Editing Druze (section)

== Druze and other religions ==
=== Relationship with Muslims ===
The Druze faith is often classified as a branch of [[Isma'ilism]]; although according to various scholars Druze faith "diverge substantially from Islam, both [[Sunni]] and [[Shia]]".<ref>{{cite book |title=The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought |last1=Zaman |first1=Muhammad Qasim |last2=Stewart |first2=Devin J. |last3=Mirza |first3=Mahan |last4=Kadi |first4=Wadad |last5=Crone |first5=Patricia |last6=Gerhard |first6=Bowering |last7=Hefner |first7=Robert W. |last8=Fahmy |first8=Khaled |last9=Kuran |first9=Timur |year=2013 |isbn=9780691134840 |pages=139–140 |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |quote=Druze who survive as a small minority in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan (their estimated number in these countries totaled around one million in the beginning of the 21st century) diverge substantially from Islam, both Sunni and Shīʿa.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Origins of the Druze Religion: An Edition of Ḥamza's Writings and an Analysis of His Doctrine |first=David R. W. |last=Bryer |year=1979 |isbn=9780030525964 |page=239 |publisher=[[University of Oxford Press]] |quote=}}</ref> Even though the faith originally developed out of [[Ismaili Islam]], most Druze do not identify as [[Muslims]],<ref name="Arab America">{{cite web |title=Are the Druze People Arabs or Muslims? Deciphering Who They Are |url=https://www.arabamerica.com/are-the-druze-people-arabs-or-muslims-deciphering-who-they-are/ |website=Arab America |access-date=13 April 2020 |language=en |date=8 August 2018}}</ref><ref name="J. Stewart 2008 33"/><ref>{{cite book |title=The Oxford Handbook of American Islam |first=Yvonne |last=Yazbeck Haddad |year=2014 |isbn=9780199862634 |page=142 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |quote=While they appear parallel to those of normative Islam, in the Druze religion they are different in meaning and interpretation. The religion is considered distinct from the Ismaili as well as from other Muslims belief and practice... Most Druze consider themselves fully assimilated in American society and do not necessarily identify as Muslims..}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Good Arabs: The Israeli Security Agencies and the Israeli Arabs, 1948–1967 |first=Hillel |last=Cohen |year=2010 |isbn=9780520944886 |page=170 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |quote=the Druze connection to the Muslims remained a matter of controversy.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Reorienting the East: Jewish Travelers to the Medieval Muslim World |first=Martin |last=Jacobs |year=2014 |isbn=9780812290011 |page=193 |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |quote=Though their religion is related to that of the Ismailis from a historical standpoint, the Druze—who see themselves as true "unitarians" (muwah.h.idūn)—are usually not considered Muslims.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Courting Conflict: The Israeli Military Court System in the West Bank and Gaza |first=Lisa |last=Hajjar |year=2005 |isbn=9780520241947 |page=279 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |quote=[Druze] although today it is widely considered to be a separate religion, some still consider it an Islamic sect}}</ref> and they do not accept the [[Five Pillars of Islam|five pillars of Islam]].<ref name="De McLaurin 1979 114">{{cite book |last=De McLaurin |first=Ronald |title=The Political Role of Minority Groups in the Middle East |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |year=1979 |isbn=9780030525964 |page=114 |quote=Theologically, one would have to conclude that the Druze are not Muslims. They do not accept the five pillars of Islam. In place of these principles the Druze have instituted the seven precepts noted above.}}</ref> Historian David R. W. Bryer defines the Druzes as ''[[ghulat]]'' of Isma'ilism, since they exaggerated the cult of the caliph [[al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah]] and considered him divine; he also defines the Druzes as a religion that deviated from Islam.<ref name="Bryer 1975 52–65"/> He also added that as a result of this deviation, the Druze faith "seems as different from Islam as Islam is from Christianity or Christianity is from Judaism".<ref name="Bryer 1975 239–262">{{cite journal |last=Bryer |first=David R. W. |title=The Origins of the Druze Religion (Fortsetzung) |journal=[[Der Islam]] |year=1975 |volume=52 |issue=2 |pages=239–262 |doi=10.1515/islm.1975.52.2.239 |s2cid=162363556 |url=https://doi.org/10.1515/islm.1975.52.2.239 |issn=1613-0928 |ref={{harvid|Bryer|1975b}} }}</ref>

Historically the relationship between the Druze and Muslims has been characterized by intense persecution.{{sfn|Artzi|1984|p=166|ps=: "...Europeans who visited the area during this period related that the Druze "love the Christians more than the other believers," and that they "hate the Turks, the Muslims and the Arabs [Bedouin] with an intense hatred."}}<ref name="Swayd 2015 132"/><ref name="K. Zartman 2020 199"/><ref name="Layiš 1982 1"/> The Druze have frequently experienced persecution by different Muslim regimes such as the [[Shia]] [[Fatimid Caliphate]],<ref name=about /><ref name="auto18"/> [[Mamluk]],{{sfn|Hitti|1924}} [[Sunni]] [[Ottoman Empire]],{{sfn|Tucker|2019|pp=364–366}}<ref name="VI22-23" /> and [[Egypt Eyalet]].{{sfn|Fawaz|1994|p=63}}<ref name=goren>Goren, Haim. ''Dead Sea Level: Science, Exploration and Imperial Interests in the Near East.'' pp. 95–96.</ref> The persecution of the Druze included [[massacre]]s, demolishing Druze prayer houses and holy places, and [[forced conversion]] to Islam.{{sfn|Tucker|2019|p=364}} Those acts of persecution were meant to eradicate the whole community according to the Druze narrative.{{sfn|Zabad|2017|p=}}{{page needed|date=October 2024}} Most recently, the [[Syrian Civil War]], which began in 2011, saw persecution of the Druze at the hands of [[Islamic extremism|Islamic extremists]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33092902 |title=Syria conflict: Al-Nusra fighters kill Druze villagers |work=[[BBC News]] |date=11 June 2015 |access-date=27 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/06/11/nusra-front-kills-syrian-villagers-from-minority-druze-sect.html |title=Nusra Front kills Syrian villagers from minority Druze sect |date=11 June 2015 |work=thestar.com |access-date=27 July 2015}}</ref>

Since Druze emerged from Islam and share certain beliefs with Islam, its position of whether it is a separate religion or a sect of Islam is sometimes controversial among Muslim scholars.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Druzes in the Jewish State: A Brief History|first=Kais M. 
|last=Firro|year= 2021| isbn= 9789004491915| page =94|publisher=Brill}}</ref> Druze are not considered Muslims by those belonging to orthodox Islamic schools of thought.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Politics of Islamic Revivalism: Diversity and Unity: Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown University. Center for Strategic and International Studies |first=Shireen |last=Hunter |year=2010 |isbn=9780253345493 |page=33 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |quote=Druze – An offshoot of Shi'ism; its members are not considered Muslims by orthodox Muslims.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Piety, Politics, and Power: Lutherans Encountering Islam in the Middle East |first=David D. |last=Grafton |year=2009 |isbn=9781630877187 |page=14 |publisher=[[Wipf and Stock Publishers]] |quote=In addition, there are several quasi-Muslim sects, in that, although they follow many of the beliefs and practices of orthodox Islam, the majority of Sunnis consider them heretical. These would be the Ahmadiyya, Druze, Ibadi, and the Yazidis.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Indigenous Peoples: An Encyclopedia of Culture, History, and Threats to Survival [4 volumes] |first=Victoria R. |last=Williams |year=2020 |isbn=9781440861185 |page=318 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |quote=As Druze is a nonritualistic religion without requirements to pray, fast, make pilgrimages, or observe days of rest, the Druze are not considered an Islamic people by Sunni Muslims.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01789462/document |title='Allah has spoken to us: we must keep silent.' In the folds of secrecy, the Holy Book of the Druze |date=30 January 2017 |publisher=[[Aix-Marseille University]] |quote=Orientalist literature frequently affiliates the Druze religion with the Muslim faith, although it seems as different from Islam as Islam is from Christianity or Christianity is from Judaism (Bryer 1975b, 239). The Muslim consider Druze doctrine to be heresy specifically because it extols the transmigration of the soul (taqammoṣ əl-arwaḥ) and the repeal of religion.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Islamic Marketing: Understanding the Socio-Economic, Cultural, and Politico-Legal Environment |first=Čedomir |last=Nestorović |year=2016 |isbn=9783319327549 |page =66 |publisher=Springer |quote=As far as the Druze are concerned, many Muslims regard them suspiciously, arguing that they are not in fact Muslims, but rather a religion in their own.}}</ref> [[Ibn Taymiyya]], a prominent Muslim [[scholar]] [[muhaddith]], dismissed the Druze as non-Muslims,<ref>{{cite book|title= Religious Minorities in the Middle East: Domination, Self-Empowerment, Accommodation|first=Anne Sofie|last= Roald|year= 2011| isbn= 9789004207424| page =255|publisher=Brill|quote= Therefore, many of these scholars follow Ibn Taymiyya'sfatwa from the beginning of the fourteenth century that declared the Druzes and the Alawis as heretics outside Islam ...}}</ref> and his [[fatwa]] cited that Druze: "Are not at the level of ′Ahl al-Kitāb ([[People of the Book]]) nor [[Shirk (Islam)|mushrikin]] ([[polytheist]]s). Rather, they are from the most deviant kuffār ([[Infidel]]) ... Their women can be taken as slaves and their property can be seized ... they are to be killed whenever they are found and cursed as they described ... It is obligatory to kill their scholars and religious figures so that they do not misguide others",{{sfn|Zabad|2017|p=126}} which in that setting would have legitimized violence against them as [[Apostasy in Islam|apostates]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Journey to the End of Islam |first=Michael |last=Knight |year=2009 |isbn=9781593765521 |page=129 |publisher=Soft Skull Press}}</ref>{{sfn|Swayd|2009|p=37|ps=: "Subsequently, Muslim opponents of the Druzes have often relied on Ibn Taymiyya's religious ruling to justify their attitudes and actions against Druzes..."}} The [[Ottoman Empire]] often relied on Ibn Taymiyya's religious ruling to justify their persecution of Druze.{{sfn|Swayd|2009|p=25}} In contrast, according to [[Ibn Abidin]], whose work ''[[Radd al-Muhtar 'ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar]]'' is still considered the authoritative text of [[Hanafi]] fiqh today,<ref name="anNabala">an-Nubala (2011)</ref> the Druze are neither Muslims nor apostates.<ref>{{cite book |title=Islam, Modernity, Violence, and Everyday Life |first=A. |last=Ahmad |year=2009 |isbn=9780230619562 |page=164 |publisher=Springer}}</ref>

In 1959, in an ecumenical move driven by [[President of Egypt|Egyptian president]] [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]]'s effort to broaden his political appeal after the establishment of the [[United Arab Republic]] between [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]] in 1958,<ref>{{cite book |last=Aburish |first=Saïd K. |title=Nasser: the last Arab |date=2004 |publisher=Duckworth |isbn=9780715633007 |pages=200–201 |edition=illustrated |quote=But perhaps the most far reaching change [initiated by Nasser's guidance] was the fatwa commanding the readmission to mainstream Islam of the Shia, Alawis, and Druze. They had been considered heretics and idolaters for hundreds of years, but Nasser put an end to this for once and for all. While endearing himself to the majority Shia of Iraq and undermining Kassem [the communist ruler of Iraq at the time] might have played a part in that decision, there is no doubting the liberalism of the man in this regard.}}</ref> the Islamic scholar [[Mahmud Shaltut]] at [[Al Azhar University]] in [[Cairo]] classified the Druze as Muslims,<ref>{{cite book |first=Rainer |last=Brünner |title=Islamic Ecumenism In The 20th Century: The Azhar And Shiism Between Rapprochement And Restraint |url=https://archive.org/details/islamicecumenism00brun |url-access=limited |date=2004 |publisher=[[Brill Publishers|Brill]] |isbn=9789004125483 |page=[https://archive.org/details/islamicecumenism00brun/page/n371 360] |edition=revised}}</ref> even though most Druze no longer consider themselves Muslim.<ref>{{cite book |title=America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump |first=Lawrence |last=Pintak |year=2019 |isbn=9781788315593 |page=86 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Templar Spirit: The Esoteric Inspiration, Rituals and Beliefs of the Knights Templar |first=Margaret |last=Jonas |year=2011 |isbn=9781906999254 |page=83 |publisher=Temple Lodge Publishing |quote=[Druze] often they are not regarded as being Muslim at all, nor do all the Druze consider themselves as Muslim}}</ref> The ''fatwa'' declares that the Druze are Muslims because they recite the twofold ''[[Shahada]]'', and believe in the [[Qur'an]] and [[monotheism]] and do not oppose Islam in word or deed.<ref>Asian and African Studies: Vol. 19, No. 3. p. 271</ref> This ''fatwa'' was not accepted by all in the Islamic world, many dissenting scholars have argued the Druze recite the ''Shahada'' as a form of ''[[taqiya]]''; a precautionary dissimulation or denial of religious belief and practice in the face of persecution. Some sects of Islam, including all Shia denominations, don't recognize the religious authority of [[Al Azhar University]], those that do sometimes challenge the religious legitimacy of Shaltut's fatwa because it was issued for political reasons, as Gamal Abdel Nasser saw it as a tool to spread his appeal and influence across the entire [[Arab world]].<ref>Asian and African Studies: Vol. 19, No. 3. p. 277</ref><ref name="Keddie 2002 306"/>

In 2012, due to a drift towards [[Salafism]] in Al-Azhar, and the ascension of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]] into Egyptian political leadership, the dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar issued a fatwa strongly opposed to the [[Al-Azhar Shia Fatwa|1959 fatwa]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Al-Araby |first=Mohamed |title=Identity politics, Egypt and the Shia |url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/2376/21/Identity-politics,-Egypt-and-the-Shia.aspx |work=Al-Ahram Weekly |access-date=20 April 2014 |date=25 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421092900/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/2376/21/Identity-politics,-Egypt-and-the-Shia.aspx |archive-date=21 April 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 48146 Jethros grave.JPG|thumb|[[Shuaib]] ([[Jethro (biblical figure)|Jethro]]) grave near [[Hittin]], [[Israel]]: Both religions venerate [[Shuaib]].]]
Both religions venerate [[Shuaib]] and [[Muhammad]]: Shuaib ([[Jethro (biblical figure)|Jethro]]) is revered as the chief prophet in the Druze religion,<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sandra Mackey|title=Mirror of the Arab World: Lebanon in Conflict|date= 2009|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=9780393333749|page=28|edition=illustrated, reprint}}</ref> and in Islam he is considered a [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|prophet of God]]. Muslims regard Muhammad as the final and paramount prophet sent by God,<ref name="espos12">Esposito (1998), p. 12.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=October 2024}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Clark |first=Malcolm |title=Islam for Dummies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zPXu561ZpvgC&pg=PT100 |year=2003 |publisher=Wiley Publishing Inc. |location=Indiana |isbn=978-1-118-05396-6 |page=100 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924043530/https://books.google.com/books?id=zPXu561ZpvgC&pg=PT100#v=onepage&q&f=true |archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref> to the Druze, Muhammad is exalted as one of the seven prophets sent by God in different periods of history.<ref name="Hitti 1928 37"/>{{sfn|Dānā|2008|p=17}}<ref name="Quilliam"/>

In terms of religious comparison, [[Islamic schools and branches]] do not believe in [[reincarnation]],{{Sfn|Nisan|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=keD9z1XWuNwC&pg=PA98 95]}} a paramount tenet of the Druze faith.<ref name="Seabrook, W. B. 1928"/> Islam teaches ''[[dawah]]'', whereas the Druze do not accept converts to their faith. Marriage outside the Druze faith is rare and is strongly discouraged. Islamic schools and branches allow for divorce and permit men [[Polygyny in Islam|to be married to multiple women]], contrary to the views of the Druze in [[monogamy|monogamous]] [[marriage]] and not allowing [[divorce]]. Differences between Islamic schools and branches and Druze include their belief in the [[theophany]],{{Sfn|Nisan|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=keD9z1XWuNwC&pg=PA98 95]}} [[Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad]] is considered the founder of the Druze and the primary author of the Druze manuscripts;<ref name="The World's Greatest Religious Lead"/> he proclaimed that God had become human and taken the form of man, [[Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah]].<ref name="Aga">{{cite book |title=The Aga Khans |first=Willi |last=Frischauer |year=1970| publisher=Bodley Head |page=}}{{page needed|date=October 2024}}</ref><ref name="Poonawala 1999 542"/><ref name="ReferenceC"/> Within Islam, however, such a concept of theophany is a denial of monotheism.

The Druze faith incorporates some elements of Islam,<ref name="Quilliam"/><ref name="auto8"/> and other religious beliefs. Druze Sacred texts include the Qur'an and the [[Epistles of Wisdom]] (''rasail al-hikma'' {{lang|ar|رسائل الحكمة}})<ref name="Religion"/> The Druze community does celebrate [[Eid al-Adha]] as their most significant holiday; though their form of observance is different compared to that of most Muslims.<ref name="auto17"/> The Druze faith does not follow [[Sharia]] nor any of the Five Pillars of Islam save reciting the ''Shahada''.<ref name="Incorporated-1996">{{cite book |author-link=James R. Lewis (scholar) |first=James |last=Lewis |title=The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions |url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1615927387 |access-date=13 May 2015 |year=2002 |publisher=[[Prometheus Books]]}}</ref> Scholars argue that Druze recite the ''Shahada'' in order to protect their religion and their own safety, and to avoid [[persecution by Muslims]].<ref name="Incorporated-1996"/>

=== Relationship with Christians ===
{{Main|Christianity and Druze}} 
[[File:Christian Church and Druze khalwa in Maaser el Chouf.jpg|thumb|[[Christian Church]] and Druze Khalwa in [[Chouf District|Shuf]]: Historically; the Druzes and the [[Christians]] in the Shuf Mountains lived in complete harmony.<ref name="auto5"/>]]
[[Christianity]] and Druze are [[Abrahamic religions]] that share a historical traditional connection with some major theological differences. The two faiths share a common place of origin in the [[Middle East]] and are both [[monotheistic]].
The relationship between Druze and Christians has been characterized largely by [[harmony]] and peaceful [[Plurinationalism|coexistence]].<ref name="Collection 1"/><ref name="auto5"/> Amicable relations between the two groups prevailed throughout most of history, though a few exceptions exist, including the [[1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus]].{{sfn|Fawaz|1994}}{{page needed|date=October 2024}}<ref name="auto4"/> [[Conversion to Christianity|Conversion of Druze to Christianity]] used to be common practice in the [[Levant]] region.<ref>{{cite book |title=Catholics and Sultans: The Church and the Ottoman Empire 1453–1923 |last=Frazee |first=Charles A. |year=2006 |isbn=9780521027007 |page=191 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |quote=the conversion to Christianity of several Muslim and Druze families aided this growth immeasurably}}</ref><ref name="auto19"/> Over the centuries, several prominent members of the Druze community have embraced Christianity,<ref>{{harvnb|Kayyali|2006|p=21}}: "some Christians (mostly from the Orthodox faith), as well as Druze, converted to Protestantism..."</ref><ref name="Kayyali-p.21"/><ref name="Hobby 2011 232"/><ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Granli |first1=Elisabet |title=Religious conversion in Syria : Alawite and Druze believers |type=Master's thesis |publisher=[[University of Oslo]] |date=2011 |url =http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-28014 |hdl=10852/16181}}</ref> including some of [[Shihab dynasty]] members,<ref name="Mishaqa23">{{cite book |last1=Mishaqa |first1=Mikhail |editor1-last=Thackston |editor1-first=Wheeler McIntosh |title=Murder, Mayhem, Pillage, and Plunder: The History of the Lebanon in the 18th and 19th Centuries by Mikhayil Mishaqa (1800–1873) |date=1988 |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |isbn=9780887067129 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISHHYMNmp0gC&pg=PA23 |page=23}}</ref> as well as the Abi-Lamma clan.<ref name="ÁgostonMasters2009">{{cite book |first1=Gábor |last1=Ágoston |first2=Bruce Alan |last2=Masters |title=Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QjzYdCxumFcC&pg=PA530 |access-date=25 May 2013 |date=2009 |publisher=[[Infobase Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-4381-1025-7 |page=530}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Breakdown of the State in Lebanon, 1967–1976 |last=al- H̲azīn |first=Farīd |year=2000 |isbn=9780674081055 |page=35 |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |quote=So did other amirs, like the originally Druze Abi-llamah family, which also became Maronite}}</ref>

[[Christianity in the Middle East|Christian]] and Druze communities share a long history of interaction dating back roughly a millennium, particularly in [[Mount Lebanon]].<ref name="Mackey 2009 62"/> Interaction between Christian communities (members of the [[Maronite Church|Maronites]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church|Melkite]], and other churches) and the Unitarian Druze led to the presence of mixed villages and towns in [[Mount Lebanon Governorate|Mount Lebanon]], [[Chouf District|Chouf]],<ref name="auto5"/> [[Wadi al-Taym]],<ref name="Daftary1992">{{cite book |first=Farhad |last=Daftary |title=The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kQGlyZAy134C&pg=PA375 |access-date=13 September 2012 |date=24 April 1992 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-42974-0 |pages=375–}}</ref> [[Jabal al-Druze]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-druze-and-assad-strategic-bedfellows |title=The Druze and Assad: Strategic Bedfellows |website=[[Washington Institute for Near East Policy|The Washington Institute]]}}</ref> the [[Galilee]] region, [[Mount Carmel]], and [[Golan Heights]].<ref>Fadwa N. Kirrish, "Druze Ethnicity in the Golan Heights: The Interface of Religion and Politics," ''Journal of the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs'' 13.1 (1992), 122–135</ref> The [[Maronite]] [[Catholic]] and the Druze founded modern [[Lebanon]] in the early Eighteenth Century, through a governing and social system known as the "Maronite-Druze dualism" in the [[Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate]].<ref name="Deeb 2013"/>
[[File:Syrian20fashions.jpg|left|thumb|Left to right: Christian mountain dweller from [[Zahlé]], Christian mountain dweller of [[Zgharta]], and a [[Lebanese Druze]] man in traditional attire (1873).]]
Druze doctrine teaches that Christianity is to be "esteemed and praised" as the [[Gospel]] writers are regarded as "carriers of wisdom".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.commentary.org/articles/ray-alan/on-the-horizon-the-strange-world-of-the-druzes/ |title=On the Horizon: The Strange World of the Druzes |date=20 January 1956 |work=Commentary Magazine}}</ref> The Druze faith incorporates some elements of Christianity,<ref name="Quilliam"/><ref name="auto8"/> in addition to adoption of Christian elements on the [[Epistles of Wisdom]].<ref name="SmetTamīmī2007">{{cite book |author1=D. De Smet |author2=Ismāʻīl Tamīmī |author3=Ḥamzah ibn ʻAlī ibn Aḥmad |title=Les Epitres Sacrees Des Druzes Rasa'il Al-hikma: Introduction, Edition Critique Et Traduction Annotee Des Traites Attribues a Hamza B. 'ali Et Isma'il At-tamimi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ixMLAQAAMAAJ |access-date=17 March 2011 |year=2007 |publisher=Peeters |isbn=978-90-429-1943-3}}</ref><ref name="Mahmut 2023">{{cite journal |last1=Mahmut |first1=R. İbrahim |title=The Christian Influences in Ismaili Thought |journal=The Journal of Iranian Studies |date=2023 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=83–99 |doi=10.33201/iranian.1199758 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The full Druze canon or Druze scripture (Epistles of Wisdom) includes the [[Old Testament]],{{sfn|Nisan|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=keD9z1XWuNwC&pg=PA96 96–]}} the [[New Testament]],{{sfn|Nisan|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=keD9z1XWuNwC&pg=PA96 96–]}} the [[Quran]] and [[philosophical]] works by [[Plato]] and those influenced by [[Socrates]] among works from other [[religion]]s and [[philosopher]]s.{{sfn|Nisan|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=keD9z1XWuNwC&pg=PA96 96–]}} The Druze faith shows influence of [[Christian monasticism]], among other religious practices.<ref name="Stanton 2012 330"/><ref name="Mahmut 2023"/> Some scholars suggest that [[early Christian]] [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] beliefs might have influenced Druze theology, particularly in concepts of [[Divine illumination|divine knowledge]] and [[reincarnation]].<ref name="Mahmut 2023"/> These influences and incorporations of Christian elements encompass the adoption of the concept of [[Christianizing]] al-[[Mahdi]]'s persona among the Druze, as well as the integration of verses from the [[Bible]] concerning the Messiah by certain Druze founders.<ref name="Mahmut 2023"/>

In terms of religious comparison, [[Nicene Christianity|mainstream Christian denominations]] do not believe in [[reincarnation]] or the [[transmigration of the soul]], unlike the Druze.{{Sfn|Nisan|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=keD9z1XWuNwC&pg=PA98 95]}} [[Evangelism]] is widely seen as central to the Christian faith, unlike the Druze who do not accept converts. Marriage outside the Druze faith is rare and is strongly discouraged. Similarities between the Druze and Christians include commonalities in their view of [[monogamy|monogamous]] [[Christian views on marriage|marriage]], as well as [[Christian views on divorce|the forbidding of divorce and remarriage]],{{Sfn|Nisan|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=keD9z1XWuNwC&pg=PA98 95]}} in addition to the belief in the [[Monotheism|oneness of God]] and [[theophany]].{{sfn|Nisan|2002|p=95}}

Neither mainstream Christian denominations nor Druze require male [[circumcision]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ellwood|first=Robert S. |title=The Encyclopedia of World Religions|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year=2008|isbn=9781438110387|pages=95|quote=It is obligatory among Jews, Muslims, and Coptic Christians. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians do not require circumcision. Starting in the last half of the 19th century, however, circumcision also became common among Christians in Europe and especially in North America.}}</ref><ref name="auto20"/> though male circumcision is commonly practiced in many predominantly [[Christianity by country|Christian countries]] and many Christian communities,<ref>{{cite book|title=The Female Circumcision Controversy: An Anthropological Perspective|first=Ellen|last= Gruenbaum|year= 2015| isbn= 9780812292510| page =61 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|quote= Christian theology generally interprets male circumcision to be an Old Testament rule that is no longer an obligation ... though in many countries (especially the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa, but not so much in Europe) it is widely practiced among Christians}}</ref> and it is practiced in [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Christianity]], the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Church]], and the [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] as a [[rite of passage]].<ref>{{Cite book|last= Stearns|first=Peter N. |title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern World|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2008|isbn=9780195176322|page=179|quote=Uniformly practiced by Jews, Muslims, and the members of Coptic, Ethiopian, and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, male circumcision remains prevalent in many regions of the world, particularly Africa, South and East Asia, Oceania, and Anglosphere countries.}}</ref><ref name=WHO_2007_GTDPSA>{{cite web |title=Male circumcision: Global trends and determinants of prevalence, safety and acceptability |year=2007 |publisher=World Health Organization |url=http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/jc1360_male_circumcision_en_0.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222194858/http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/jc1360_male_circumcision_en_0.pdf |archive-date=2015-12-22 }}</ref><ref name=riggs_2006>{{cite book |author=Thomas Riggs |title=Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices: Religions and denominations |chapter=Christianity: Coptic Christianity |year=2006 |publisher=Thomson Gale |isbn=978-0-7876-6612-5 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uTMOAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118224324/https://books.google.com/books?id=uTMOAQAAMAAJ |archive-date=2016-01-18 }}</ref><ref name=Columbia_encyc_2011_circ>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2011 |title=Circumcision |encyclopedia=Columbia Encyclopedia |publisher=Columbia University Press |url=http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/circumcision.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924051012/http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/circumcision.html |archive-date=2015-09-24 }}</ref><ref name=clark_2011>{{cite book |author=Clark M |title=Islam For Dummies |page=170 |date=2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-05396-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zPXu561ZpvgC&pg=PA178 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118224324/https://books.google.com/books?id=zPXu561ZpvgC&pg=PA178 |archive-date=18 January 2016 }}</ref> Male circumcision is also widely practiced by the Druze,<ref name="auto10"/> but as a cultural tradition, since circumcision has no religious significance in the Druze faith.<ref name="auto20"/> 
[[File:Maqam Al-masih.jpg|thumb|The Druze [[Maqam (shrine)|Maqam]] Al-Masih ([[Jesus]]) in [[Suwayda Governorate]]: Both religions revere Jesus.<ref name="Hitti 1928 37" />]]
Both faiths give a prominent place to [[Jesus]]:<ref name="Hitti 1928 37" />{{sfn|Dānā|2008|p=17}} In Christianity, Jesus is the central figure, seen as the messiah. To the Druze, Jesus is an important prophet of God,<ref name="Hitti 1928 37"/>{{sfn|Dānā|2008|p=17}} being among the seven prophets (including Muhammad) who appeared in different periods of history.<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=David |editor-last=Seddon |title=A Political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East |year=2013 |isbn=9781135355616 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |quote=...Druze believe in seven prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and Muhammad ibn Ismail ad-Darazi..}}</ref> The Druze revere Jesus "the son of [[Saint Joseph|Joseph]] and [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]]" and his [[Four Evangelists|four disciples]], who wrote the Gospels.{{sfn|Dānā|2008|p=47}} According to the Druze manuscripts Jesus is the Greatest Imam and the incarnation of Ultimate [[Reason]] (''Akl'') on earth and the first cosmic principle (''Hadd''),{{sfn|Dānā|2008|p=47}}<ref name="Louis">{{cite book |title=The Passion of Al-Hallaj, Mystic and Martyr of Islam |volume=1: The Life of Al-Hallaj |first=Louis |last=Massignon |year=2019 |isbn=9780691610832| page =594 |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]}}</ref> and regards Jesus and [[Hamza ibn Ali]] as the incarnations of one of the five great celestial powers, who form part of their system.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought |first=Patricia |last=Crone |year=2013 |isbn=9780691134840 |page=139 |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |quote=}}</ref> In the Druze tradition, Jesus is known under three titles: the True Messiah (''al-Masih al-Haq''), the Messiah of all Nations (''Masih al-Umam''), and the Messiah of Sinners. This is due, respectively, to the belief that Jesus delivered the true Gospel message, the belief that he was the Saviour of all nations, and the belief that he offers forgiveness.{{sfn|Swayd|2009|p=88|ps=: "Jesus is known in the Druze tradition as the "True Messiah" (al-Masih al-Haq), for he delivered what Druzes view as the true message. He is also referred to as the "Messiah of the Nations"(Masih al-Umam) because he was sent to the world as "Masih of Sins" because he is the one who forgives."}}

Both religions venerate the [[Virgin Mary]],<ref>{{cite book |title=The Culture of Sectarianism: Community, History, and Violence in Nineteenth-Century Ottoman Lebanon |first=Ussama |last=Makdisi|authorlink=Ussama Makdisi |year=2000 |isbn=978-0520218468 |page=35 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |quote=}}</ref> [[John the Baptist]],{{sfn|Swayd|2015|p=7}}<ref>{{harvnb|Brockman|2011|p=259}}: "They included Jesus, John the Baptist, Moses, and Mohammed—all teachers of monotheism"</ref> [[Saint George]],<ref>{{cite book |title=The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700 |first=Jerome |last=Murphy-O'Connor |year=2008 |isbn=9780191647666 |page=205 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> [[Elijah]],{{sfn|Swayd|2015|p=7}} [[Luke the Evangelist]],<ref name="Swayd 2009"/> [[Job (biblical figure)|Job]] and other common figures.<ref name="Swayd 2009"/> Figures in the Old Testament such as [[Adam]], [[Noah]], [[Abraham]], [[Moses]], and [[Jethro (biblical figure)|Jethro]] are considered important prophets of God in the Druze faith, being among the seven prophets who appeared in different periods of history.<ref name="Hitti 1928 37" />{{sfn|Dānā|2008|p=17}}

=== Relationship with Jews ===
[[File:Maqam Al-Kader.jpg|thumb|Maqam Al-[[Khidr]] in [[Kafr Yasif]]]]
The relationship between the Druze and [[Jews]] has been controversial,<ref>{{cite book |title=The Druze between Palestine and Israel 1947–49 |first=L. |last=Parsons |year=2011 |isbn=9780230595989 |page=7 |publisher=Springer}}</ref> [[Antisemitism|Antisemitic]] material is contained in the Druze literature such as the ''[[Epistles of Wisdom]]''; for example in an epistle ascribed to one of the founders of Druze, [[Baha al-Din al-Muqtana]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Muslim-Jewish Encounters |first=Ronald |last=Nettler |year=2014 |isbn=9781134408542 |page=140 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |quote=...One example of Druze anti-Jewish bias is contained in an epistle ascribed to one of the founders of Druzism, Baha al-Din}}</ref> probably written sometime between AD 1027 and AD 1042, accused the Jews of [[crucifixion of Jesus|crucifying Jesus]].<ref name="The War for Palestine1">{{cite book |title=The War for Palestine: Rewriting the History of 1948 |first=Eugene L. |last=Rogan |authorlink= Eugene Rogan|year=2011 |isbn=9780521794763 |page=73 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]}}</ref> In other epistles, Jews are depicted negatively as "morally corrupt and murderers of prophets", particularly in chapters 13–14 of the [[Epistles of Wisdom]].<ref name="Stevenson 1954">{{cite book |title=The Muslim World: A Quarterly Review of History, Culture, Religions & the Christian Mission in Islamdom |last=Stevenson |first=W. B. |year=1954 |isbn=9781468067279 |page=38 |publisher=[[University of California, Berkeley Press]]}}</ref> The epistle "Excuses and Warnings" predicts that, as a sign of the end times, Jews will seize control of [[Jerusalem]] and seek revenge on its inhabitants as well as those of [[Acre, Israel|Acre]]. Afterwards, Messiah Jesus will expel the Jews from Jerusalem due to their spread of moral corruption worldwide. Christians will then dominate Muslims until the [[Day of Judgment]], when divine judgment by Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah will occur.<ref name="Stevenson 1954"/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Branca |first=Paolo |title=Some Druze 'Catechisms' in Italian Libraries. |journal=Quaderni di Studi Arabi |volume=15 |date=1997 |pages=151–164 |jstor=25802822<!-- |access-date=22 November 2023 -->}}</ref>

On the other hand, [[Benjamin of Tudela]], a Jewish traveler<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/benjamin-of-tudela |title=Benjamin of Tudela |website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org |language=en |access-date=2017-11-05}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=October 2024}} from the 12th century, pointed out that the Druze maintained good commercial relations with the Jews nearby, and according to him this was because the Druze liked the Jewish people.<ref name="The War for Palestine2">{{cite book |title=The War for Palestine: Rewriting the History of 1948 |first=Eugene L. |last=Rogan |authorlink= Eugene Rogan |year=2011 |isbn=9780521794763 |page=71 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]}}</ref> Yet, the Jews and Druze lived isolated from each other, except in a few mixed towns such as [[Deir al-Qamar]] and [[Peki'in]].<ref name="The War for Palestine2"/><ref name="David2010">{{cite book |first=Abraham |last=David |title=To Come to the Land: Immigration and Settlement in 16th-Century Eretz-Israel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qqy4wqVbSUkC&pg=PA27 |date=2010 |publisher=[[University of Alabama Press]] |isbn=978-0-8173-5643-9 |pages=27–28}}</ref> The [[Deir el Qamar Synagogue]] was built in 1638, during the Ottoman era in Lebanon, to serve the local Jewish population, some of whom were part of the immediate entourage of the Druze [[Emir]] [[Fakhr-al-Din II]].{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

During the [[Ottoman Syria|Ottoman period]], relations between the Druze of Galilee and the Jewish community were generally strained and marked by conflict.<ref>{{cite book |title=A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered |first=K.|last=Salibi|author-link=Kamal Salibi |publisher=University of California Press |date=1988 |isbn=978-0-520-07196-4|page=66}}</ref> In 1660, during a [[Druze power struggle (1658–67)|Druze power struggle]] in Mount Lebanon, Druze forces destroyed Jewish settlements in the Galilee, including [[1660 destruction of Safed|Safad]] and [[1660 destruction of Tiberias|Tiberias]].<ref name=rappel>Joel Rappel. ''History of Eretz Israel from Prehistory up to 1882'' (1980), Vol. 2, p. 531. "In 1662 Sabbathai Sevi arrived in Jerusalem. It was the time when the Jewish settlements of Galilee were destroyed by the Druze: Tiberias was completely desolate and only a few former Safed residents had returned..."</ref><ref name="Barnay, Y 1992 p. 149">Barnay, Y. The Jews in Palestine in the eighteenth century: under the patronage of the Istanbul Committee of Officials for Palestine (University of Alabama Press 1992) {{ISBN|978-0-8173-0572-7}} p. 149</ref> The tension escalated in 1834 during the [[Peasants' revolt in Palestine|Peasants' Revolt]], when [[1834 looting of Safed|Safed's Jewish community]] endured a month-long assault that involved extensive looting, violence, and the destruction of Jewish properties by both Druze and Muslims.<ref name="Rossoff" >Dovid Rossoff, [https://books.google.com/books?id=RjFoPWto6VYC&pg=PA149 ''Safed: The Mystical City.''] Feldheim Publishers, 1991 {{isbn|978-0-873-06566-5}} pp. 149ff: ''The Druze Massacre of Safed''</ref> During the [[1838 Druze revolt|Druze revolt]] against the rule of [[Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt]], the [[1838 Druze attack on Safed|Jewish community in Safad was attacked]] by Druze rebels in early July 1838, the violence against the Jews included plundering their homes and desecrating their synagogues.<ref name="Lieber1992">{{cite book |first=Sherman |last=Lieber |title=Mystics and missionaries: the Jews in Palestine, 1799–1840 |url=https://archive.org/details/mysticsmissionar0000lieb |url-access=registration |year=1992 |publisher=[[University of Utah Press]] |isbn=978-0-87480-391-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mysticsmissionar0000lieb/page/334 334] |quote=The Druze and local Muslims vandalised the Jewish quarter. During three days, though they enacted a replay of the 1834 plunder, looting homes and desecrating synagogues—no deaths were reported. What could not be stolen was smashed and burned. Jews caught outdoors were robbed and beaten.}}</ref><ref name="Finkelstein1960">{{cite book|author=Louis Finkelstein|title=The Jews: their history, culture, and religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=838GAQAAIAAJ|year=1960|publisher=Harper|page=679|quote=In the summer of 1838 the Druses revolted against Ibrahim Pasha, and once more the Jews were the scapegoat. The Moslems joined the Druses in repeating the slaughter and plunder of 1834.}}</ref><ref name="Florence2004">{{cite book|author=Ronald Florence|title=Blood libel: the Damascus affair of 1840|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bJDLrLlWg18C&pg=PA47|date=2004|publisher=Univ of Wisconsin Press|isbn=978-0-299-20280-4|page=47|quote=There had been pogroms against the Jews in Safed in 1834 and 1838.}}</ref>
[[File:DSCN1293a Israel בית אוליפנט דלית אל כרמל.jpg|thumb|Oliphant house in [[Daliyat al-Karmel]]]]
Interactions between Jews and Druze were rare before the [[Israeli Declaration of Independence|establishment of Israel]] in 1948, as they historically lived isolated from each other.<ref name="David2010"/><ref>{{cite book|title=The Druze between Palestine and Israel 1947–49|first=L.|last= Parsons|year= 2011| isbn=9780230595989| page =7 |publisher=Springer}}</ref> During the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate for Palestine]], the Druze did not embrace the rising [[Arab nationalism]] of the time or participate in violent confrontations with [[Aliyah|Jewish immigrants]]. In 1948, many Druze volunteered for the Israeli army and no Druze villages were destroyed or permanently abandoned.<ref name="IDMC">{{cite web|url=http://www.internal-displacement.org/idmc/website/countries.nsf/(httpEnvelopes)/F11200E8ECD83F71802570B8005A7276?OpenDocument |title=Internal Displacement Monitoring Center – Israel |access-date=2009-04-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060903022121/http://www.internal-displacement.org/idmc/website/countries.nsf/%28httpEnvelopes%29/F11200E8ECD83F71802570B8005A7276?OpenDocument |archive-date=3 September 2006}}</ref> Since the establishment of the [[state of Israel]], the Druze have demonstrated solidarity with Israel and distanced themselves from Arab [[Islamic radicalism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/the_middle_east_journal/v064/64.4.nisan.pdf|title=The Druze in Israel: Questions of Identity, Citizenship, and Patriotism|access-date=9 February 2022|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121451/http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=%2Fjournals%2Fthe_middle_east_journal%2Fv064%2F64.4.nisan.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Israeli Druze male citizens serve in the [[Israel Defense Forces]].<ref name="Christian Arabs">{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=555549|title=Christian Arabs / Second in a series – Israel's Christian Arabs don't want to fight to fit in|first=Yoav|last=Stern|publisher=Haaretz|date=23 March 2005|access-date=7 January 2006|archive-date=10 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210000545/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=555549|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Jewish-Druze partnership was often referred as "a covenant of blood" (Hebrew: {{lang|he|ברית דמים|rtl=yes}}, ''brit damim'') in recognition of the common military yoke carried by the two peoples for the security of the country.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Firro
|first=Kais
|title=Druze Herev Battalion Fights 32 Days With No Casualties
|url=http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=110102
|date=2006-08-15
|publisher=[[Arutz Sheva]]
|access-date=15 August 2006
|archive-date=24 December 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224210256/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref name="The War for Palestine1"/><ref>{{harvnb|Nisan|2015|p=284}}: "This Jewish-Druze partnership was often referred to as a "covenant of blood," in recognition of the common military yoke carried by the two peoples for the security of the country."</ref> Israeli Druze scholars Kais M. Firro and Rabah Halabi contend that the Israeli narrative of a "special historical bond" or "blood pact" between Druze and Jews is a myth fabricated by early Zionist circles to divide and control [[Arab citizens of Israel|Arab religious communities in Israel]], with no historical foundation.<ref name="Reshaping Druze Particularism in Is"/><ref name="Invention of a Nation: The Druze in"/> Conversely, the Druze community in Syria, Lebanon, and the Golan Heights generally aligns with [[Arab nationalism]] and holds predominantly [[anti-Zionist]] views.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Middle East: A Guide to Politics, Economics, Society and Culture |first=Barry |last=Rubin |year=2015 |isbn=9781317455783 |page=369 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]}}</ref>

From 1957, the Israeli government formally recognized the Druze as a separate religious community,<ref name="Jiryis-1969">{{cite book |title=The Arabs in Israel |first=Sabri |last=Jiryis |publisher=The Institute for Palestine Studies |date=1969 |orig-year=2nd impression |page=145 |isbn=978-0-85345-377-2 |author-link=Sabri Jiryis}}</ref> and they are defined as a distinct ethnic group in the [[Ministry of Interior (Israel)|Israeli Ministry of Interior's]] census registration.<ref name="Jiryis-1969"/> [[Israeli Druze]] do not consider themselves Muslim, and see their faith as a separate and independent religion.<ref name="Jiryis-1969"/> While compared to other [[Israeli Christians]] and [[Islam in Israel|Muslims]], Druze place less emphasis on their [[Arab identity]] and self-identify more as [[Israelis|Israeli]]. However, they were less ready for personal relationships with [[Israeli Jews|Jews]] compared to Israeli Muslims and Christians.<ref name="Index Democracy Israeli">{{cite web| url = https://www.idi.org.il/media/8292/%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%93-%D7%94%D7%93%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%98%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%AA-2016-%D7%A2%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%90%D7%96%D7%A8%D7%97%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D.pdf| title = Israel of Citizens Arab of Attitudes: Index Democracy Israeli 2016 The}}</ref> Scholars attribute this trend to cultural differences between Jews and Druze.<ref>{{cite book|title=Israel's "ethnic Project" in the City of Shafa-amr: Particularization of Identity Along Religious Lines|last=Ibrahim|first=Ibtisam|year=2000|isbn=9789651905889|pages=170–175|publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison}}</ref>

In terms of religious comparison, scholars consider [[Judaism]] and the Druze faith as [[ethnoreligious group]]s,<ref name="Harrison1"/> both practicing [[endogamy]],<ref name=dawn/> and both typically do not [[proselytize]]. Belief in reincarnation (''[[Gilgul]]'') exist in some strands of Judaism influenced by the [[Kabbalah]], such as [[Hasidic Judaism]], but is rejected by mainstream Jewish denominations ([[Reform Judaism]], [[Conservative Judaism]] and [[Orthodox Judaism]]).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Trachtenberg |first=Joshua |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgI5EAAAQBAJ |title=Jewish Magic and Superstition |date=2021 |publisher=Beyond Books Hub |language=en}}</ref> Figures in the [[Hebrew Bible]] such as [[Adam]], [[Noah]], [[Abraham]], and [[Moses]] are considered important prophets of God in the Druze faith, being among the seven prophets who appeared in different periods of history.<ref name="Hitti 1928 37"/>{{sfn|Dānā|2008|p=17}} Both religions venerate [[Elijah]],{{sfn|Swayd|2015|p=7}} [[Job (biblical figure)|Job]] and other common figures. In the [[Tanakh|Hebrew Bible]], [[Jethro (biblical figure)|Jethro]] was [[Moses]]' father-in-law, a [[Kenite]] shepherd and priest of [[Midian]].<ref name ="Harris">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], ''Understanding the Bible''. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.{{ISBN?}}{{page needed|date=July 2024}}</ref> Jethro of Midian is considered an ancestor of the Druze who revere him as their spiritual founder and chief prophet.