Editing Druze (section)

== Initiates and "ignorant" members ==
[[File:Druze man.jpg|thumb|Druze [[sheikh]] (''{{Transliteration|ar|ʻuqqāl}}'') wearing religious dress]]

The Druze do not recognize any religious hierarchy.<ref name="auto13">{{cite book|title=Alevi Identity: Cultural, Religious and Social Perspectives|first=Catharina |last=Raudvere|year= 2005| isbn=9781135797256| page =163|publisher=Routledge|quote=}}</ref> As such, there is no "Druze clergy". Those few initiated in the Druze holy books are called {{Script|ar|عقال}} {{Transliteration|ar|'''ʻuqqāl'''}} ("the wise"),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Druze|title=Druze &#124; History, Religion, & Facts|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|date=12 May 2023 }}</ref> while the regular members of the group are called {{Script|ar|جهال}} {{Transliteration|ar|'''juhhāl'''}} ("the ignorant").<ref>{{cite book|title=Syncretistic Religious Communities in the Near East: Collected Papers of the International Symposium "Alevism in Turkey and Comparable Syncretistic Religious Communities in the Near East in the Past and Present", Berlin, 14–17 April 1995|first=Barbara |last=Kellner-Heikele|year=2018| isbn=9789004378988| page =230|publisher=Brill|quote=}}</ref> Some find this classification disparaging however, and as such, terms like {{Script|ar|روحاني}} {{Transliteration|ar|'''rūḥāniyy'''}}, meaning "(concerned with the) spiritual", and {{Script|ar|جسماني}} {{Transliteration|ar|'''jismāniyy'''}}, meaning "(concerned with the) physical", are also used.

{{anchor|al-Juhhāl|Juhhāl|Juhhal|Juhhaal}}
Given the strict religious, intellectual and spiritual requirements, most of the Druze are not initiated and might be referred to as ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-Juhhāl}}'' ({{lang|ar|جهال}}), literally "the Ignorant", but in practice referring to the non-initiated Druze.<ref>{{cite book|title= Mosaic: The Training Kit for Euro-mediterranean Youth Work|last=Council of Europe|year=2010| page =214|publisher=}}</ref> However, that term is seldom used by the Druze. Those Druze are not granted access to the Druze holy literature or allowed to attend the initiated religious meetings of the ''{{Transliteration|ar|ʻuqqāl}}''. The "juhhāl" are the vast majority of the Druze community.<ref name="auto13"/> The cohesiveness and frequent inter-community social interaction, however, enables most Druze to have an idea about their broad ethical requirements and have some sense of what their theology consists of (albeit often flawed).

{{anchor|al-ʻUqqāl|ʻuqqāl|Uqqal|Uqqaal}}
The initiated religious group, which includes both men and women (less than 10% of the population), is called ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-ʻUqqāl}}'' ({{lang|ar|عقال}} "the Knowledgeable Initiates"). They might or might not dress differently, although most wear a costume that was characteristic of [[mountain people]] in previous centuries. Women can opt to wear ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-mandīl}}'', a loose white [[veil]], especially in the presence of other people. They wear ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-mandīl}}'' on their heads to cover their hair and wrap it around their mouths. They wear black shirts and long skirts covering their legs to their ankles. Male ''{{Transliteration|ar|ʻuqqāl}}'' often grow mustaches, and wear dark Levantine-Turkish traditional dresses, called the ''{{Transliteration|ar|shirwal}}'', with white turbans that vary according to the seniority of the ''{{Transliteration|ar|ʻuqqāl}}''. Traditionally the Druze women have played an important role both socially and religiously inside the community.<ref name="auto13"/>

''{{Transliteration|ar|Al-ʻuqqāl}}'' have equal rights to ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-Juhhāl}}'', but establish a hierarchy of respect based on religious service. The most influential of ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-ʻuqqāl}}'' become ''{{Transliteration|ar|Ajawīd}}'', recognized religious leaders, and from this group the spiritual leaders of the Druze are assigned. While the ''{{Transliteration|ar|[[Shaykh]] al-ʻAql}}'', which is an official position in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, is elected by the local community and serves as the head of the Druze religious council, judges from the Druze religious courts are usually elected for this position. Unlike the spiritual leaders, the authority of the ''{{Transliteration|ar|Shaykh al-ʻAql}}'' is limited to the country he is elected in, though in some instances spiritual leaders are elected to this position.<ref>{{cite book |title=Architecture, Power and Religion in Lebanon: Rafiq Hariri and the Politics of Sacred Space in Beirut |first=Ward |last=Vloeberghs |year=2015 |isbn=9789004307056 |page=285 |publisher=[[Brill Publishers|Brill]] |quote=}}</ref>

The Druze believe in the unity of God, and are often known as the "People of Monotheism" or simply "Monotheists".<ref>{{cite book |title=A Darkling Plain |first=Chloe |last=Lampros-Monroe |year=2014 |isbn=9781107034990 |page=231 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |quote=}}</ref> Their [[theology]] has a [[Neo-Platonism|Neo-Platonic]] view about how God interacts with the world through emanations and is similar to some [[gnosticism|gnostic]] and other [[Western esotericism|esoteric]] sects. Druze philosophy also shows [[Sufi]] influences.<ref name="Stanton 2012 330">{{cite book |title=Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia |first=Andrea L. |last=Stanton |year=2012 |isbn=9781412981767 |page=330 |publisher=[[SAGE Publications]] |quote=}}</ref>

Druze principles focus on honesty, loyalty, [[filial piety]], [[altruism]], patriotic sacrifice, and [[monotheism]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Culture and Customs of Israel |first=Rebecca |last=L. Torstrick |year=2004 |isbn=9780313320910 |page=48 |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |quote=}}</ref> They reject [[nicotine]], [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]], and other drugs and often, the consumption of pork (to the Uqqāl and not necessarily to the Juhhāl).<ref>{{cite book|title=Indigenous Peoples: An Encyclopedia of Culture, History, and Threats to Survival [4 volumes]|first=Victoria |last=R. Williams|year= 2020| isbn=9781440861185| page =318|publisher=ABC-CLIO|quote=}}</ref> Druze reject [[polygamy]], believe in [[reincarnation]], and are not obliged to observe most of the religious rituals.<ref name="W. Lesch 2021 129">{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Syria|first=David W. |last=Lesch|year= 2021| isbn= 9781538122860| page =129|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|quote=}}</ref> The Druze believe that rituals are symbolic and have an individualistic effect on the person, for which reason Druze are free to perform them, or not. The community does celebrate [[Eid al-Adha]], however, considered their most significant holiday; though their form of observance is different compared to that of most Muslims.<ref name="auto17">{{cite news |url=https://thearabweekly.com/eid-al-adha-celebrated-differently-druze-alawites |title=Eid al-Adha celebrated differently by Druze, Alawites|newspaper=Aw }}</ref>