Who Are the Druze? Beliefs, Origins, and the Islamic Ruling

The Druze are a secretive esoteric sect that emerged from the Ismaili branch of Shi’ism. They deify the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, and their doctrine originated in the year 408 AH (1017 CE). The sect is named after Nashtakin ad-Darazi, one of its early proponents.

Initially founded in Egypt, the Druze later migrated to Bilad al-Sham (Greater Syria). Their beliefs are a blend of multiple religions and philosophies, and their ideology is strictly secretive — even their own children are not taught the faith until reaching the age of forty.

Core Doctrines of the Druze

1. Rejection of Prophets and Islamic Foundations

The Druze deny all prophets and messengers, referring to them with derogatory terms such as “devils.”
They believe that Jesus (‘Isa) is in fact their da‘i (missionary) Hamza.
They despise all other religions, particularly Islam, and consider Muslim blood and wealth permissible to take if they are able.
They believe their faith has abrogated all previous religions, and they deny all fundamentals of Islamic belief and practice.

2. Belief in Reincarnation (Tanasukh al-Arwah)

The Druze believe in transmigration of souls, where reward or punishment is experienced through the soul’s movement into a happier or more miserable body after death.

3. Denial of the Hereafter and the Qur’an

They reject the concept of Paradise and Hell, and deny the Day of Judgment and divine reward or punishment.
They claim the Qur’an was authored by Salman al-Farsi, and have their own scripture called “The Self-Existent One” (al-Munfarid bi-Dhatihi).

4. Esoteric Beliefs and Hindu Influence

Some of their modern thinkers make a pilgrimage to India, claiming that their beliefs stem from ancient Hindu wisdom.
They claim lineage to Pharaonic Egypt, ancient Indian sages, and Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato, and Pythagoras, whom they view as spiritual masters.

5. View on the Resurrection (Qiyamah)

The Druze believe resurrection refers to the return of Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who will destroy the Ka‘bah, crush Muslims and Christians, and establish eternal Druze rule over the earth, imposing jizyah and humiliation on all Muslims.

Key Figures and Scriptures

Druze Prophets

They claim Al-Hakim sent five prophets:

Hamza ibn Ali
Isma’il
Muhammad al-Kalima
Abu al-Khayr
al-Baha’

Scriptures and Writings

Epistles of Wisdom (Rasa’il al-Hikmah): 111 letters authored by Hamza, al-Baha’ al-Din, and at-Tamimi.
The Self-Existent One (al-Munfarid bi-Dhatihi): their private scripture.
The Book of Points and Circles by ‘Abd al-Ghaffar Taqiyy al-Din al-Ba‘qli (d. 900 AH).
Covenant of the Guardian of Time: by Hamza ibn Ali, used to initiate Druze members.
The Hidden Refutation: in which Hamza nullifies all Islamic laws, especially the Five Pillars of Islam.
Lights on the Path of Monotheism by Dr. Sami Makarem.

Practices and Beliefs

Doctrines of the Druze

A. Incarnation (Hulul)

They believe that Allah incarnated in Imam ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and then successively in his descendants until He incarnated in Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah.

This belief directly contradicts Islamic Tawheed, which affirms that Allah is unlike His creation: He does not dwell in any body nor is He limited by time or space.

B. Taqiyyah (Religious Concealment)

They heavily practice taqiyyah (concealment), only revealing their true beliefs to trusted insiders. Outsiders — including their own youth — are not taught the core creed until full trust is established.

C. Imam Infallibility and Deification

They view their Imams as infallible, free from sin or error. They worship Al-Hakim as a divine entity.

D. Esoteric Interpretation

They interpret religious texts allegorically, claiming that the hidden meaning is the only truth. Based on this:

Prayer means knowing the Druze secrets (not the five daily prayers).
Fasting means concealing those secrets (not abstaining from food).
Hajj means visiting their spiritual leaders (not the pilgrimage to Makkah).
They legalise forbidden acts, including incestuous relationships, and reject Islamic prohibitions.

As Imam Al-Ghazali and others have noted:

“Outwardly they appear to follow Shi‘ism, but inwardly they hold nothing but pure disbelief.”

The Islamic Ruling on the Druze

Islamic scholars across the four major Sunni madhhabs (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i, Hanbali) have ruled that:

The Druze are not considered Muslims.
It is impermissible to marry from them or consume their slaughtered animals.
They cannot be granted protected status (dhimmah) under Islamic governance.

However, some contemporary scholars differentiate between theological judgment and legal civic interaction, stating that since the Druze now live as citizens in various modern states, social dealings based on civil law may be tolerated while remaining theologically distinct.

Origins and Sectarian Deception

The Druze sect is an esoteric offshoot of the Batiniyya that pretends to follow Islam while hiding behind layers of false piety. They often wear the garb of religion, claim to love Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s family), and promote themselves as unifiers — all to deceive Muslims and corrupt their belief.

History shows that whenever the Druze gained power or found protection under sympathetic rulers, they openly revealed their heretical beliefs and launched destructive campaigns against Islamic values and societies.

Their ideological roots trace back to ‘Abdullah ibn Saba’, a Jewish figure who planted the earliest seeds of this sect, passed down and refined through generations.

Religious and Social Structure

A. Religious Classes

The Spiritual Elite (Uqqal):
- Includes leaders, sages, and jurists who guard the sect’s secrets.
The Lay Public (Juhhal):
- Concerned with worldly matters, divided into nobility and commoners.

B. Social Governance

The Druze do not recognise modern state authority, instead submitting to their own religious hierarchy led by the Shaykh al-‘Aql (Spiritual Chief) and his deputies — governed by a feudal-religious system.

Druze Demographics and Military Involvement

Lebanon hosts the largest Druze population today.
In occupied Palestine, many Druze have accepted Israeli citizenship, and a number of them serve in the Israeli military.
They have established official communities in Brazil, Australia, and other countries.

Final Remarks

The Druze sect continues to function as a secretive, doctrinally deviant group, borrowing from:

Ismailism
Hellenistic philosophy
Hinduism and Buddhism
Persian dualism
Ancient Egyptian religion

Their system is built on the rejection of Islamic fundamentals, the deification of men, and concealment through deception. Their esoteric interpretations distort the Qur’an, and their beliefs directly contradict the Tawheed and Shari’ah that define Islam.

The Islamic position — upheld by the earliest scholars — is that their beliefs are outside the fold of Islam, and their actions remain a danger to the theological integrity of Muslim communities.

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