Druze Spirituality and Asceticism
By Samy Swayd, SDSU.

(An abridged rough draft)

	The Druze faith is rooted in a medieval hermeneutic which has been termed as a form of "strict monotheism". A sense of Druze spirituality and asceticism can be derived from the manuscripts and also from the practices of the Druze sages throughout the 1000 years of the history of this Middle Eastern Islamic sect. The Druzes have approximately one million followers in the world today, with the majority of them living in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan; they do not proselytize and their sect has been closed to new converts since 1043 CE. Druzes consider their religious and spiritual values to be central to their daily conduct, both when they interact with each other and also when dealing with other peoples.

Although a detailed account of Druze spirituality and asceticism is beyond the scope of this paper, a compendium highlighting two primary ideas and then concluding with a short translation excerpted from the writings of a prominent Druze sage will suffice. These two ideas are Tawhid (Unity or Unification) and Hikmah (Wisdom). But before we proceed, a reminder of the two segments of Druze society is necessary: the initiated or wise ('uqqal) and the uninitiated or, literally, the "ignorant" (juhhal). The initiated of the community learn the precepts of their faith through discussions and readings of the sacred writings in the Druze house of worship (khalwa or majlis) or in small groups in private homes. Only those believers who demonstrate piety and devotion and who have withstood the lengthy process of candidacy are initiated into the spiritual teachings of the faith. The initiated are further subdivided based on their spiritual level of advancement; only a small group of the initiated members are called ajawid (meaning the selected, or, literally, "the good"). In the eyes of the rest of the community, the ajawid serve as models for righteous behavior, truthfulness, and wisdom. The uninitiated or ignorant persons comprise the majority of Druze society. They may seek initiation at any age, and their acceptance is based on their character which is assessed by the already-initiated. Although the uninitiated are indeed "ignorant" of the Druze doctrine, their behavior is expected to conform with certain prescriptions, both spiritual (e.g., fealty to God and His prophets and messengers) and moral (e.g., respect for elders, honor for women, and care for children). In some sense, this paper on spirituality and asceticism reflects the initiated class within the Druze community.

The Idea of Tawhid (Unity)

Tawhid is the primary belief of Druzes, and from which is derived their name Muwahhidun, meaning "unists," "uniters," or "declarers of strict Oneness". The Druze medieval hermeneutic of Tawhid is not unique in any sense, for its meaning in the manuscripts is similar, if not identical, to the early monotheist sources in general and the Islamic doctrine of Tawhid in particular. According to the Druze scriptural view, monotheists throughout history have generally fallen into three categories: (1) those who pursue spirituality through vision (ru'yah), (2) those who pursue it through speech (qawl), and (3) those who seek it through reason ('aql). The manuscripts clearly instruct Druzes to apply their own reason and to lead an simple ascetic life that is devoid of worldly comforts and pleasures. Druzism is referred to in the sect's authentic manuscripts as "the Sect of Reason" (Madhhab al-'Aql) and the first Druze spiritual leader is named al-'Aql. This approach to spirituality connects them directly with many mystical and ascetic traditions.

Tawhid, according to one Druze manuscript, is "a complete and conscientious conviction in the Unity of God, who is the Creator and Originator, without doubt or partnership in thought, perception, sayings, or action." Another manuscript tells us that Tawhid assists the seeker in delving more deeply into God's verses."

Moreover, tawhid implies a rigid de-anthropomorphism of the One God by stripping from Him all human attributes- attributes that may lead to polytheism, for God is indeed "infinite, unlimited and perfect . . . the Whole of Existence" rather than "above existence," or on His throne which would make Him "limited." The understanding of God in this manner is not exclusive to the Druzes and can also be found, with minor differences, among other traditions.

	The sources of Tawhid in the Druze manuscripts are many and include the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Qur'an and others. Belief, which represents an in-depth look into the Biblical and Qur'anic verses, is the base of worship, the foundation of Tawhid, the support of truthfulness, and the path that leads to Tawhid.

	There is a clear relationship between Druzism and mysticism in that both seek higher levels of spirituality, transcend religious ritualism, and delve further into allegorical interpretations. Tawhid has occurred in stages. Each stage builds upon the previous one, with new knowledge revealed or gained as believers were able to comprehend it. This may explain why each monotheist tradition accepts its predecessors, but not those that come after. Each tradition sees itself as a continuation of the preceding ones, which lends legitimacy to its existence while avoiding conflict concerning its successors.

	But how has the phenomenon of tawhid manifested itself in the minds of believers and spectators over the centuries? How have people perceived God in the Arabic speaking world? And where do the Druzes fit with their beliefs? The answer may be delineated here in five concepts. The first concept, tajassud, which is derived from jasad meaning body, implies that God becomes human in a "bodily" form. The second concept, ta'alluh, is derived from ta'lih, which means "deification;" It refers to a person "becoming" divine based on his own claim or a claim attributed to him by others. The illuminationist philosophers have also used the same term to refer to the advancement in the spiritual knowledge of the Oneness or the nearness to Him. The third term, hulul, is used to refer to the Divine Spirit that is said to descend and enter certain persons. Although the terms tajassud and hulul are often translated as "incarnation," in the first, God becomes a person in body while in the second God's spirit descends and enters an existing person.

	All three concepts (tajassud, ta'lluh, and hulul) are inconsistent with Druze spirituality as conveyed in the manuscripts. In addition, there are no references in the Druze Scriptura and in the writings of the Druze sages to these concepts. The popular belief that the 6th Fatimid caliph al-Hakim, who is often connected with the Druze faith, had himself claimed divinity is no longer asserted by many contemporary researchers. It seems, instead, that al-Akhram first and then al-Darazi, two religious activists at the time who saught favors from al-Hakim, were the ones who attributed divinity to al-Hakim.

	Ta'annus, the fourth concept, has the same connotation as the fifth term, Tajalli. Meaning "theophony," Tajalli, which is more often used than ta'nnus, is the most misunderstood of these five terms. However, it is the core spiritual beliefs in the Druze and some other intellectual and spiritual traditions. This distinctive belief in tajalli serves also to link Druzism to mysticism. In a mystical sense, it refers to the light of God experienced by certain mystics who have reached a high level of purity in their spiritual journey. Thus, God is perceived as the Lahut who manifests His Light in the Station (Maqam) of the Nasut without the Nasut becoming Lahut. This is like one's image in the mirror: one is in the mirror but does not become the mirror. The Druze manuscripts are emphatic and warn against the belief that the Nasut is God, a warning that has often been overlooked by Druzes and non-Druzes alike. Neglecting this warning, individual seekers, scholars, and other spectators have considered al-Hakim and other figures divine.

	This mystical experience itself cannot be fathomed. It is beyond the comprehension of the majority of people, especially in that the light has "infinite" levels of intensity corresponding with the "purity" of the individual; it is only God who knows what humans are capable to absorb of this light. Furthermore, the meaning of light itself is problematic, since knowledge may spiritually be conceived as light. If this is the case, then there is a similarity with the illuminationist philosophers on the one hand and the mystics who have experienced the illuminative or unitive stages of mysticism in various religious traditions on the other. In the Druze scriptural view, Tajalli "takes a central stage."One author comments that Tajalli occurs when the seeker's humanity is annihilated so that divine attributes and light are experienced by the person. The first three concepts of tajassud , ta'luh, and hulul, once again, seem to contradict what the Druze scriptural view has to teach about the Oneness of God, while tajalli is at the center of the Druze and some other, often mystical, traditions.

The Idea of Hikmah (Wisdom)

	Druzes believe in the centrality of Wisdom as a collective body of knowledge in regard to theology, cosmology, and eschatology. Wisdom is also at the core of ascetic and mystical traditions. Most Druzes and many scholars believe that such a body of knowledge is contained in one book titled Epistles of Wisdom (Rasa'il al-Hikmah). The confusion, perhaps, is due to the lack of distinction between the generic meaning of Hikma and the more particular content of the above-mentioned manuscript. Some Druze sages are aware of such distinction between hikma and Hikma, but the majority are not.Indeed, what one can gather from the similarities between the teachings of the world wisdom traditions and the available Druze manuscripts as a whole is most revealing. To illustrate, one may invoke the Hindu saying: "those who speak do not know, and those who know do not speak." In other words, Hikma, or Wisdom, in its broader sense, is beyond those who speak and, therefore, is still unknown and perhaps cannot be fully known. Thus, Hikma is eternal, comprehensive, and infinite. It is beyond the reach of most people's intellectual and spiritual capacity and cannot be contained in books or on the tongues of humans; a sense of it resides in the heart of the ascetics. It transcends humanity.

	In the world's scriptural texts there are only a few drops of a vast ocean of wisdom. These drops, in other words, are partially recorded in a number of ancient and medieval texts, some of which have been lost, while others, though still existing, represent versions of older texts with some degree of corruption. The Druze scriptural manuscripts, distinctively and emphatically, warn against the corruption in such Druze manuscripts. In general, corruption in scriptures is usually due to (1) a lack of understanding on behalf of some believers and (2) opportunism on behalf of weak believers or apostates.

	The Druze scriptures incorporate some ancient and medieval ideas of Tawhid, yet there are citations in the manuscripts to as yet undiscovered texts. Thus, the doctrine is incomplete. As it is with almost all other esoteric traditions, only the advanced in spirituality and asceticism "know how to read and understand" the scriptures. Yet such readings and understandings are limited due to both the generic sense of Hikma and to the lost texts. In order to comprehend the available esoteric texts, one Druze scholar tells us that one needs to be acquainted with Arabic esoteric terminology and with the way esoteric beliefs were written. The latter includes deliberate disarrangement of arguments, brevity, and the introduction of trivial subjects while discussing issues of utmost importance.

This was, of course, and often still is, not the expertise of those historians and other scholars who had written about the Druzes. This is perhaps why some of the early accounts on the Druzes have proliferated misconceptions. In terms of building on all previous wisdom traditions, another Druze author writes: the true Druze faith is the gnostic wisdom of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and Islam all in one. It is the 'focus' of all the religions, to use Ruyer's phrase: taken separately, they are only the reverse of the truth.

This latter statement implies that any part of what we may call total Hikma is indeed a misinterpretation of truth, "a reverse of the truth."This may also point to the Druze reverence to earlier wisdom traditions, a characteristic that can also be found among ascetic and mystical traditions. This argument may be complemented by the observations of some non-Druze scholars. For example, one non-Druze scholar confirms that the Druze faith is a philosophical one in the extreme (in the sense that it advocates an elaborate doctrine containing a large number of basic tenets, principles and derivations borrowed from sophisticated philosopical traditions) utilizing the tools of neo-Platonic allegory.

	Moreover, the manuscripts themselves speak of the chain of wisdom that originates in many ancient traditions. Members of the Druze society, whether initiated or uninitiated, revere these sources and are influenced by those "initiated" members of the community who are, to some degree, knowledgeable about such sources. Furthermore, the presence of the inititated person, regardless of his or her knowledge of Hikma, represents the embodiment of Hikma, so that reverence to Hikma translates as reverence to the initiated, consciously or unconsciously. The initiated members, thus, serve as the image of Hikma in the minds of the general Druze society, an image that is perhaps more real than the invisible Hikma. The mention of Hikma and the presence of the initiated ('uqqal) and especially the spiritually advanced (ajawid) dictate a form of Druze spirituality similar to most mystical ascetic traditions.

With the phenomenon of wisdom, the idea of initiation of seekers becomes necessary. As with other ascetic, gnostic, mystic groups, such initiation requires a long period of time and demands that the initiated member be not only of the right character and personality but also in a ready spiritual stage in life. Their conduct during and after the initiation process must be exemplary. According to the Druze manuscripts, those unable to fit these criteria cannot be allowed to join the initiated ones, as the wisdom should never be "given" to those who are not fit or not ready to be part of it. This has, at times, created a monopoly on the scriptural sources.

	The issue of initiation of seekers and their responsibility to protect the doctrine does not originate with the Druzes, but rather goes back to many ancient traditions. One example can be drawn from Plato, who is said to have classified his students in two different levels, outer and inner, and always referred to Aristotle as one of the "inner circle" and the most advanced. Moreover, Platonic teachings indicate that the doctrine should not be opened and accessible to every seeker. This same protection of doctrines can be found within the medieval Muslim illuminationist philosopher Suhrawardi who advises opening wisdom only to the selected few. Only by such selectivity, we are told again and again, will the wisdom tradition be saved and not harmed or corrupted. People limit the meaning of a statement or a doctrine to their capacity to understand it. Thus, esoteric traditions have always spoken of individuals who are not fit to understand the teachings of wisdom and who are therefore in position to harm the tradition.

	The protection of the Druze manuscripts by the initiated members in the community has remained intact throughout its formative and contemporary history. The impact of such practices on the average Druze person seems to have remained, therefore, the same throughout history. Although certain books were stolen during foreign invasions by the Ottomans, the Egyptians, and the French, and eventually reached western libraries, their oral interpretations and explanations are the concern of the initiated members. Sami Makarem, who has written several books on the Druzes, tells us that "being a gnostic faith, Druzism remained inaccessable even to those Druzes who were not properly introduced, for one reason or another, to this faith. "Thus, like other mystics, Druzes open their innermost teachings only to those they believe are morally and spiritually mature and ready to comprehend them. The process of initiation is, therefore, ardous and lengthy. Yet, initiation is the gate to wisdom. This long rite, which makes the initiates themselves into a sanctuary of religious wisdom for the community, may be one reason why this initiated group is held in such high esteem by uninitated Druzes as stated above.

	The uninitiated, as mentioned earlier, are well aware of the need to improve their behavior, although they have neither committed themselves to the doctrine nor read the scriptures. Because seekers must first reshape their behavior if they hope to be considered for admission among the initiates ('uqqal). The practices of those initiates, who are held in high esteem throughout the society, provide a model for the level of humility, obedience, and reverence expected of the seeker in order to become a member of the religious class.

Al-Emir al-Sayyid al-Tanukhi

Al-Emir al-Sayyid Jamal Al-Din 'Abdallah Tanukhi (1417-1479) is a prominent Druze theologian, commentator, and reformer. He became famous for his asceticism and strict moral code, which was not appreciated by his own Druze community, and led him to a twelve-year period of self-imposed exile in Damascus. There he was also a challenge to other religious figures as a result of his practices. Al Sayyid excelled in Qur'anic sciences and in the prophetic traditions as well as other scriptures, other literatures, and histories. He wrote commentaries on the Druze scriptural sources and some of his works have survived, but others have been lost during foreign invasions of Mount Lebanon. His position and his commentaries are central in Druze society, especially among the initiated and those advanced in spirituality.

	As a conclusion to this presentation, a translation of a rare passage by al-Sayyid found in an old manuscript may shed light on Druze spirituality and ascetism. He says:

	"It is essential for the devout person to direct his efforts to the other world and prepare for it by behaving in a pious manner without being preoccupied with this world. This world is a narrow bridge, not a permanent dwelling place. The seeker should begin with reinforcing exemplary conduct and purifying his soul from things that distance him from God, such as the bodily and worldy desires, anger, envy, and arrogance. All of this will veil the Creator from the devout person; and if God is veiled from from him, he will succumb to worldly distraction.""But if the devout person concentrates his energies towards God, fears Him, fulfills His commandments, follows His prophets, and honors His prohibitions, God will bless his actions, open wisdom to him, and illuminate his heart; [he concludes with a poem]: When I remembered the wrath of God I was disturbed, That remembrance made me forget my family and homeland. And I became a shepherd to the wild beast in the wilderness Who became a friend and loved one. This is too kind a punishment for one like me Since no one has disobeyed God as I have. Invoke my name in your houses of worship and say: 'This is the disobedient and the most guilty. 'So may He with His mercy knock on my door And may He forgive me when He judges the balance of my scale.

Druze Prayer

[From a Druze manuscript, a section on prayer] Prayer of Thanks and Praises [To God] "Blessings [are due] to God who made us feel His Presence with our hearts everywhere [we go]. Thanks to you, our Lord, for making contemplation [of You] a medium for the happiness and settledness of souls; you always quench our thirst with peace and reflection. All praises are yours, oh Soul of our souls."