Table of Contents
How did Druze begin?
Origins and practice The Druze faith originated in Egypt as an offshoot of Ismaʿīlī Shīʿism when, during the reign of the sixth Fāṭimid caliph, the eccentric al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh (ruled 996–1021), some Ismaʿīlī theologians began to organize a movement proclaiming al-Ḥākim a divine figure.
What do the Druze believe?
Nearly all Druze (99\%) believe in God, including 84\% who say they are absolutely certain in their belief. But there are no set holy days, regular liturgy or obligations for pilgrimage, as Druze are meant to be connected with God at all times.
What is the holy book of Druze?
The Epistles of Wisdom
The Epistles of Wisdom or Rasa’il al-Hikmah (Arabic: رَسَائِل ٱلْحِكْمَة) is a corpus of sacred texts and pastoral letters by teachers of the Druze Faith native to the Levant, which has currently close to a million practitioners.
What does the Druze symbol mean?
The only Druze flag is combined by a green triangle at the hoist side, and four horizontal stripes of red-yellow-blue-white. The meanings of the colours are: Red – symbolizes the heart and love of humanity. Green – symbolizes the farmer and the life. White – symbolizes the purity and the air.
What is the Druze flag?
Druze religious symbol is a five-coloured flag consisting of Green, Red, Yellow, Blue and White respectively. These colours represent the five wise prophets of Al-Mowahideen. Yellow (Al-Kalima) symbolizes “the word”, who’s the mediator between Plato’s realm of eternity and Aristotle’s realm of material existence.
What does the Druze star mean?
The meanings of the colours are: Red – symbolizes the heart and love of humanity. Green – symbolizes the farmer and the life. White – symbolizes the purity and the air. Yellow – symbolizes the sun and the wheat.
Can you become Druze?
You can’t. One has to be born into a Druze family to be considered as a Druze. They don’t accept converts, so strictly speaking, you are either born into the community or you are not. There’s no other way of becoming a Druze.
Where do the Druze people live?
Druze people reside primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. The Institute of Druze Studies estimates that forty to fifty percent of Druze live in Syria, thirty to forty percent in Lebanon, six to seven percent in Israel, and one or two percent in Jordan.
What happened to the Lebanese Druze and Maronite Christians?
Civil strife between the Lebanese Druze and the Maronite Christians ended in 1860 with the autonomous administration of Mt. Lebanon, which was imposed by the great powers.
Why did Israel separate the Druze from other Arab communities?
Some scholars maintain that Israel has tried to separate the Druze from other Arab communities, and that the effort has influenced the way Israel’s Druze perceive their modern identity. In 1957, the Israeli government designated the Druze a distinct ethnic community at the request of its communal leaders.
What is the status of Druze women in Israel?
Druze women can attain positions of religious significance, and some have indeed achieved high rank. Regarding personal status, their rights are almost identical to those of men; actually, Druze women are preferred over men in joining the uqqal, because they are considered to be better “spiritually prepared.”