What is Druze?

Islam: Revering him as the prophet Shoaib, Islamic tradition highlights his eloquence (Khateeb al-Anbiya) and records that his defiant people were destroyed by a sudden earthquake and scorching heat wave after rejecting his call to honesty and monotheism.

Judaism & Christianity: Honored as a righteous priest of Midian whose wisdom and counsel helped organize early Israelite leadership.

Druze Faith: Rebuilt as a central spiritual figure, founder, and chief prophet in Druze tradition, where his tomb at Nabi Shuayb in Horns of Hattin is an annual pilgrimage site.

The Druze religion is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, and highly secretive syncretic faith that emerged during the 11th century in Cairo, Egypt. Adherents, known as the Druze, are a distinct ethnoreligious group primarily living in the Levant. The faith blends the foundational monotheism of Shia Isma'ili Islam with elements of Christianity, Gnosticism, ancient Greek philosophy (such as Neoplatonism and Pythagoreanism), and Hinduism.

The Druze religion was founded by Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad, a Persian scholar and mystic who formally proclaimed the faith on May 30, 1017 AD. It arose under the reign of the sixth Fatimid Caliph of Egypt, al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, whom the Druze revere as a divine figure and the human manifestation of cosmic unity. Following al-Hakim's mysterious disappearance in 1021, Hamza and other early theologians structured the faith's core doctrines.

The foundational theology of the Druze centers on Tawhid, the absolute oneness and unity of God. The core beliefs dictate that God is entirely transcendent, incomprehensible, and above all human attributes, yet can manifest divinely in the physical universe. Instead of traditional pillars of Islam, the Druze live by seven moral precepts, which place a supreme emphasis on absolute truthfulness, mutual protection of the community, and complete submission to God's will.

Yes, reincarnation (metempsychosis) is a core, non-negotiable tenet of the Druze faith. Druze theology teaches that human souls are immortal and are instantaneously reborn into a new human body at the exact moment of death. They believe that souls accumulate spiritual growth and cosmic wisdom through successive lives, eventually breaking the cycle of rebirth to reunite eternally with the Universal Mind (al-aql al-kulli). Reincarnation is believed to occur strictly within the Druze community and always within the same gender.

The primary and central religious text of the Druze faith is the Epistles of Wisdom (Rasa il al-?ikma). This is a sacred compilation of 111 epistles and letters written primarily by the faith's founders, Hamza ibn Ali and Baha al-Din al-Muqtana, during the early 11th century. Because the text contains highly complex, esoteric metaphysical teachings, it is strictly guarded and kept hidden from outsiders.

The Druze faith is a closed religion because it strictly prohibits both religious conversion (proselytism) and interfaith marriage. Following intense persecution by orthodox religious authorities in the 11th century, the early leadership permanently closed the gates of conversion in 1043 CE to preserve the purity and survival of their community. Today, a person can only be Druze if they are born to two Druze parents, and anyone who marries outside the faith is traditionally excluded from the spiritual community.

The Druze revere Prophet Jethro (Shuayb), the father-in-law of Moses. Shuaib is venerated as the supreme ancestral prophet and spiritual guide of the Druze. His tomb, located at Nabi Shu'ayb in Hittin near the Sea of Galilee, is the most sacred pilgrimage site for the global Druze community, where thousands gather annually on April 25th for a major religious celebration.

The Druze do not worship in public mosques, churches, or highly decorative temples. Instead, their spiritual meetings are held in completely unassuming, unadorned prayer houses located in remote or secluded areas called Khalwat (secluded meeting houses). Religious services are held quietly on Thursday evenings, where the initiated Uqqal gather to pray, meditate, discuss community affairs, and read sections of the sacred epistles.

There are an estimated 800,000 to 2 million Druze worldwide, concentrated almost entirely in the mountainous regions of the Levant. Syria holds the largest population (primarily in the Jabal al-Druze region), followed by significant, influential communities in Lebanon, Israel (specifically the Galilee and Carmel mountains), and Jordan. Due to historical emigration, vibrant diaspora communities also exist in Latin America (especially Venezuela) and North America.