See also bidaa; night JoUrney and ascent;
salaFism; sUFism.
Linda G. JonesFurther reading: Toufic Fahd, “The Dream in Medi-
eval Islamic Society.” In The Dream in Human Societies,
edited by Gustav E. von Grunebaum and R. Caillois,
351–379 (Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of Cali-
fornia Press, 1966); Marsha K. Hermansen, “A Cogni-
tive Approach to Visionary Experience in Islamic Sufi
Thought.” Religion 27 (1997): 25–43; Linda G. Jones,
“Dreams and Visions: A Comparative Analysis of Spiri-
tual Gifts in Medieval Christian and Muslim Conver-
sion Narratives.” In Medieval Cultures in Contact, edited
by R. F. Gyug, 105–138 (New York: Fordham University
Press, 2003); Elizabeth Sirriyeh, “Dreams of the Holy
Dead: Traditional Islamic Oneirocriticism versus Salafi
Scepticism.” Journal of Semitic Studies 45, no. 1 (Spring
2000): 115–130.
Druze
The Druze are Arabic-speaking followers of a reli-
gion of the same name that originated in the 11th
century. They call themselves “the Unitarians”
(muwahhidun). There are an estimated 1 million
members of this religious community, and they
live mainly in the mountains and rural areas of
lebanon, syria, and israel.
The Druze religion began in egypt during the
reign of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (r. 996–1021),
a caliph of the Ismaili Fatimid dynasty, who
promoted his dynasty’s doctrines through a well-
organized system of religious outreach called
the d aa wa. Al-Hakim, who was known for his
extraordinary eccentricities, allowed himself to be
declared not just the divinely appointed Ismaili
imam, but God himself. This caused a split among
Ismailis, and the group favoring al-Hakim’s divin-
ity formed the new religion in 1017 under the
leadership of Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Darazi (d.
1019), after whom the Druze were named, and
Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad. Al-Darazi disappeared
or was assassinated, so it was Hamza who orga-
nized the religion and its missionary activities,
which quickly won converts among peasants in
the mountains of Lebanon and Syria.
Hamza presented himself as the imam of the
Druze, and he developed the doctrine that al-
Hakim, like JesUs in Christianity, was the embodi-
ment of God the creator in history. Those who
followed him were the Unitarians—worshippers of
the one God as revealed in the person of al-Hakim.
Furthermore, Hamza formed a scriptural canon
for the new religion: six books of letters known
as Al-Hikma al-sharifa (The noble wisdom). The
sharia was abrogated, which meant, among other
things, that the Five pillars of Islamic worship
were no longer required, polygamy was forbid-
den, and divorce was discouraged. Instead, the
Druze were expected to honor seven duties, which
included belief in al-Hakim’s divinity, rejection of
sata n and non-Druze beliefs, submission to God,
truthfulness, and solidarity among the Druze com-
munity. Members of the religion were encouraged
to conceal their belief by practicing taqiyya when
among Muslims and other non-Druze peoples.
Other important tenets of the Druze religion are
belief in reincarnation immediately after death and
belief that the soul lives through multiple lives in
order to attain perfection.
Al-Hakim had disappeared mysteriously in the
Muqattam Hills of cairo in 1021, and Hamza dis-
appeared around 1043. It was believed that both
had entered a period of concealment (ghayba),
and they were expected to return at some time
in the future to establish universal justice. Mean-
while, no more conversions were accepted, and
leadership was eventually assumed by a group
of religious authorities known as shaykhs, who
were drawn from an elite segment of people initi-
ated into the secrets of the religion. These Druze
initiates were called the uqqal, “enlightened ones.”
Women as well as men were allowed to be mem-
bers of this group. The lay members of the Druze
community were called the juhhal, “ignorant
ones.” Group loyalty and solidarity were very
strong among the Druze, and this is still the caseK 204 Druze