Druze

The Druze are an esoteric monotheistic religious community whose faith emerged from an Ismaili milieu in the early eleventh century. Druze identity combines religious teachings with a distinct communal tradition.

Isma'ilism: A branch of Shia Islam that recognizes a line of imams descended from Isma'il ibn Ja'far. Druze faith emerged within an Ismaili setting during the Fatimid period.
Druze scriptures: The sacred writings of the Druze, especially the Epistles of Wisdom. Their restricted study distinguishes initiated religious practice from public communal life.
Druze da'wa: The eleventh-century mission that proclaimed the teachings from which the Druze community developed. Its opening and closure shaped Druze tradition as a closed religious community.
Alawites: A religious community rooted in Shia Islam, concentrated mainly in Syria and parts of Turkey. Both communities developed in the region, but their doctrines and religious institutions differ.
Tawhid: The Islamic doctrine of the absolute oneness of God. The Druze name for their faith, al-Tawhid, foregrounds divine unity.
Druze initiation: The process by which Druze may enter the community of initiated religious adherents. Initiation marks access to esoteric teachings without converting outsiders into Druze.
Druze closure of the da'wa: The end of efforts to recruit new adherents to the Druze faith in the eleventh century. The closure established that Druze identity is inherited rather than acquired through conversion.
Yazidis: An ethnoreligious community whose distinct religion developed in the Middle East. The Yazidis, like the Druze, maintain strong communal boundaries, but have different origins and beliefs.
Fatimid Caliphate: A medieval Ismaili Shia caliphate that ruled parts of North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean from 909 to 1171. Druze teachings first developed under Fatimid rule in Cairo.
Uqqal: The initiated Druze who observe religious disciplines and study the sacred writings. They sustain religious learning and serve as spiritual authorities within the community.

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