Who are the Druze?
The Druze are a small ethnic-religious group found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Their belief system, which emerged in the 11th century from Ismāʿīlī Shīʿa origins, is completely detached from Islam. Druze ideology blends elements of reincarnation, Gnosticism, and esoteric mysticism. The false belief of Gnosticism claims that the material world is flawed or evil, and that secret spiritual knowledge is the key to salvation. The Druze give reverence to Prophet Shuʿayb (peace be upon him), identified as the father-in-law of Prophet Mūsā (Moses), and consider the Epistles of Wisdom (Rasāʾil al-Ḥikmah) as their core book of spiritual guidance.
Among their Shirkī beliefs is the view that al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh, a Fāṭimid caliph, was a manifestation of God. They also believe that God has appeared in human form at various times throughout history. These beliefs are a direct contradiction to the pure monotheism of Islam.
The Druze reject the Day of Resurrection, instead embracing the idea of reincarnation of souls. They also restrict access to their religious texts, reserving them only for an elite class known as the ʿuqqāl, unlike Islam, which promotes open and universal access to the Qurʾān and Prophetic teachings.
Furthermore, the Druze deny the core pillars of Islam, including Ṣalāh, Ṣawm, and Ḥajj. Their beliefs and practices represent a clear Shirk and stand in direct opposition to Islamic monotheism.
Under the Divine Guidance of Sharīʿah, the Ahl al-Kitāb (Jews and Christians) may be allowed to pay jizyah in exchange for protection. However, unlike the Ahl al-Kitāb, the Druze are not recognized as People of the Book. Rather they are apostates. Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said regarding the Druze: “…they cannot be acknowledged with jizyah, for they are apostates from the religion of Islam, [they are] not Muslims, nor Jews, nor Christians.” [Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā] Instead, they can be invited to Islam, and if they reject the call, they are to be fought until they repent. And it is known that they are more severe in transgression in Shirk and enmity towards Islam compared to Ahl al-Kitāb. Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said regarding the Druze: “They are from the Bāṭinī Qarāmitah [those who claim the religion has secret meanings contradicting its apparent meanings] who are worse in kufr than the Jews, the Christians, and the pagan Arabs.” [Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā]
Druze in Syria: A Defiant Minority
In Syria, about 700,000 Druze, mostly concentrated in Suweida’s Jabal al-Druze region, hold excessive influence despite making up only 3% of the population. Their history of resistance against French rule in the 1920s and their ability to align with regimes has made them politically opportunistic. Armed militias secure their self-governance.
The fall of Bashār al-Asad in December 2024, and the rise of Aḥmad al-Sharāʿ (al-Jaulani) of Ḥayʾat Taḥrīr al-Shām (HTS) ignited a violent new chapter between Druze and his government. As a summary, this is what came to light:
1) The Druze, entrenched in shirk, appealed to Israel and showed open hostility towards the Muslims of Syria.
2) Jaulani, having turned his back on Sharīʿah, now acts as a secular warlord chasing Western validation while abandoning the Ummah. His refusal to call the Druze to Islam and fight them for their open shirk, despite their aggression towards Muslims and appeal to Israel, further exposes his betrayal of the Divine Law and complete submission to man-made politics.
3) And Israel, apart from broadening the Palestine’s suffering, continues to bomb Syria in hopes of expanding its occupation, and exploiting every opportunity to divide and weaken Muslims.
Suweida’s Violent Clash and Jaulani’s Failure
On 13th July 2025, the kidnapping of a Druze merchant by Bedouin tribes sparked a violent conflict. Druze militias retaliated fiercely, burning Bedouin villages and killing at least 20 people. In response, Bedouin fighters from Darʿā and Ḥamā launched counterattacks. Syrian forces then intervened, claiming to “restore order.” However, ignoring their Sharʿī obligations, these forces resorted to senseless acts like looting and public humiliation, including forcibly shaving the elders’ long mustaches. Their foolishness caused them to focus on trivial outward customs rather than confronting the Druze’s shirk. This misguided approach holds no weight in Islam. Under Sharīʿah, Jaulani’s duty was to call the Druze to Islam and, if they rejected the call, fight until they repent. Yet he fought them over a tribal feud, with the intention of enforcing man-made secular laws on them.
In the fighting, over 1,100 were killed, including 427 Druze fighters and 298 civilians. Ḥikmat al-Ḥajrī, the vile Druze leader, refused to disarm or submit to Jaulani, and disgracefully appealed to Israel for support. Israel quickly obliged, launching airstrikes on Syrian soil. Jaulani, who lacked the courage to defend the starving Muslims of nearby Palestine, immediately backed down from confronting Israel. Even as Syrian territory was bombed, he withdrew his forces, who fled the arena, leaving the Muslim tribes to defend themselves against the Druze onslaught.
Jaulani’s Betrayal: Abandoning Shariah for Western Favor
Once seen as a jihādī leader aligned with al-Qāʿidah, Jaulani was expected by some of his selfless fighters to implement Sharīʿah, unify Syria, and confront shirk wherever it appeared. Instead, he rebranded everything; dressing in suits, mimicking Western rhetoric, and seeking favor from the US. The $10 million bounty the US had placed on his head was lifted in 2025, marking the completion of his transformation into one of their loyal elites.
Jaulani now governs with secular pragmatism. He refuses to call the Druze to Islam, nor fight them. He failed to avenge the Sunnī civilians massacred in Lādhiqiyyah. He enforces no ḥudūd. And as Israel bombs Syrian soil, he utters not a word of condemnation. While Palestine bleeds just on the other side of his border, Jaulani spends his time in diplomacy with those who betrayed the Ummah.
Some claim that his actions are based on taqiyyah, the act of concealing one’s beliefs in situations of threat or danger. But in reality, this is not taqiyyah; it is treachery. By seeking normalization with America and Israel, and remaining silent in the face of their crimes, he has abandoned not only Palestine, but also the Sharīʿah he once claimed to uphold.
Israel’s Exploitation of Every Conflict for Land
On 15 and 16th of July 2025, Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian positions in Suweida, Damascus, and Darʿā under the pretext of protecting the Druze. In truth, it was calculated strategy. With 150,000 Druze loyal to Israel and the Golan Heights in their grips, Israel exploited the chaos to seize an additional 400 square kilometers following Asad’s fall. The attack was also partly intended to remind Jaulani of his humiliation and where he really stands in the Middle East political arena. And Jaulani? He remained silent, accepting humiliation upon humiliation.
For Israel, the goal has always been control. While Ghazzah starves and al-Aqṣā is desecrated, Israel attacked Syria, fully aware that it faces impunity amid a world of silence and betrayal.
Conflict’s Outcome
Despite a US-brokered ceasefire on 17th July 2025, allowing Druze militias to secure Suweida, violence resumed just a day later. Over 900 were killed, and 500 Bedouin families displaced. On 19th July, Syrian government declared another ceasefire. Despite this, Druze militias claimed to have liberated much of Suweida, pushing out Syrian forces from towns like Umm al-Zaytūn.
The outcome? A fractured Syria. Thousands displaced. Hundreds of Syrian soldiers wasted while achieving nothing. Druze forces continue to control the territory while rejecting Jaulani’s authority. Syria’s central government is powerless. And Palestine? Forgotten in the rubble.
How many more holes of humiliation will Jaulani and his army fall into, before his followers finally see through his disguise and treat him as the traitor he truly is? How long will the blood of sincere Muslims be spilled to secure seats for men who sold the banner of Tawḥīd for foreign approval? And how many more pacts with tyrants and Zionists must he sign before even the blind can no longer deny his betrayal? What we know is that he took a detour onto the path of humiliation long ago, and the longer he remains on it, the further he strays from the path of honor. May Allāh safeguard us from such disgrace, and protect our hearts from ever justifying betrayal. Āmīn.