks. Some suggested a European origin. According to Firro, two main approaches have been used to trace Druze origins.

The first examines religious texts and the ethnic backgrounds of the early Druze leaders. The second focuses on the migration and settlement patterns of ancient peoples and tribes in the Druze regions before the 11th century. The third approach relies on anthropometric studies. The main proponent of the first approach is historian Philip Hittiwhose theory is a key reference for tracing Druze origins.

He supported this with three arguments: first, the early founders and disseminators of the Druze religion were of Persians origin; second, some of the Druze religious lexicon is Persian ; and third, the native inhabitants of Wadi al-Taym where Druze faith beliefs first spread, were influenced by Persian and Iraqi or Persianized Arab cultures before Sprengling also noted that Wadi al-Taym's druze religions introduction before were mostly pure Arab tribes such as the Tanukhids and Taym Allah tribe.

The second approach, used by Druze historians, scholars, intellectuals and clerics, emphasizes the migration and settlement of Arab tribes to highlight the pure Arab lineage of those who adopted Druze beliefs in the 11th century. According to Firro, the third approach in the research on Druze origins is based on the conclusions of researchers and anthropologists.

Studies by Felix von LuschanArries and Kappers found that Druze in the Levant, along with their Muslim and Christian counterparts, share the same origins. According to Druze historian Amin Talea', Druze oral and written traditions recount that twelve Arab tribes converted to Islam and fought alongside Muslim warriors until they were introduced to the Druze religion by preachers sent from Egypt by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah.

Talea' adds that, over time, the Druze developed a strong sense of their pure Arab origins, believing that, apart from their unique religious practices, their spiritual and material culture closely mirrored that of the broader population of Greater Syria. The Druze faith extended to many areas in the Middle East, but most of the modern Druze can trace their origin to the Wadi al-Taym in Southern Lebanonwhich is named after an Arab tribe Taym Allah or Taym Allat which, according to Islamic historian al-Tabarifirst came from the Arabian Peninsula into the valley of the Euphrates where they had been Christianized prior to their migration into Lebanon.

Many of the Druze feudal families, whose genealogies have been preserved by the two modern Syrian chroniclers Haydar al-Shihabi and Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaqseem also to point in the direction of this origin. Arabian tribes emigrated via the Persian Gulf and stopped in Iraq on their route that would later to lead them to Syria. The first feudal Druze family, the Tanukhidswhich made for itself a name in fighting the Crusaders was, according to Haydar al-Shihabi, an Arab tribe from Mesopotamia where it occupied the position of a ruling family and apparently was Christianized.

Travelers like Niebuhrand scholars like Max von Oppenheimundoubtedly echoing the popular Druze belief regarding their own origin, have classified them as Arabs. The Arabian hypothesis is widely regarded as the leading explanation for the origins of the Druze people among historians, scholars, intellectuals, and religious leaders within the Druze community.

This hypothesis is central to the Druze's self-perception and cultural identity. Scholars who hold this view argue that this linguistic connection underscores the Druze's ethnic Arab identity. According to Druze historian Nejla Abu-Izzedinthe Druze people are of Arab origin, both culturally and historically. The majority of those who embraced the Druze faith were Arab tribes from the northern region, making the Arab elements of the community predominant.

Additionally, Abu-Izzedin highlights that the Tanukhids, an Arab tribe, hold a significant place in Druze history. Druze scholar Sami Makarem notes that Wadi Taym and southern Lebanon Jabal Amel were pivotal centers for Druze missionary activity in the 11th century, inhabited by Arab tribes. Later, they migrated and settled in Lebanon. According to Makarem, Druze belief links their ancestry to tribes that lived in [geographical] Syriasome before Islam and others arriving during the conquest.

He noted that some of their ancestors came from the northern part of the peninsula, while others came from the southern region, specifically Yemen. These tribes were predominantly of Yamani tribes, with the Tanukhids being the most dominant among them. Subsequently, these tribes adopted the Druze doctrine. Hazran affirms that this narrative is recognized within Druze doctrine and its scriptures.

Druze researchers and historians from Israel, such as Kais M. Kheir, confirm that the Druze are Arabs and note that this was not a contentious issue in Israel before According to Jewish contemporary literature, the Druze, who were visited and described in by Benjamin of Tudelawere pictured as descendants of the Itureans[ ] an Ismaelite Arab tribe, which used to reside in the northern parts of the Golan plateau through Hellenistic and Roman periods.

The word Druzes, in an early Hebrew edition of his travels, occurs as Dogziyin, but it is clear that this is a scribal error. Archaeological assessments of the Druze region have also proposed the possibility of Druze descending from Itureans, [ ] who had inhabited Mount Lebanon and Golan Heights in late classic antiquity, but their traces fade in the Middle Ages.

Lebanese Christians and Druze became a genetic isolate in the predominantly Islamic world. Recent genetic clustering analyses of ethnic groups are consistent with the close ancestral relationship between the Druze and Cypriots, and also identified similarity to the general Syrian and Lebanese populations, as well as the major Jewish divisions AshkenaziSephardiIraqiand Moroccan Jews Behar et al.

Also, a new study concluded that the Druze harbor a remarkable diversity of mitochondrial DNA lineages that appear to have separated from each other thousands of years ago. But instead of dispersing throughout the druze religion introduction after their separation, the full range of lineages can still be found within the Druze population.

The researchers noted that the Druze villages contained a striking range of high frequency and high diversity of the X haplogroupsuggesting that this population provides a glimpse into the past genetic landscape of the Near East at a time when the X haplogroup was more prevalent. These findings are consistent druze religion introduction the Druze oral tradition that claims that the adherents of the faith came from diverse ancestral lineages stretching back tens of thousands of years.

A study published on the genetic background of Druze communities in Israel showed highly heterogeneous parental origins. In a principal component analysis of a study, Druze were located between Lebanese people and Mizrahi Jews. According to a study, Druze have a largely similar genome with Middle Eastern Arabs, but they have not married outside of their clans in years and Druze families from different regions share a similarity with each other that distinguishes them from other Middle Eastern populations.

A study based on testing samples of Druze in the historic region of Syriain comparison with ancient humans including Anatolian and Armenianand on Geographic Population Structure GPS tool by converting genetic distances into geographic distances, concluded that Druze might hail from the Zagros Mountains and the surroundings of Lake Van in eastern Anatoliathen they later migrated south to settle in the mountainous regions in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Remove ye the causes of fear and estrangement from yourselves. Do away with the corruption of delusion and conformity. Be ye certain that the Prince of Believers hath given unto you free will, and hath spared you the trouble of disguising and concealing your true beliefs, so that when ye work ye may keep your deeds pure for God. He hath done thus so that when you relinquish your previous beliefs and doctrines ye shall not indeed lean on such causes of impediments and pretensions.

By conveying to you the reality of his intention, the Prince of Believers hath spared you any excuse for doing so. He hath urged you to declare your belief openly. Ye are now safe from any hand which may bring harm unto you. Ye now may find rest in his assurance ye shall not be wronged. Let those who are present convey this message unto the absent so that it may be known by both the distinguished and the common people.

It shall thus become a rule to mankind; and Divine Wisdom shall prevail for all the days to come. Swayd, Samy The A to Z of the Druzes. ISBN Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Ethnoreligious group of the Levant.

Not to be confused with Druse. Druze star and Druze flag. Levantine Arabic Hebrew L2 [ 17 ] [ 18 ]. Al-Muwahhidun - Ahl at-Tawhid. Reincarnation Theophany. Esotericism Divine Call. Seven Druze pillars. Taqiya Walayah. Important figures. Shu'ayb Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. Hamza ibn Ali Al-Darazi. Baha al-Din al-Muqtana Al-Tanukhi. Epistles of Wisdom Rasa'il al-Hikma.

Druze religion introduction: The beliefs and practices of

Holy places. Mount Druze Shrine of Shu'ayb. Holy days. Eid al-Adha Ziyara. Tanukh Buhtur dynasty Ma'n dynasty. Druze Power Struggle — Battle of Ain Dara Druze Revolt. Jaysh al-Muwahhidin Qalb Loze massacre. Druze communities. Related topics. Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad arrives in Cairo. Disappearance of Al-Hakim. Closing of the unitarian call. Ma'an dynasty.

Main article: Maan family. Main article: Shihab family. Qaysites and the Yemenites. Main article: Battle of Ain Darra. Main article: civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus. Main article: Hauran Druze Rebellion. Main article: Druze in Syria. Main article: Druze in Lebanon. Main article: Druze in Israel. See also: Golan Heights Druze general strike.

Main article: Druze in Jordan. Religious symbol. Prayer houses and holy places. Initiates and "ignorant" members. Druze and other religions. Relationship with Muslims. Relationship with Christians. Main article: Christianity and Druze. Druze as a mixture of Western Asian tribes. See also: Genetic history of the Middle East.

Druze religion introduction: › Courses › History

This initiative aimed to counteract " Arabization " and " Palestinianization ", resulted in an independent Druze curriculum. While most Druze in Israel continue to identify as Arabs, some have adopted a distinct "Druze ethnic identity" for political or social reasons. Scholars argue that this policy, supported by a co-opted Druze political elite, privileges the Druze's communal aspects while marginalizing their broader ethnic and national identity.

Skutsch, Carl ed. Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. Hachette UK. It is believed there are no more than 1 million Druze worldwide; most live in the Levant. BBC News. Department of State. Retrieved on CBS — Israel. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 8 May Archived from the original on 20 May CBC News. Retrieved 1 May Retrieved 5 January Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Retrieved 30 May Nations, Language and Citizenship. Munich: C. Journal of the American Oriental Society. ISSN JSTOR