Alawis: The Nusayrees In Disguise

Safar 28, 1434

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 2

Introduction

The Nusayrees have drawn the limelight in recent months since the outbreak of the Arab springs in the Middle East and Syria in particular. Who are the Nusayrees?

General Category

The Nusayrees are a ghulat (extreme) sect1 which began as a splinter group of the

Twelver Shi’a which went so extreme in their pretentious love of Ali that even Shi’as

regard the Nusayrees as heretical.

For their misinterpretations of the clear meanings of the Qur’an, the Nusayrees

are the Baatinees, i.e. those who rely on supposedly hidden assertions.

Causes of Appearance of the Nusayree sect Its Founders and

History

The roots of the Nusayrees are traced to a student of Hassan al-Askari2 the

eleventh shi’a imam Muhammad Ibn Nusayr a 9th century adherent to the Twelver Shi’a

resident in Basra in southern Iraq3. Ibn Nusayr claimed he was the bab (gateway) to

Hassan al-Askari during whose imamate much of Ibn Nusayr’s mysticism was

propounded. Ibn Nusayr was to later become the bab of the twelfth imam Muhammad

1 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=12 http://slb-ltsu.hull.ac.uk/awe/index.php?title=Alawis 3 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=1

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 3

the Mahdi.

The heretical doctrines of the Nusayrees in succession spread to the cities of

Baghdad and Aleppo4 as the sect moved through those cities. Syria was introduced to the

heresy of the Nusayrees through the work of Husayn Ibn Hamdan al-Khasibi.5 Members

of the sect eventually settled in the mountains of western Syria which remains their

sectarian headquarters.6

For a century since the French occupiers of Syria effected a name change of the

sect the name Alawi has been in use instead of Nusayree an attempt to hide the identity of

the Nusayrees and reduce their awkwardness and isolation from Muslims.7

Alawi is a misleading pseudonym as it depicts the average Shi'a who under

normal circumstances venerates Ali.8 Despite their significant deviation from Shi'ism –

which in turn is in itself a deviation from Islam – and to sustain their secrecy the

Nusayrees in Turkey are grouped under Shi'a or Alevi as Shi'as are locally known.9

An Alawi State was carved by French colonialists in 1922 granting Nusayrees

autonomy. The Nusayrees are found in Syria and in the southern cities of Turkey:

Antakya, Iskenderun, Adana, Tarsus10 that border Syria.

4 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=15 http://slb-ltsu.hull.ac.uk/awe/index.php?title=Alawis6 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=17 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=18 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=19 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=110 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=1

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 4

Major beliefs, practices and main scriptures

Ibn Kathir a renowned Muslim Scholar stated that in opposition to the Muslim

declaration of “There is no god except Allah”, Nusayrees state “There is no god except

Ali, no veil except Muhammad and no bab except Salman”.11

The Nusayree doctrines were formulated by its founder Muhammad Ibn Nusayr

and his successors Muhammad al-Jannan al-Junbulani and Husayn Ibn Hamdan al-

Khasibi and Surur Ibn al-Kasim at-Tabarani.12

At-Tabarani’s book Kitab Al-Ma’rifah (Book of Knowledge) outlines the beliefs

and practices of the Nusayrees.13 The scriptures of the include Kitab al-Majmoo’ (The

Book of Compilation) and al-Khaseebi’s Al-Hidaayah.14

The Nusayrees disbelieve in the Creed of Muslims.15 Although Allah and His

Messenger enjoined Muslims to believe in Allah, His Majestic Names and Attributes, His

Messenger Muhammad and the Messengers before him, His Book the Qur’an, in the

existence of Jannah (Paradise) and Jahannam (hell), the Nusayrees disbelieve in Allah,

His Messengers and the Revelation16.

Only with gross distortions against the Revealed Words of Allah do the Nusayrees

11 http://www.danielpipes.org/191/the-alawi-capture-of-power-in-syria12 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=113 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=114 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=115 http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm16 http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 5

refer to the Qur’an.17 This is in stark contradiction to the Consensus of the Ulema

(Scholars) and the generally established meanings of the Qur’an.

The Nusayrees, however believe in ilm al-baatin (secret knowledge), a specialty

of their shaykhs.18 This secret knowledge is manifested through their misrepresentations

and alterations of the sources of the Sharee’ah: the Qur’an and the Sunnah.19

The Nusayrees shun the Islamic traditions of Shahadah (proclamation of belief),

Zakah (alms investment),20 Ramadhan Fast, five daily Salah (Prayer) and Hajj

(Pilgrimage)21 which are the pillars of Islam. These pillars of Islam were practised by the

Messenger of Allah Muhammad, the four Rightly Guided Khaliphs – Abu Bakr, Umar,

Uthman and Ali – and the consensus of the Companions of the Prophet and the Ulema.

The Nusayrees embrace non-Islamic beliefs such as mysticism, Christian beliefs,22

Zorroastrian beliefs23 and deify Ali the fourth Khaliph.24 The mysticism, called ma’rifah,

is the desire to resume the erroneous divine state from which the souls of the Nusayrees

were expelled25, a clear allusion to the Christian belief that shaytan (satan) was a fallen

Angel.

17 http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm18 http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm19 http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm20 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=121 http://slb-ltsu.hull.ac.uk/awe/index.php?title=Alawis22 http://slb-ltsu.hull.ac.uk/awe/index.php?title=Alawis23 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=124 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=1 25 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=1

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 6

The Nusayrees celebrate Christmas and Pentecost,26 Easter, Palm Sunday, mark

their festivities with bread and wine,27 and often bear Christian names28. Another feature

of Christianity in Nusayree doctrine is the concept of trinity,29 this time of Ali, the fourth

Khaliph and a Companion of the Prophet, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah, and

Salman al-Farisi, a Companion of the Prophet.

The Nusayrees believe in the reincarnation of souls into successive bodies of

humans or animals or even into plants,30 unlike African traditional beliefs, but similar to

Hinduism. Only male Nusayrees are believed to have the capacity to end this vicious,

otherwise never-ending cycle of permanence of old breeds on this earth.31

The Nusaysees relegate women, with the paradoxical exception of Fatimah the

daughter of the Prophet, to a demonic origin32. This is the worst position this author has

come across, an interesting similarity to some contemporary Muslim women and their

male sponsors who believe the only woman worthy of a man’s good treatment is his

mother.

For all purposes the contemporary Muslim woman should not, and does not exist

as an intellectual being without the consent of her spouse nor did she exist before her

26 http://slb-ltsu.hull.ac.uk/awe/index.php?title=Alawis27 http://www.danielpipes.org/191/the-alawi-capture-of-power-in-syria28 http://www.danielpipes.org/191/the-alawi-capture-of-power-in-syria29 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=130 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=131 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=132 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=1

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 7

marriage and remains a perpetual minor whose actions must be vetted by her spouse.

These Muslim men and women promote notions, such as, mistreatment, including

the use of fear and force against a Muslim woman; total disregard for her physical and

psychological wellbeing; complete obedience to her spouse, even in his irrational and

irresponsible orders. The consequence is that a Muslim woman is rendered lower than a

dog.

Secrecy and its importance to sect

The Nusayrees practise taqiyya, the concealment of true self, intentions and

beliefs, and are indoctrinated to adopt pretence, in their interactions with non-members.33

The Nusayree temporarily assumes the conduct of a Muslim, when interacting with

Muslims and becomes a shi’a when the moment calls for such.34

Through clandestine behaviour, members of this menacing sect discuss the

Family of the Messenger of Allah in affectionate terms35 and proceed to inculcate

misguided beliefs into the mind of ignorant Muslims who are unaware of the true nature

of the Nusayrees, thereby creating immense misguidance among ignorant Muslim. For

this reason, Shaykh al-Islam considers the Nusayrees the most dangerous set of persons

to the Faith and security of Muslims.36

33 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=134 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=135 http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm36 http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 8

The Nusayrees are so secretive regarding their true beliefs that only children born

of both Nusayree parentage37 can be initiated, in their mid to late teens, into the sect and

under an oath of secrecy taught the belief system of the Nusayrees. Violations of this

oath of secrecy earns the violator the death sentence.38

Country they rule and how they came into power

Although the Nusayrees make up at most 10% of the population,39 they are the

current rulers of Syria and have done so since the 1960s through coups.40 Hafiz al-Asad,

the father of the incumbent president Bash’shar Asad, took over the reins of power in

1971.41

The foundation to this transformation from peasants to power was the favour and

alliance between the Nusayrees and the French.42 In independent Syria, the Nusayrees

became prominent members of the Ba’th Party and the military.43

37 http://www.danielpipes.org/191/the-alawi-capture-of-power-in-syria38 http://www.danielpipes.org/191/the-alawi-capture-of-power-in-syria39 http://slb-ltsu.hull.ac.uk/awe/index.php?title=Alawis40 Mislamic Sects. Pg 341 http://www.danielpipes.org/191/the-alawi-capture-of-power-in-syria42 http://www.danielpipes.org/191/the-alawi-capture-of-power-in-syria43 http://slb-ltsu.hull.ac.uk/awe/index.php?title=Alawis

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 9

General ruling of scholars on the sect – Muslim or not

Shaykh al-Islam described the Nusayrees as worse disbelievers than the people of

previous Scriptures, the Jews and Christians and are a people whose disbelief is more

severe than pagans.44 According to this ruling, the Nusayrees cannot be considered

Muslims. As Syria was the main residence of Shaykh al-Islam, it provided him abundant

opportunities to research, observe and study the activities of the Nusayrees.45

Despite the presence and widespread dissemination of Ibn Taymiyyah’s Fatwa,

the Nusayrees are still described in some quarters as a Muslim sect46. This is misleading

as a Muslim commences his belief with the belief, thought and statement: No one should

be worshipped except Allah.

One of Allah’s Attributes is that He is not contained within, under, inside, and/ or

alongside any part of His Creation. This Attribute nullifies the Nusayree belief that Allah

manifests Himself on this planet, a creation of Allah. Another of Allah’s Attributes is

that He is not similar to His Creation, which invalidates the Nusayree belief in Divine

manifestations47.

44 Ibn Taymiyyah (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa 35/145) http://www.allaahuakbar.net/nusayri/index.htm 45 http://www.sunniport.com/masabih/showthread.php?t=10348 46 http://slb-ltsu.hull.ac.uk/awe/index.php?title=Alawis47 http://thestylitepapers.blogspot.com/2007/04/elements-of-nusayri-theology.html?m=1

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Conclusion

The Nusayrees may appear to the common person as being part of Islam, considering their Arab nationality and Muslim names, however, they hold beliefs which are alien to Islam.

Alawis: The Nusayrees in Disguise 11

Bibliography

Philips, B. (Comp.) Mislamic Sects: Part Two.

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title=Alawis

Retrieved 16 December 2012. “The Alawi Capture of Power in Syria”

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