Marriage outside the druze faith is rare and is strongly discouraged. Part two examines the period of decline of the druzes in lebanon and the emergence of their. What is the name of the holy book of the druze faith. The druze perform their spiritual reckoning with god at all times, and consequently need no special days of fasting or atonement. While the druze religion is an outgrowth of islam, and incorporates. Pray that there will be a disciplemaking movement among the druze in france that will spread back to their middle eastern homelands. Their religious texts are known collectively as kitab al hikma the book of wisdom. Pray that the holy spirit will reveal to druze leaders that the lord jesus christ as the only way to eternal life. The druze still do not permit conversion, either away from or to their religion. Dec, 2016 israeli druze rarely marry across religious lines.
However, druze and islam differ on the basis that followers of islam only pray to allah while followers of druze religion also pray to their leader. The epistles of wisdom are also referred to as the kitab alhikma book of wisdom and alhikma alsharifa. The religion of islam supports belief that life is only awarded once to a person and they have to follow it according to the rules which appeal allah to gain paradise after passing through the day. Sep 19, 2015 what is the name of the holy book of the druze faith. The druze community celebrates their holiest day by making pilgrimage to the tomb of jethro. Apr 25, 2010 the idea that druze will only know their religion or can be initiated at the age of 40 is completely wrong. Druze religion and society lifestyle and appearance of the druze people have been a mystery to many. They strongly believe in mysticism and reincarnation, and hold moses, jethro, john the baptist, jesus and mohammed all to be prophets. The druze, who refer to themselves as almuwahhideen, or believers in one god, are concentrated in the rural, mountainous areas east and south of beirut.
The druze are a unique people who originated in egypt, but have since spread all over the world, with more concentrated numbers in lebanon, syria, israel, and jordan. Druze follow the teachings of alhakim biamrih alla. Holy books an online library with free pdf ebooks home. The druze scripture is called the epistles of wisdom, which is a collection of pastor letters and teachings of historic druze leaders. Brief encounters inside the new generation of druze in israels north, majdal shams duration. Apr 30, 2017 the druze community celebrates their holiest day by making pilgrimage to the tomb of jethro. It is al hikma book, which means in arabic, the wisdom. A second important figure in the druze religious reform movement is. Solving the 1,000yearold mystery of druze origin with a genetic sat. Hinduism, has many holy books, but most popular is shreemad bhagavad gita, upanishads and veda.
Druze history, modern era, immigration and settlement. The druze religion incorporates hinduism and greek philosophy, as well as parts of the main three monotheistic faiths judaism, islam and christianity. Most face social, political, and economic hurdles, but their. Druze is the name of a religious group living mainly in the middle east, whose religion is an offshoot of islam, but also incorporates other religious elements. Holy land uncovered joins the secretive religion at the tomb for their celebrations. First, it is unitary, which means it draws beliefs and traditions from many different faiths and. The druze religion has its roots in islam, but although some members. Mar 24, 2019 the druze texts are referred to as the hikma texts and they are forbidden even from most of the druze themselves if theyre not initiated ready to receive the knowledge. The druz e believe that many teachings given by prophets, religi ous leaders and holy books have esoteric meanings preserved for those of intellect, in which some teachings are symbolic and allegorical in nature, and divide the understan ding of ho ly books and teachings into three layers. Unlike islam and christianity where you can go to religious schools or institutions to be taught the koran or the bible, druze religious authorities have forbidden the circulation of the book of wisdom, and only a pious druze known as a sheikh has the privilege of reading the holy book alongside. Their holy book, known as the book of wisdom, is not easily accessible nor is it comprehensible to the layperson.
Despite a few holy sites which have become official gathering places for the druze, the druze generally spurn the concepts of ceremonies and rituals. Druze the druze religion the muwahideen ifcj learn. Elhikma is the arabic term for wisdom and the druze scriptures include material from ancient hermeticism, ancient greek philosophy, hinduism, buddhism, ancient gnostic. It enshrines all religious schools, but posits istelf as the sole path to mystical knowledge. Christianity new testamentbible judaism the hebrew bible the torah, the prophets, and the writings buddhism tripitakas. First, it is unitary, which means it draws beliefs and traditions from many different faiths and sees all faiths as equally validall are roads to the same divine source, despite disparate understandings of god or gods. The druze place heavy emphasis on philosophy and spiritual purity. There are also druze, bahai, yazidi, zoroastrians, and. Druze, small middle eastern religious sect characterized by an eclectic. Their great similarity in language, food and outward signs of their culture to their arabmuslim surrounding is obvious.
The druzes holy book is called the hikme book or the book of wisdom. And this strange five pointed star is not strange but the religious symbol. Jun 19, 2006 the druze thus eliminated all elements of ritual and ceremony. Also called the druse, duruz, duroz, and the tawhid faith, there are about 750,000800,000 of them today, primarily in syria, lebanon, and israel. These layers, accor ding to the druze, are as follows. The druzes or druses comprise a closely knit religious community estimated at 300,000450,000 people. The druze challenge of survival opinion the harvard crimson. Pray that christ followers in france will reach out to druze students and business people. There is no official liturgy or prayer book, no holy days or fast days, and no pilgrimages.
Thus, their places of worship are usually very modest, and their religious figures ajaweed lead very modest lifestyles. They accept the seven precepts, which they believe are the essential components of the pillars of islam. Many druze religious practices are kept secret, even from the community as a whole. Druze the druze religion the muwahideen ifcj learn more. The druze numbered more than 1,000,000 in the early 21st century. The holy books of the major world religions are the following. This article explores the cultural dynamics of bond and separateness created around the book of wisdom kitab. While the spiritual elements of their religion are highly guarded and. They announced that god had manifested himself in human form as alhakim biamr allah 985 or 9961021 ad, a muslim caliph from cairo, egypt.
The quran is one of their holy books and they celebrate the feast of sacrifice id aladh a just like their neighbors. Jan 02, 2020 the druze religion differs from classic forms of other monotheistic faiths in several key ways. The religion of the druze began in the 9th century ad, as a sect of islam. Difference between druze and islam compare the difference. Marriage between druze and non druze is discouraged for religious, political and historical reasons. Modern scholars, with the hindsight of later studies and access to the complete religious texts of the druze, have written off these unbelievable claims as historically motivated and malicious insertions by nondruze historians. Holy places of the druze are archaeological sites important to the community and associated with religious holidays the most notable example being nabi shuayb, dedicated to jethro, who is a central figure of the druze religion. As a druze person i hear this a lot but it is completely untrue. The druze challenge of survival opinion the harvard. What are the top ten religions and what is the holy book for. Druze, small middle eastern religious sect characterized by an eclectic system of doctrines and by a cohesion and loyalty among its members at times politically significant that have enabled them to maintain for centuries their closeknit identity and distinctive faith.
In the 19th century manuscript copies of their religious literature were spirited away to collections in europe and the united states, and scholars were finally able to access them. Nearly all druze 99% believe in god, including 84% who say they are absolutely certain in their belief. Solving the 1,000yearold mystery of druze origin with a. The druze thus eliminated all elements of ritual and ceremony. The banu maruf of the levant druze identity and religion. The book also fails to dismiss various myths that surrounded the druze belief for a long time. The druze, who primarily live in lebanon, syria and israel, have a mysterious religion which has been the subject of much speculation over the centuries. Nov 07, 2007 the book also fails to dismiss various myths that surrounded the druze belief for a long time. The druze s holy book is called the hikme book or the book of wisdom. What are all the holy books and their religions answers. Original translation of a druze epistle religious forums. They live primarily in the galilee and the golan heights, and are classified as a separate religious group, with their own courts and their own jurisdiction in matters such as marriage, divorce, and adoption the druze religion has its roots in islam, but although some members.
What is the name of the holy book of the druze faith answers. Translation what i present here is a provisional translation of the first epistle from the druze holy book, the rasail alhikmah the epistles of wisdom which i began yesterday and completed earlier today. In their spiritual practice, the druze do not have personal deity, but they believe that the divine. They meet on thursday evenings for worship, which consists almost exclusively in reading their sacred books. Who are the druze and how might the shroud of turin relate. A religion so secretive that even most of its members are forbidden from learning about it. Holy places of the druze are archaeological sites important to the community and associated with religious holidays 112 the most notable example being nabi shuayb, dedicated to jethro, who is a central figure of the druze religion. The druze religion differs from classic forms of other monotheistic faiths in several key ways. Their religion is an offshoot of islam, but also incorporates other religious elements the druze or druse comprise a closely knit religious community estimated at 300,000450,000 people. The lebanese druze people are believed to constitute about 5. I am a druze and here is what i have been taught about my religion. The druze holy book, known as the epistles of wisdom rasa. They hold the quran to be sacred, but look upon it as an outer shell, holding an inner, esoteric meaning.
Druze make pilgrimages to this site on the holiday of ziyarat alnabi shuayb. The druze, who refer to themselves as almuwahhideen, or believers in one god, are concentrated in the rural, mountainous areas east and south of beirut under the lebanese political division parliament of lebanon seat. Druze, also spelled druse, arabic plural duruz, singular darazi, small middle eastern religious sect characterized by an eclectic system of doctrines and by a cohesion and loyalty among its members at times politically significant that have enabled them to maintain for centuries their closeknit identity and distinctive faith. On the best day in the middle east, being a minority is a real challenge. Darazi, a preacher, and hamza ibn ali ibn ahmad, a persian mystic, were instrumental in popularizing the religion. Employment and economic traditions although still a largely rural people with a long tradition of farming, younger druze are seeking. Their holy book, known as the book of wisdom, is not easily accessible. It is a collection of books, of which the first six are most commonly used. The druze religion is an outgrowth of islam, although muslims disavow it. Islam is currently the most popular religion in the region and its holy book is the quran, but jews and the christians revere the bible. Reincarnation continues until ones soul achieves purification and merges with the holy one. The druze religion is secret and closed to converts.
The druze religion is monotheistic believing in one god, and it is considered one of the abrahamic faiths, along with judaism, islam, and christianity. What are the top ten religions and what is the holy book. Few people know about the druze, a mysterious, 1,000 year old religion in lebanon. Their holy book, known as the book of wisdom, is not easily accessible nor is. Druze religion the druze community, more correctly known as the muwahideen, number close to 120,000 in israel.
The druze are a religious group living mainly in the middle east. Do the druze people consider themselves muslims or not. Buddhism 376 million followers tripitaka pali canon 5. T he religion of the druze is based on the unity of life and belongs to an esoteric tradition often misunderstood in a volatile region where the major religions have been invoked to wage wars. The text, unrevealable to druze nonbelievers or foreigners, is shrouded in a collective pact to keep quiet. May 14, 2011 however, druze and islam differ on the basis that followers of islam only pray to allah while followers of druze religion also pray to their leader. The druze claim that an understanding of these is necessary, but that their al. We are an independent religion,believe in one god and believe in reincarnation of a human soul. They denounce materialism, especially materialism relative to religion.
Marriage between druze and nondruze is discouraged for religious, political and historical reasons. They celebrate the feast of the sacrifice id aladha2, the most important islamic festival, which is known to the druze by the same name and celebrated on the same day. But unlike the kurds, who are largely muslim, the druze are a unique religious and ethnic group. Although the druze religious books describe addarazi as the insolent one and as the calf who is narrowminded and. The full druze canon or druze scripture includes the old testament, the new testament, the quran and philosophical works by plato and those influenced by socrates among works from other religions and philosophers. The druze conception of the deity is declared by them to. The idea that druze will only know their religion or can be initiated at the age of 40 is completely wrong. Holy books an online library with free pdf ebooks, nuuk, greenland. Fewer than 1% of married israeli druze say they have a spouse or partner from outside their religion.
Aug 30, 2008 druze does not allow conversion to the religion. The druze religious establishments interpretation of taqiyya. They live primarily in the galilee and the golan heights, and are classified as a separate religious group, with their own courts and their own jurisdiction in matters such as marriage, divorce, and adoption. Solving the 1, 000yearold mystery of druze origin with a genetic sat nav november 16, 2016 5. Modern scholars, with the hindsight of later studies and access to the complete religious texts of the druze, have written off these unbelievable claims as historically motivated and malicious insertions by non druze historians. Oct 24, 2018 a religion so secretive that even most of its members are forbidden from learning about it.
The druze community, more correctly known as the muwahideen, number close to 120,000 in israel. The druze conception of the deity is declared by them to be one of strict and uncompromising unity. The druze holy book, known as the epistles of wisdom ras a. Other ancient druze writings include the rasail alhind epistles of india and the previously lost or hidden manuscripts such as almunfarid bidhatihi and alsharia alruhaniyya as well as others including didactic and polemic treatises. They subsequently repudiated all connection with this mohammed ibn ismail eldorazy, and styled. Druze believe on one god monotheism and reincarnation.
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