The Druze originated as a secret sect among the esoteric (baatini)
groups that appear outwardly to be Muslim and who sometimes pretend to be
religious, ascetic and pious. They make an outward show of false pride in
religion, pretending to be various kinds of Shi’ahs, Sufis and lovers of Ahl
al-Bayt (the family of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him)). They claim to carry the banner of peace and reconciliation amongst
people, and they talk about uniting people in order to deceive them and lead
them astray from their religion. When the opportunity arises, when they become
stronger and find supporters among the ruling classes, they show their true
colours and proclaim their real beliefs and aims, and they start to promote
evil and corruption, and try to destroy religious teachings, sound beliefs and
morals.
This is clear to anyone who studies their history and follows
their progress from the day the Jew ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Saba’ lay the foundations
and planted the seed, a legacy which has been handed down from one generation
to another, as they have tried hard to implement these principles, and this
has continued until the present day.
Although the Druze are one of these esoteric groups, they have
their own characteristics as regards their origins and the time when they
emerged, and the circumstances which helped them to become established. We
will mention some brief details concerning that and the rulings of the
scholars concerning them.
1 – The Druze are named after Durzi, whose full name was Abu
‘Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Durzi. His name is also given as
‘Abd-Allaah al-Durzi and Durzi ibn Muhammad. It was said that Muhammad ibn
Ismaa’eel al-Durzi was Tashtakeen or Hashtakeen al-Durzi. It was also said
that they are named after Tayrooz, a city in Persia. Al-Zubaydi narrated that
the correct form of the name is Darzi, based on the phrase “awlaad darzah”
meaning those who are base and vile.
2 – Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Durzi appeared at the time of al-Haakim
bi Amrihi, Abu ‘Ali al-Mansoor ibn al-‘Azeez, one of the ‘Ubaydi kings (known
in the west as Fatimids) who ruled Egypt for nearly two hundred years and who
falsely claimed to be descended from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) though Faatimah (may Allaah be pleased with her).
Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Durzi was originally a follower of
the esoteric Ismaili sect who claim to be the followers of Muhammad ibn
Isma’eel ibn Ja’far al-Saadiq. Then he left this group and contacted the
‘Ubaydi al-Haakim, approving of his claim to divinity, and he called the
people to worship him alone. He claimed that God had become incarnate in ‘Ali
ibn Abi Taalib, and that the soul of ‘Ali has migrated to his sons one after
another, until it reached al-Haakim. Al-Haakim gave him authority in Egypt so
that the people would obey him in his call. When his true intentions became
clear, the Muslims in Egypt rebelled against him and killed some of his
supporters. When they wanted to kill him, he escaped and fled to al-Haakim,
who gave him some money and told him to go to Syria to spread his call there.
So he went there and stopped in Waadi Taym-Allaah ibn Tha’labah, to the west
of Damascus, where he called them to deify al-Haakim and spread the principles
of the Druze among them, and distributed money to them, and they responded to
his call.
Another man also spread the call of the deification of al-Haakim,
a Persian man whose name was Hamzah ibn ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Haakimi al-Durzi,
one of the leading baatinis. He had contacted the leaders of the secret call
of al-Haakim’s party, and he called for his deification in secret until he
became one of their main leaders. Then he proclaimed that openly and claimed
that he was the messenger of al-Haakim, and al-Haakim supported him in that.
When al-Haakim died and was succeeded by his son who was known as Al-Zaahir li
I’zaaz Deen Allaah (the supporter of the religion of Allaah), and he disavowed
himself of his father’s claim to divinity, this call was chased out of Egypt.
Hamzah fled to Syria and was followed by some of those who had responded to
his call. Most of them settled in the region that later came to be known as
Jebel el Druze in Syria.
Their principles are as follows:
(a)
Incarnation. They believe that
Allaah was incarnated in ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), then in his
sons after him, one after another, until He was incarnated in the Faatimid al-Haakim
Abu ‘Ali al-Mansoor ibn al-‘Azeez. They believe that al-Haakim will return and
that he disappears and reappears.
(b)
Dissimulation (taqiyah) – i.e.,
hypocrisy and concealment. They do not tell anyone their real beliefs except
those who are of their number. Indeed they do not disclose their secrets to
anyone except those whom they trust from among their own group.
(c)
Infallibility of their imams.
They think that their imams are infallible and protected from sin. Indeed,
they deified them and worshipped them instead of Allaah, as they did with al-Haakim.
(d)
Esotericism (baatiniyyah). They
claim that the texts of sharee’ah have an esoteric or secret meaning other
than the apparent meaning. They based their heresy concerning the texts on
this, and distorted the meanings of the reports, commands and prohibitions.
With regard to their heresy concerning the reports, they deny
the perfect attributes of Allaah and they deny the Day of Resurrection with
its reckoning and recompense of Paradise and Hell. They replaced that with
something that they call the transmigration of souls, the belief that the soul
of a person or animal moves, when he or it dies, to the body of another person
or animal when he or it is born, to dwell therein being either blessed or
tormented. They believe that the universe is eternal and is no more than wombs
giving birth and the earth swallowing the bodies of the deceased (i.e., a
never-ending cycle of birth and death). They do not believe in the angels or
the message of the Prophets, and they follow the philosophers who followed
their own whims and desires and the principles and theories of Aristotle.
With regard to their heresy concerning the texts which
stipulate commands and prohibitions, they distort them. They say that salaah
(prayer) really means knowledge of their secrets, not the five daily prayers;
siyaam (fasting) means concealing their secrets, not refraining from things
that break the fast from dawn until sunset; and that Hajj (pilgrimage) means
visiting the shaykhs whom they venerate. They regard immoral actions, both
outward and inward, as permissible, and they allow marriage to daughters and
mothers, and other kinds of tinkering with the texts and denying things that
are clearly known to be the laws of Allaah that He has enjoined upon His
slaves. Hence Abu Haamid al-Ghazaali and others said concerning them:
outwardly their madhhab is Raafidi (Shi’ism) but inwardly it is pure kufr.
(e)
Hypocrisy and deceit in their
call. They make an outward display of being Shi’ah and of loving Ahl al-Bayt
(the Prophet’s household) to those whom they call. When they respond to them,
they call them to Shi’ism and openly criticize the Sahaabah and slander them.
If they accept that then they disclose to them the alleged faults of ‘Ali and
slander him. If they accept that, then they go on to slander the Prophets and
say that they have secrets that go against the message to which they called
their nations; they say that they were smart and devised new laws for their
nations for them to achieve worldly interests, and so on.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about how the Druze and
Nusairis should be judged. He replied:
These Druze and Nusairis are kaafirs, according to the
consensus of the Muslims. It is not permissible to eat the meat they
slaughter, or to marry their womenfolk. They do not agree to pay the jizyah,
so they are apostates from the religion of Islam and are not Muslims, nor are
they Jews or Christians. They do not agree that the five daily prayers are
obligatory, or that fasting Ramadaan is obligatory, or that Hajj is
obligatory. They do not regard as haraam that which Allaah and His Messenger
have forbidden of dead meat or wine, etc. Even if they pronounce the
Shahaadatayn, with these beliefs they are kaafirs according to the consensus
of the Muslims. As for the Nusairis, they are the followers of Abu Shu’ayb
Muhammad ibn Naseer, who was one of the extremists who say that ‘Ali is a god,
and they recite these words:
“I bear witness that there is no god except Haidar [i.e.,
‘Ali],
and no screen covering him except Muhammad, the honest and
trustworthy one,
and there is no way to him except through Salmaan the
all-powerful.”
Haidar is a title given to ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be
pleased with him).
With regard to the Druze, the followers of Hashtakeen al-Durzi,
who was one of the freed slaves of al-Haakim whom he sent to the people of
Wadi Taym-Allaah ibn Tha’labah and he called them to believe in the divinity
of al-Haakim and they call him “the creator, the all-knowing”, and swear by
him, they are among the Ismailis who believe that Muhammad ibn Isma’eel
abrogated the law of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah. They are worse kaafirs than
many other extremist groups. They believe that this universe has no creator
and they deny the resurrection and the duties and prohibitions of Islam. They
are among the esoteric Qarmatians (al-Qaraamitah) who are worse kaafirs than
the Jews, Christians and mushrik Arabs. Basically they follow the philosophy
of Aristotle and his ilk, or the Magians. Their ideas are a mixture of Magian
philosophy but they make an outward, hypocritical display of being Shi’ah. And
Allaah knows best.
Shaykh al-Islam also said, refuting the ideas of some sects of
Druze:
The fact that these groups are kaafirs is something concerning
which there is no dispute among the Muslims. Rather whoever doubts that they
are kaafirs is a kaafir like them. They do not have a status like that of the
People of the Book or of the mushrikeen, rather they are misguided kaafirs and
it is not permissible to eat their food, their women may be taken captive and
their wealth may be confiscated. They are heretics and apostates whose
repentance cannot be accepted, rather they should be killed wherever they are
found, and they may be cursed because of what they are. It is not permissible
to employ them as guards and gatekeepers. Their scholars and leaders must be
killed, lest they lead others astray. It is haraam to sleep with them in their
houses or to be friends with them, or to walk with them or to attend their
funerals, if their death is announced. It is haraam for the Muslim authorities
to neglect to carry out the hadd punishment that Allaah has enjoined by
whatever means they see fit. And Allaah is the One Whose help we seek and in
Whom we put our trust.
From the fatwas of the Standing Committee for Academic Research
and Issuing Fatwas. Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah, 36/85-89.
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