Druse
The Druse are a fierecely independent group in Lebanon around the base of Mount Hermon, and in the mountains behind Beirut and Sidon. A few willages are located on the Golan Heights, in Syria and just inside the Northern border of Israel. The Druse Religion started in the 9th century CE as a breakway group from Islam. Darazi(a preacher) and Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmed (a Persian mystic) were the founders. They announced that God had manifested himse;f in human form as al-Hakim Bi-amr Allah(985-1021 CE), a Muslim caliph from Cairo. They now believe that Darazi started to distort the message; he is now considered balsphemous. They refer to themselves as Mowahiddon or Mowahhid which means monotheistic. After the death of their leader Baha al-Din in 1031, their religion became exclusive. They do not accept converts and do not marry outside if the religion. They have about 300,000 members. They keep their religion secret and often pose as members of the locally dominant religion. They hold the Quran to be sacred, but look upon it as an outer shell holding an inner esoteric meaning. Their religious texts are "Kitab al Hikma" (The Book of Wisdom). It is a collection of books of which the first six are commonly used. They are firmly monotheistic, blieving in a single God. They recognize seven major prophets including Adam, Abraham, and Jesus whose vrigin birth they deny. Each major prophet had seven minor prophets; each of the latter had twelve disciples including Daniel and Plato. prophets may be prayed to in times of trouble. They are considered special people who are sinless. They believe in transmigration of the soul: that at death, one' soul is instantaneously reincarnated and reborn into another life. Through successive reincarnations, the soul eventually unites with God. The conception of heaven and hell is immaterial in nature. Ordinary members of the group do not normally have access to religious texts. They attend only the first part of their religious meetings. The remainder of the meetings are reserved for the Sheiks. There is no actual prohibition of the reading of religious books. it is just that if a person becomes educated in the truth of God and of life and yet do not follow the duties arising from these truths, then their judgment would have been worst than if they had remian educated. They are an Islamic cult that does not uphold to the Five Pillars of Islam. Their leaders are a group of aesthetics called uqqal (sages). Their religious meetings are held on Thursday.
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