Introduction to the Druze

This research project focuses on the Druze.

The Druze emerged from Isma'ili Islam at the beginning of the 11th Century, during the reign of the sixth Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. After Al-Hakim's disappearance, the Druze were persecuted and declared retreaters from the true religion of Islam. Perceiving their existence is at stake, the Druze embraced the principle of dissimulation (Taqiyya). They adopted strategies centered on survival, such as preferred living in geographic isolation or allying with a powerful party.

Nowadays, most Druze communities are located in the Middle East. The largest communities are in Syria and Lebanon, and the smaller communities are in Israel and Jordan. Druze diaspora communities can be found globally.

Druze's religious texts are collectively known as the Book / Epistles of Wisdom (Kitab Al Hikma). It is argued that some of Druze's basic principles are based on philosophical beliefs, with several elements going back to ancient Greek philosophies, such as Pythagoras and Plato, and based on elements from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Some of these beliefs include the abstract and direct connection to God, the free will of human beings, and that at the End Time, human beings will be sent by God to either Paradise or Hell following one's actions in all generations. However, the central Druze belief is the reincarnation of the soul. The body serves as a temporary host for the soul; by doing so, humans are tested throughout the generations in multiple roles and scenarios, allowing for divine justice for all human beings.