Book - Secret Sects Of Syria And The Lebanon (1922)

Available online http://archive.org/details/secretsectsofsyr032392mbp

Book metadata:
Secret Sects Of Syria And The Lebanon (1922)
Author: Springett,Bernard H.
Subject: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Social Welfare; Social welfare
Publisher: George Allen And Unwin Limited.
Language: English
Call number: 32392
Book contributor: Osmania University
Collection: universallibrary

The Syrian Alawites - Rise to Power

There has been much interest in the Syrian Alawite/Alawi in the recent time, mainly due to the conflict in Syria.

The history of Alawite rise to power in Syria is quite interesting. It started in the early nineteen century when the French was occupying Syria.

The majority of the Syrian (Sunni Muslim) were against the French. Alawis, who were treated as the second class citizen by the Sunnis, saw a bright future for themselves and perhaps an opportunity to get rid of their leper-like-status among the Syrians.

They formed a strong alliance with French, and in return, the French provided moral and material support to the Alawis. And in a very short time, they established their autonomous state and a strong military presence.

In the next 30 to 40 years, a lot of interesting things started happening in Syria and around the Middle East. A lot of worthless ideas like Pan-Arabism/Bathism were also floating around the Middle East.

The Alawis were unwilling to see their power and influence being diminished by democracy since democracy would most certainly favor the Sunni Majority.

The rest of the history is pretty much predictable. The Alawis used their vastly superior powers (mostly military) to get rid of all their opponents and placed members of their own sects on the top of the chain (at helm).

The Alawis, under Hafeez al-Assad, who was a very brutal dictator, carried out unimaginable horrific acts against his own people to silence their political voice and aspiration.

The Alawis (and I shouldn't really be using this term loosely because they are not really a monolithic block) also exert their influence and took a number of measures to ensure that their religious sect would be more inline with the mainstream Islam.

In the next couple of posts, I am going to delve deeper into the Alawi sect.

History and evolution of `Alawiyya by Brother Qa'im

The following post was original written by Qa’im [1]. I am merely reproducing this entry here. Full credit goes to Qai’m at ShiaChat.

The roots of `Alawiyya is essentially twelver Imami, but its offshoot point was with ibn Nusayr during the minor occultation, where he rejected the traditional 4 safirs of Shi'ah Islam, and instead declared himself as the sole legitimate authority in communication with the eschatological Qa'im (May Allah hasten his appearance). 

History and evolution of `Alawiyya

al-`Alawiyya religiously developed based on not just the teachings of ibn Nusayr, but the surrounded influences of Shi'ah Islam, Christianity, Isma`iliyya, and other local groups. After ibn Nusayr died in the 10th century CE, his grandson at-Tabarani succeeded him in scholarship and his writings became the basis of the `Alawi faith. He lived in Latakia, which was Byzantine (and therefore Christian) controlled at that time. The `Alawis also lived amongst the Druze and Maronites

Beliefs

-Secrecy: The `Alawi aqeedah relies on strict taqiyya, and thus the group, its beliefs, and its practices are to remain a secret, even to members of the sect. Women, for example, cannot be taught the religion, as religious direction belongs solely to the man. The group has also refrained from making da`wa (propagation) and jihad (expedition) for the purpose of spreading the religion; instead it remained isolated throughout history.


In the 19th century, Sulaiman al-Adni, an Alawite convert to Christianity, wrote a book named al-Bakurah as-Suliamaniya fi Kashf Asrar ad-Diyanah an-Nusairiyah (The First Fruits of Sulaiman in Revealing the Secrets of the Nusairi Religion), which was the first detailed outsider account into the `Alawi religion.


Some major beliefs include:
-Reincarnation: this appears to have been an original ibn Nusayri teaching, that one can reincarnate several times. Women do not reincarnate. Men, however, can live 7 lives as faithful `Alawis, and then finally join 'Ali (may peace be upon him) in a celestial heaven. If they are not faithful, they will be reborn as Christians as a punishment. Non-Alawis reincarnate into animals.


-Trinity: `Alawis believe in three incarnations of God: `Ali (may peace be upon him), Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his pure family), and Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him). Each of the three have their own mystical significance, `Ali being the meaning, Muhammed being the name, and Salman al-Farisi being the gate. The short version of the `Alawi shahada is "I testify that there is no God but Ali," (la ilaha illa-`Ali), the long version (`ayn meem seen) which recognizes the full Trinity says: `I have borne witness that there is no God but He, the most High, the object of worship [al-'Ali al-Ma'bud] and that there is no concealing veil (hijab) except the lord Muhammad, the object of praise, (as-Sayyid Muhmmad al-Mahmud), and there is not Bab except the lord Salman al-Farisi`


-Rejection of the Qur'an: `Alawis reject the literal meanings of the Qur'an, and instead emphasize spiritual, mystical, and metaphorical practices and sayings.


-Celebration of Christian and Persian holidays: Since the religion had a long standing in Christendom, they adopted some Christian celebrations including Christmas, Easter, Palm Sunday, and ahve their own unique practices for these days, which include the communion associated with Catholic tradition. `Alawis also celebrate Nawruz, marking the Persian new year.


-Mysticism: In the `Alawiyya, there are many connections with the Isma'iiyya, as they both view the Islamic shari`ah esoterically and allegorically. They believe in a hidden meaning behind the commands, and take these concepts over their literal meanings. `Alawis even believe that these secret meanings were hidden from the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his pure family), and was revealed to the Imams (may peace be upon them) and ibn Nusayr instead.

Reference

[1] http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/234978256-the-alawites/

Alawi/Nusayris sect reading materials

Fedai (thank you!) has provided name of articles/books for reading about the Alawi/Nusayris sect.

[1] al-Husayn ibn Hamdân al-Khasîbî: A Historical Biography of the Founder of the Nusayrî-'Alawite Sect (http://www.jstor.org/pss/1596110)

[2] 'Erdogan Cinar' an apologetic for alternative Alevi beliefs; namely, 'Isikism' ('light'ism). Extensively criticized by the alevis who claim Islamic heritage,
the authors works are in Turkish but here is a snippet from wiki about the chap and his findings. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikism

[3] The Alevi of Anatolia By David Zeidan http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/1999/issue4/zeidan.pdf

[4] Thesis Eleven, BETWEEN CHIEFTAINCY AND KNIGHTHOOD: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF OTTOMAN AND SAFAVID ORIGINS' (http://the.sagepub.com/content/76/1/85.full.pdf+html)

Testimonial: Inside the Alawi/Nusayris sect

The following is a personal testimonial from an ex-member of the sect. (Note: Some comments have been edited for clarity). 

According to Fedai  

I happen to be raised in an Alevi household. I asked a lot of the questions that is being tossed around in this thread. Due to a lack of substance in the Alevi belief, I resorted to atheism. A crucial point to make here is that when there is no subjective doctrine at hand (i.e a book, compilation of hadith etc) then there is no binding contract. In the case of alevi's/alawis, only verbal accounts of the doctrine and history exists.  

I am a firm propagator of categorizing the Alevis of southeast Turkey with the Alawis of the Levant (Lebanon and Syria) in the same group. The reason is because I find the similarities amongst the two sects, in my humble opinion, far greater then the differences.

In trying to tackle the above questions [1], one should keep this in mind; since both sects are highly secretive and they rely on verbal traditions, i) there is no yardstick to keep doctrine in line and ii) no deterrent for the evolution/ change/ alteration of a belief system to match personal agendas.

With the above in mind, I went about questioning learned alevis ('dede', 'baba' or 'pir') or the modern equivalent of a priest of the sect. Contrary to the common belief, these sects have tremendous differences and disagreements between historical accounts of the origins of their faith. Two groups emerged in southeast Turkey; i) those who revere the holy household and ii) those who abide to the pre-Islamic doctrines of Zoroastrian or Solar communities who believe in notions of Haqq (justice).

The first group when confronted with matters regarding salat (prayers) and siyam (fasting) ussually argue in this manner i) The Quran has been tampered or ii) Imam Ali (peace be upon him) died while prayer (so they claim that he died for our sins). This is similar to the doctrine of salvation in Christianity; belief in the crucifixion of Prophet Jesus/Isa son of Mary (may peace be upon him). As such, they argue that the need for prayers is no longer applicable or is redundant and maintaining good intentions is all that is needed.

The second group addresses the Ahlul Bayt and its elevated position in the sect by suggesting that since the Alevis were persecuted by the Seljuk and Ottomans, they (Alevis) mold their beliefs into Shi' like doctrine to avoid being slain. Over a period of time, these concepts became so entrenched in their faith that it became nearly impossible to determine what was added and if it can be separated.

In my opinion, there is some truth in what is being said by both of the subgroups in regards to the history of their faith. The emigration of the Alevis began in the region of Khorasan (a difference of opinion exists about their whereabouts). Let’s assume for the sake of discussion that their migration started from the Pashtun belt in Afghanistan. From there, they moved to Persia to find more fruitful and pasture lands. They picked up some of the Zoroastrian belief (in Persia) and then Shi’ doctrine (in Mesopotamia, Iraq). As they crossed to Levant and southeastern Turkey, they settled where there is an abundant pastureland. Perhaps, they found the native teaching of the local folk (culture), string instruments, Sufi mystics and worshiping the elements of nature (i.e., fire or light).

Under the Ottomans, the Alevis were used as Janissary infantry unit and their presence in places like Albania and Macedonia can be felt. The Janissary infantry units were the frontline fighting in Eastern Europe.

Since the Alevis mostly reside in the rural areas (within their own villages), they have almost no contact with the outsiders (Shias or Sunnis). This might have contributed to the emergence of oral traditions firmly established in their hierarchical systems.
 

Each pocket had its 'alim' (scholar) who could only pass on his knowledge to his son who had to be a descendant of the holy household. These men keep a firm hold on the social order (power) by introducing social traditions (i.e., preventing marriages to someone outside of their sect or not allowing conversion to their sect). However, some men are bringing in women through marriages. But Alevi women are completely forbidden to marry outside of their sect (e.g., marriages to Sunni men are disallowed). 

The hierarchical system in their sect leaves no room for questioning. The common people are subjugated to the will of their alims (scholars), who claims that they are from the descendents of the Holy Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his pure family). Perhaps the uncontrollable proliferation of ideas without any checks or balance can be liken to the snowball effect.
 
Along with the development of technology and the modern way of life, the Alevis (like the rest of the people in the region) emigrated into towns and cities. The mass emigration of the Alevi community causes disruption to their hierarchical system. Also, the increased contact with Islamic ideas and an overwhelming pressure to identify the origin of the sect has led to scholarly research.

The Ottomans, unfortunately, have not keep any records of the Alevis theology. This is very unusual since they have kept record of other sects. Could this be because the Ottomans did not want to offend or upset the Janissary that were fighting in the Balkans or keeping the Beyliks of the south in line?

In the modern time, we have seen an increase in the dawa activity by the Shia Jafari among the Alawis. Since members of this sect revere and love the Holy Household (prophet family), more dawah and scholarly debates are needed to win them over to the school of Shia Immamiyyah.

Most, if not all of the Alevis in Turkey acknowledged all the twelve Imams. They respect the Holy Quran. Their claim of tampering can be rebutted intellectually. However, they are some who tries to distance themselves from the Islamic principles (i.e., hejab, polygamy). Most of them do not agree to the Islamic Sharia (punishment?) because they have only seen heavy handedness from the Ottomans who were notorious for prosecuting their ancestors.

There are two schools of thought in regards to the origin/name of the sect. The first group claims that the sect name “Alevi” is derived from Zoroastrian roots, “Alev”, which means flame. Alternatively since the Turkish language does not permit the use of the 'W' one can argue that Alevi is a simple equivalent of Alawi from its Arabic cousin. Hence the partisan of 'Ali can also be derived from the term.
 

All the above is from my own findings, my humble and semi professional research so please don’t take it for granted; keep an eye out for the list of references.

 
Reference
[1] http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/234985799-questions-about-alawinusayris-sect/

Testimonial: Belief of the Alawi/Nusayris sect

The following is a personal testimonial from a person who has met a few members of the Alawi/Nusayris sect. (Note: Some comments have been edited for clarity).

This story is narrated by Cosmos [1]

I've only met two Alawi's in my life. The first time was three years ago at my university. One thing you should know about them is that their faith is top secret. It is really hard to extract information from them. They only reveal their teachings to those who join them. They have no mosques, but have weekly gatherings inside their houses. 

The first Alawi was a man.  He confused my friend (a Sunni) and I (a Shia). By this I mean they "morph" or "blend" into whichever group they join. When he was with me, he used to show me latmia and nasheed from Basim al-Karbalaei. But when he was with Sunnis, he discussed Uthman, Umar and other teachings with them. We eventually found out about his sect. Every time we called him for prayers, he said he would pray at home. Later, my friends told me that he was an Alawi. He denied all. I did not see him after that.

The second member of this group was a woman. She was from Syria. She was a little bit open about her faith. She revealed that She was an Alawi. This, only after we talk about religion. She made sure that I'm mature and will not be making fun of what she is about to say.

According to her, they believe that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) is the God and that the light is the very essence of God. As such, they worship the sun and the moon and see them as the residence of Imam 'Ali (a.s), Prophet Muhammad (may the peace on blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) and Salman al farisi (A Persian disciple and a close companion of Prophet Muhammad(May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family). They identify Imam 'Ali with the sun and Salman with the moon. They also believe in all the prophets of Islam (total number of prophets is about 124 000). They follow all the twelve Imams, eleven Imams from the progeny of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), the last being Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his return).  They also believe in the trinity manifestation of God from Christianity.

Alawi/Nusayris celebrate the following Eids; Eid al-Fitr (but they don't fast), Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Ghadir when imam Ali (a.s) became the successor of prophet Mohammad (may the peace on blessings of Allah be upon him and his family). They also celebrate Eid al-Nawruz (Persian New Year) and Christmas and Epiphany Holiday (from Christianity).

It was really difficult to get things out from from her. And to find an Alawi that reveals he/she is an Alawi/Nusayris is even rare (except for maybe Syrian). My guess is that if they join a group, they blend in and making it hard to identify them. I don't know the exact reason why they are secretive. I guess it must be part of their faith.

Reference

[1] http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/234985799-questions-about-alawinusayris-sect/

Some leads on Alawi/Nusayris - part 1

The following notes are taken from this thread.

According to siraatoaliyinhaqqun 

Member of this sect do not perform salah (Muslim prayers). Neither do they believe in the twelve Imams of Ahlul Bayt (Shia Ithna Asharis). This group has been noted in religious books (Shia), i.e., in the Rijal of an-Najashi and in al-Khisal of Shaykh Saduq. It is believe that Ibn Saba was a member of this group. Imam Hassan Askari (may peace be upon him) have cursed Nusary and considered him as an exaggerator (ghulat).

According to Cosmos (who had a few discussions with a member of this sect from Syria)

Abu Shu'ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr started the Alawi sector during the 9th century, and spread to Syria during the 10th century. Members of this sect worship Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and consider him a manifestation of God. They do acknowledge Ahlul Bayt and accepts all the twelve Imams. Their main book is Kitab al-Majmu. Other books used by them (for debates) are the Holy Quran and Nahjul Balagha. Alawi or Nusayris (named after sect founder) call themselves Alawi Shia muslim, there are over 2 million of them and most are in Syria, others are found in Turkey and some in Lebanon, most of their religion is a mixed bag originating from mixtures of ancient pagan, gnostic and Christian elements along with Shia Islamic teaching. Alawis came to power in Syria in 1960's when Hafez Assad was elected as president, he is also an Alawi, hence he gave them more freedom and power.

Bhooka provided a reference from rijal al-Kashi on his blog. According to him, a hadeeth stated that the founder of the Nusayris sect (Muhammad b. Nusayr al-Numari) claimed prophet-hood for himself. Muhammad b. Nusayr al-Numari also claimed that he was a representative of Imam Hassan Askari. He promoted ideas and teachings that were contrary to Islam, such as, the belief in the reincarnation/transfer of the soul, exaggeration about the Imams of Ahlul Bayt (divinity of Imam Ali), haram acts (e.g. relationship between the same sex). 

To be continued in part 2 .....

Questions about Alawi/Nusayris sect

I am absolutely unclear how to even form thoughts about Alawi/Nusayris. I hope to get more information about them soon.


I have posted the following questions, in hope that someone may know more about this sect or at least point me to some reading materials.

1. When did this sect come into existence? How?
2. Do they worship Imam Ali (peace be upon him) as a God?
3. Is this the group that thought the angel Jibrael made a mistake and sent the revelation to a wrong person, when it should have gone to Imam Ali?
4. Do they acknowledge all the 12 Imams of ahlul bayt (peace be upon them)?
5. Do we have any sayings from our Imams that speak about them?
6. Names of some books/literature that can explain this sect.

Ghulat Groups

The following two groups exhibit ghuluww (exaggeration in religious matter) tendencies as per definition

1. The Druze
2. The Alawi/Nusayris

The Druze

According to Wikipedia: "The Druze emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism and incorporated several elements of Gnosticism, Neoplatonism and other philosophies."

• Locations: Reside primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and the west
• Est. population 750K - 2500K (approx)
• Important literature: Rasa'il al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom)
• Written/Spoken: Arabic, English and local languages/dialects
• Established since the year 1016 AD
• Membership: Not open to the public and extremely secretive
• Symbols: Multi-colored stars

The Alawi

According to Wikipedia: 

"The origin of the Alawis is disputed. The Alawis themselves trace their origins to the followers of the eleventh Imam, Hasan al'Askari (d.873) and his pupil ibn Nusayr (d. 868)

Alawis are self-described Shi'i Muslims, and have been called Shia by other sources including the highly influential Lebanese Shia cleric Musa al-Sadr of Lebanon. 

On the other hand, conservative Sunnis do not always recognize Alawi as Muslims. At least one source has compared them to Baha'is, Babis, Bektashis, Ahmadis, and similar groups that have arisen within the Muslim community, and declared that it has always been the consensus of the Muslim Ulama, both Sunni and Shi'i, that the Nusayri Alawi are kuffar unbelievers and mushrikun polytheists.

The Alawi themselves have insisted that they are Twelver Shi'ites since at least the 1920s, in spite of the French encouraging them to identify as a separate religion.

Alawis have much in common with the Ismailis in terms of overall beliefs, and they are sometimes regarded as an offshoot of this group."

• Locations: Reside primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Turkey
• Est. population: 3M (approx)
• Important literature: Al-Quran and Kitab al-Majmu 
• Written/Spoken: Arabic, Turkish
• Established since the year 1000 AD (approximate date)
  
• Membership: Not open to the public and secretive
• Symbols: Unknown