Arab ethnoreligious group of the Levant
Factsheet
Total population 800,000–2,000,000
Founder Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad
Regions with significant populations
Total population 800,000–2,000,000
Founder Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad
Regions with significant populations
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Druze
Druze - Wikipedia
3 weeks ago - The Druze, who call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (lit. 'the monotheists' or 'the unitarians'), are an Arab esoteric religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and syncretic religion whose main tenets assert the unity of God, reincarnation, and ...
Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › religious movements & organizations
Druze | History, Religion, People, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Community, Arab, & Facts | Britannica
July 20, 1998 - Druze are a small Middle Eastern religious sect characterized by an eclectic system of doctrines and by a cohesion and loyalty among its members (at times politically significant) that have enabled them to maintain for centuries their close-knit ...
Videos
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Who Are the Druze? The Arab Minority That Stands With Israel - YouTube
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Arabs With a Secret Religion? The Origins of the Druze in Syria ...
Who are the Druze?
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Syria की Druze Community Trending क्यों ? Shia Muslims ...
02:52
Who are the Druze and why is Israel attacking Syria for them? | ...
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Why Does Israel Protect the Druze? - YouTube
What is the origin of the Druze faith?
The Druze faith originated in 11th-century Egypt as an offshoot of Ismaʿīlī Shiʿism during the reign of the sixth Fatimid caliph, al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh. The movement was persecuted under al-Ḥākim’s successor and in Egypt it eventually died out, but the community survived in mountainous areas of Syria and Lebanon.
britannica.com
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › religious movements & organizations
Druze | History, Religion, People, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Community, ...
How are Druze in Israel unique?
The Druze in Israel are unique among the Arab communities in Israel because of their loyalty to the state and participation in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Arab Muslim and Christian communities in Israel often identify with the Palestinian national movement and are exempted from participation in the IDF.
britannica.com
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › religious movements & organizations
Druze | History, Religion, People, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Community, ...
Where do most Druze live?
Most Druze live in a largely contiguous section of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, with smaller communities present in other countries. The Druze have been politically influential in both Lebanon and Syria, while in Israeli society the community has played a unique role as Arabs who are generally very loyal to the state.
britannica.com
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › religious movements & organizations
Druze | History, Religion, People, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Community, ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/druze › do the druze actually descend from christians and not muslims?
r/druze on Reddit: Do the Druze actually descend from Christians and not Muslims?
December 27, 2024 -
The Druze despite being considered its own ethno-religion, are often said to be an off-shoot of Ismaili Islam. But how true is that?
According to genetic studies, the Druze are nearly identical to Levantine Christians, and don’t seem to be mixed with Arabs like most Muslims. Does that mean Druze overwhelmingly descend from Levantine Christians who joined the Druze faith when it was allowed to convert, rather than Muslims joining the faith?
Top answer 1 of 2
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You're asking two different questions here. In terms of Tawheed as a theology being an offshoot of Ismaili Islam, it's true, the Ismaili roots of Druzism are very obvious. In terms of our genetic origins and makeup, no one really knows, however genetic testing shows that as a population overall we're the same as the other Levantine populations in Syria and Lebanon AFAIK. The Tanukhids for example were an Arab tribe that migrated from southern Arabia to the Levant in the 2nd century, they were Christianized, then converted to Islam and finally their Emirs of the Chouf mountains converted to Druzism. They were the biggest Arab tribe that joined the Druze call. A big issue with this is that our history wasn't really documented until the 15th-16th century, so no firsthand sources exist about the proto-Druze and the early Druze. Oral traditions differ by agenda, people make a big deal about our fair skin complexion but it's not so different from your average northern Syrian/Lebanese, so God only knows where we really originate from, if I had to bet, I'd just say a mish mash of local Levantine populations.
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The question is a bit nuanced. Firstly it is an ethnoreligion, which has ethnic heritage as far back as the time of Jethro, Moshe's (Moses) father in law. Secondly, the Druze which again is ethnic AND religious group---is Abrahamic... It is not Christian or Jewish or Muslim; the ethnoreligion element is similar to Judaism, but one key difference. It is a closed religion. There are no conversions in our out of the tribe (about one million worldwide). They are also not open to giving information about their traditions to outsiders. For western people to have a relatable comparison.. think similar to Amish in the sense of the separation from worldly things as much as possible. Not all are as strict, but that is the essence of things and why the religion is closed. The religion itself only became organized around 1100 current era, I want to say in Egypt under the caliphate at the time. Likely why they are so secretive about their faith as well. While it is not Christian, Jewish or Muslim, it does recognize key elements and figures from other Abrahamic religions. I will say, from what I know of them, they have a belief of reincarnation similar to Judaism, no hell or heaven .... Not in the way Christians believe. In Judaism, we call it Gilgulim Neshama "cycle of the soul". They have similar known traditions to all 3 religions, but what I do also know, is that their most central "prophet" seems to be Jesus, if that helps Christians out with an answer... The closest thing I can give anyway lol. He's seen as a Prophet to them, but a highly, HIGHLY regarded one. It's a layered question with an even more layered answer than I can even give without writing a book. I'm half Arab and I'm also half Mizrahi (Persian) Jewish and religiously Jewish. Ethnoreligions are a tricky thing to explain to people, because it's very much nuanced with many variables. When you're dealing with ethnoreligions it gets very complex, especially when the official religion wasn't cemented until so much later than the others. It doesn't make Druze religion an "offshoot" religion either, which I feel is important to say. I've heard Muslims suggest they're an offshoot of Shia, similar to Alawite, which is not correct. Being in a certain culture, which had certain traditions with regards to treatment of other religions and a history of forced conversions, to suggest that because a culture developed under a theocracy, is a direct part of that culture is a bit reductive. There are many people who are often Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and even Greek you who discover that despite being Christian, their DNA suggests Sephardic Jewish lineage in their profile. Same with Arabs who discover Mizrahi Jewish dna. Forced conversion can cause these surprises later on down the road. I think there are CULTURAL influences, but that their religion is unique and being a closed religion does murky things, but I respect it and the Druze people. I will also say, for my Christian friends. An interesting thing I recently read was that, upon studying the samples from the alleged burial shroud along with the alleged remains of John the Baptist, they were found to have DRUZE mitochondrial DNA, which suggests that, in the time of Jesus, on his mother's side... When the conversion in Judaism was not as strict and when Druze didn't disallow conversion, that at some point, his mother's family had married a member of the Druze tribe. He was still obviously Jewish, a Rabbi, but I thought that was really interesting. What we know is that Druze can be found as far away from the Middle East as Venezuela. So, if you have Hispanic lineage... Not only do you have a 25% chance of having Sephardic Jewish DNA , but also Druze is a possibility. Thought that was a pretty neat facto!
Pew Research Center
pewresearch.org › short reads › religion › religion & politics › 5 facts about israeli druze, a unique religious and ethnic group
5 facts about Israeli Druze, a unique religious and ethnic group | Pew Research Center
July 21, 2025 - While 42% of Druze say a way can be found for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully, 51% of Muslims, 45% of Christians and 43% of Jews also take this view.
EBSCO
ebsco.com › research-starters › ethnic-and-cultural-studies › druze
Druze | Research Starters | EBSCO Research
The Druze are a distinct religious community that originated as an offshoot of Islam during the 10th century, though they incorporate elements from various faiths, including Judaism and Christianity.
Religion Media Centre
religionmediacentre.org.uk › news › explainer-who-are-the-druze-and-why-are-they-at-the-centre-of-tension-in-the-middle-east-today
Explainer: Who are the Druze and why are they at the centre of tension in the Middle East today? - Religion Media Centre
July 21, 2025 - ... The Druze follow an esoteric, monotheistic religion that blends elements of other Abrahamic religions, including Judaism and Christianity, as well as several other philosophies such as Hinduism.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Christianity_and_Druze
Christianity and Druze - Wikipedia
3 weeks ago - He also defines the Druze as a ... from Judaism". Despite originating from Isma'ilism, a branch of Islam, the Druze do not consider themselves Muslims, and they do not adhere to the Five Pillars of Islam....
Reddit
reddit.com › r/druze › are druze closer to christians than to muslims?
r/druze on Reddit: Are Druze closer to Christians than to Muslims?
March 19, 2020 -
As a Lebanese Christian I grew up hearing quite a few stereotypes about the Druze that turned out not to be true at all and slowly noticing how similar they are to us Christians.
I don`t know much about the Druze religion, I`ve heard some say they feel closer to Christians, and others say that they actually are Muslims. All I know is I`ve seen many Druze devout to Saint Charbel, for example. I`ve seen quite a few Druze wearing a Cross necklace. I`ve also read recently about some Druze parents baptizing their children in the Church. I noticed that many Druze bear Christian and Biblical names like Daniel, David, Lea, Charbel, Christina etc.
Socially speaking, I think they are almost identical to us. Their villages resemble ours a lot. I don`t know how to explain, but I feel a unique sense of Lebanese-ness we only share with Druze. The differences between Druze and Sunnis/Shias are striking. Even the ones who dress in a religious way (a small minority from what I`ve seen, and interestingly enough it seems to be way more common for Druze men to wear the white cap than Druze women the white veil), I`ve never felt any animosity from them, on the contrary.
I`d really appreciate your input :)
Top answer 1 of 4
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Socially speaking, I think they are almost identical to us. Their villages resemble ours a lot. That's mainly because historically our villages were mixed and if wasn't until the civil war that they take the current for of segregation that we see. There is also the fact that many Druze people have converted to Christianity (Maronite) over the centuries. We basically are the same people and could probably trace back our lineages to find common ancestors pretty quickly. Animosity has historically come from the wars that have been fought along sectarian lines (primarily over land) and in part fueled by British and French intervention who wanted to weaken the Ottoman Empire. In many ways, the establishment of the original Mount lebanon Mutasarrfiyeh in the late 1800's (which became the basis of the Lebanese state) during the Ottoman days was part of the colonial mindset of divide and conquer and that we continue to deal with today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Lebanon_Mutasarrifate Reflecting on this history however only really shows that sectarian politics is shit and stupid, that it is a cancer on our society. We have much more in common than what divides us (us being all Lebanese, not just Druze and Christians) and should resist external influences that will always seek to divide us.
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Exoterically the Druze proclaim to be the ‘religion of monotheism’ and much like Ba’hai they state that every religion has value in terms of the truth, but that there is one true God whose message is interpreted differently geographically according to the languages and customs of the area. Esoterically, the Druze appear hold a wide variety of beliefs more in keeping with secret societies and even have initiatory stages. There is a similarity one could draw to the way in Judaism there is the Torah and there is the Talmud, but that there is also the Oral Law (Mishnah) that is only passed down orally to other jews. Other esoteric beliefs the Druze seem to hold range from ancient greek secrets from philosophers such as Pythagoras. However, Taqiyya, a muslim-origin term, seems to be also practiced quite heavily: Taqiyya means to outwardly go along with the religion of those who are in power while maintaining your true faith in your heart. Unfortunately, given that no one outside the ranks of the highest ranking Druze knows the real truths of the most adept within the religion, this means that their true beliefs could literally be anything. They could worship a chaos god, or Satan, Lucifer, Kali, Shiva—they could be black magicians of the highest power and no one would ever know.
IFCJ
ifcj.org › home › resources › who are the druze?
The Druze Religion | The Muwahideen | Who Are the Druze? | IFCJ
January 25, 2023 - Their religion is made up of philosophy, spiritual purity, and a strong connection with God. The Druze religion has its roots in Islam, but although some members consider themselves “Muslim,” they have been recognized as a separate religion.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Lebanese_Druze
Lebanese Druze - Wikipedia
3 days ago - The Druze faith incorporates elements of both Islam and Christianity. The Druze beliefs incorporate elements of Ismailism, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism and other philosophies. The Druze call themselves Ahl al-Tawhid "People of Unitarianism or ...
Study.com
study.com › courses › history courses › general religious studies
Druze Religion | History, Beliefs & Facts | Study.com
The Druze are known to believe in a combination of Isma'ilism (a sect of Islam), Christianity, Gnosticism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, as well as concepts and philosophies from other religions.
Quora
quora.com › Are-the-Druze-Muslims
Are the Druze Muslims? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): No , Even though the faith originally developed out of Ismaili Islam and many of their customs follow Islam but still Druze people do not define themselves as Muslims.
Aish
aish.com › current › issues › who are the druze?: 8 facts
Who are the Druze?: 8 Facts | Aish
July 17, 2025 - Much of the finer points of the Druze religion are secret, even to ordinary Druze people, and are maintained by religious leaders called “uqqal” (“knowers”). Aspects of the Druze religion that are widely known include monotheism, a belief in reincarnation, equality between men and women, and a host of prophets who span Christian, Muslim, and ancient Greek culture.
Muslim Hope
muslimhope.com › Druze.html
The Druze Faith
Also called the Druse, Duruz, Duroz, ... themselves Muwahhidun (Unitarians). Though they believe Mohammed was from God, cannot be considered as Muslims any more than they can be Jews or Christians....
Al Jazeera
aljazeera.com › news › explainer
Who are the Druze? A look at the community following a deadly attack | Explainer News | Al Jazeera
The Druze religion grew out of Ismaili Shia Islam in the 11th century but has evolved to include aspects of other religions, including Hinduism, as well as ancient philosophies. The faith believes in reincarnation while recognising traditional ...
Published August 1, 2024
Quora
quora.com › Are-Druze-Muslims-or-Jews
Are Druze Muslims or Jews? - Quora
The Druze are Druze. The Druze religion is RELATED to both Judaism and Islam - we think. One thing we do know, is that the Druze religion is gnostic, in the sense that - they don’t talk about it to outsiders.
DW
dw.com › en › syria-who-are-the-druze › a-73311140
Syria: Who are the Druze?
July 17, 2025 - They practice a unique Abrahamic religion (the Abrahamic group includes Christianity, Islam and Judaism) which developed from a branch of Shia Islam. However the Druze do not identify as Muslim.
AM
amdigital.co.uk › home › insights › blog › the druze and al-hakim: the religion with no converts
The Druze and al-Hakim: The Religion with No Converts | AM
July 10, 2020 - The Druze are incredibly private, with very little detail about the tenets of their faith known to the outside world. It would be incorrect to describe the Druze as a branch of Islam or a ‘sect’; they are an independent religion. This ...
Islam Question & Answer
islamqa.info › en › answers › 26139 › a-brief-look-at-the-beliefs-of-the-druze
A brief look at the beliefs of the Druze - Islam Question & Answer
May 25, 2003 - It is not permissible to eat the meat they slaughter, or to marry their womenfolk. They do not agree to pay the jizyah, so they are apostates from the religion of Islam and are not Muslims, nor are they Jews or Christians...
Jewish Virtual Library
jewishvirtuallibrary.org › history-and-overview-of-the-israeli-druze
History & Overview of the Israeli Druze
Although the Druze recognize all three monotheistic religions, they believe that rituals and ceremonies have caused Jews, Christians, and Muslims to turn aside from “pure faith.” They argue that individuals who believe that God will forgive them if they fast and pray, will commit transgressions in the expectation of being forgiven - and then repeat their sins.