Druze

Muwaḥḥidūn
موحدّون

Druze star
Total population
≈800,000[1][2][3]–2,000,000[4]
Founder
Hamza and Al Hakim[5]
Regions with significant populations
Syria	600,000[6][7]
Lebanon	200,000[8]
Israel	150,000[9]
Jordan	20,000[10]
Venezuela	60,000[11]
United States	50,000[12]
Canada	25,000[13]
Australia	20,000[14]
Germany	14,000[15]
Religions
Unitarian Druze
Scriptures
Epistles of Wisdom (Rasa'il al-hikma) and the Quran[16]
Languages
Arabic (native) Hebrew (in Israel)[17] Spanish (in Colombia) English (in the United States, Canada and Australia)

Druze (/ˈdruːz/;^[18] Arabic: دروز; Durūz, plural Druzes) is an Arab religious sect and community. It is estimated that there are more than 1 million Druzes in the world today, and most of them live in the Middle Eastern countries, especially in Lebanon and Syria. There are some smaller Druze communities around the world.^[19] 'Druze' is the name given to the community by outsiders, and the term is not used by Druzes themselves. Instead, they call themselves muwaḥḥidūn (“unitarians”).^[20] Druze’s origin is Shi'i Islam of Fatimad dynasty,^[20] but Druzes hold distinctive beliefs and practices and put much emphasis on philosophy and spirituality.^{[19][20][21][22]}

1. ↑ Carl Skutsch (7 Nov 2013). Skutsch, Carl (ed.). Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. Routledge. p. 410. ISBN 978-1-135-19388-1. Total Population: 800,000
2. ↑ Robert Brenton Betts (1 Jan 1990). The Druze (illustrated, reprint, revised ed.). Yale University Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-300-04810-0. The total population of Druze throughout the world probably approaches one million.
3. ↑ Donna Marsh (11 May 2015). Doing Business in the Middle East: A cultural and practical guide for all Business Professionals (revised ed.). Hachette UK. ISBN 978-1-4721-3567-4. It is believed there are no more than 1 million Druze worldwide; most live in the Levant.
4. ↑ Samy Swayd (10 Mar 2015). Historical Dictionary of the Druzes (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4422-4617-1. The Druze world population at present is perhaps nearing two million; ...
5. ↑ Daftary, Ferhad. "ḤĀKEM BE-AMR-ALLĀH". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
6. ↑ http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Syria_Religion_Detailed_lg.png
7. ↑ Irshaid, Faisal (19 June 2015). "Syria's Druze under threat as conflict spreads". BBC News.
8. ↑ Lebanon – International Religious Freedom Report 2008 U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2013-06-13.
9. ↑ "Palestinians say they number 12.1 million worldwide". Times of Israel. 2015.
10. ↑ International Religious Freedom Report, US State Department, 2005
11. ↑ "Tariq Alaiseme [reportedly to be] vice-president of Venezuela" (in Arabic). Aamama. 2013.: Referring governor Tareck El Aissami.
12. ↑ Druze Traditions, Institute of Druze Studies, archived from the original on 14 January 2009
13. ↑ "Dating Druze: The struggle to find love in a dwindling diaspora". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
14. ↑ "Druze Population of Australia by Place of Usual Residence (2006)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
15. ↑ "European Druze Society". www.europeandruzesociety.com.
16. ↑ "Druze and the Seven Commandments". Meer. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
17. ↑ Berdichevsky, Norman (22 February 2018). Nations, Language and Citizenship. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-2700-0.
18. ↑ "Definition of druze". Dictionary.com. 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} "Al-ḥudūd | Druze religion | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1 20.2} Swayd, Samy S. (2009). The A to Z of the Druzes. The A to Z guide series. Lanham (Md.): Scarecrow press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6836-6.
21. ↑ Westheimer, Ruth; Sedan, Gil (2007). The Olive and the Tree: The Secret Strength of the Druze. Lantern Books. ISBN 9781590561027.
22. ↑ "Druze: the great survivors". Arab News. 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2023-05-17.