II.

Beliefs

The Druze believe that through al-Hakim God made a final attempt to guide humans and that God, reincarnated as al-Hakim, the mahdi (Muslim savior), will return at the end of time to establish truth, order, and justice. In these beliefs, the Druze religion is an outgrowth of Shia Islam, but it also was greatly influenced by Gnostic elements from Judaism, Christianity, and Greek thought. The Gnostics taught that salvation comes from religious truths that are revealed only to the initiated and that liberate individuals from the evils of the earthly world (see Gnosticism).

The Druze believe in a single divinity whose qualities cannot be understood or fully defined, a deity who renders justice impartially. The Druze do not proselytize (try to convert others); they are instead secretive about their beliefs and practices. The seven cardinal principles to which all Druze are expected to adhere are (1) honesty in dealing with each other, (2) mutual protection and assistance, (3) renunciation of other faiths, (4) belief in the divinity of al-Hakim, (5) acceptance of and contentment with God’s actions, (6) submission to God’s will, and (7) separation of themselves from those in error. The Druze believe in the transmigration of souls, with constant advancement through a series of lives and final purification. Druze teachings demand abstinence from wine, tobacco, profanity, and obscenity.

The Druze, unlike Muslims, do not pray in a mosque. Meetings for prayer and religious instruction, held on Thursday evenings, take place in inconspicuous buildings outside their villages. To protect themselves from persecution and to avoid divulging esoteric (secret) teachings called batin, the Druze may worship alongside members of other faiths, such as Christianity and Islam, as though they were followers of those faiths.