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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear questioner, we commend your keenness on getting your self well-acquainted with Islam and its beliefs teachings, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.
Responding to your question, we’d like to furnish you with the following elaboration on the `Alawiyyin and their basic dogmas and beliefs:
“The `Alawiyyin are originally a sect of the Shi`ah called “Nusayriyyah”. The Nusayriyyah is a movement that emerged in the third century after Hijrah. They claim that `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is God-incarnated.
They used to sew the seeds of disunity and hatred among Muslims. Thus, they used to support people who fought against Muslims.
They were called "`Alawiyyin" by the French colonizers in Syria in order to hide their evil objectives.
Foundation:
This sect, the Nusayriyyah, was founded by Abu Shu`ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr Al-Basri An-Numayri in 270 A.H. Its founder lived in the time of the tenth, eleventh and twelfth Shi`ah leaders, `Ali Al-Hadi, Al-Hasan Al-`Askari and Muhammad Al-Mahdi.
It is claimed that Muhammad ibn Nusayr was the advisor and helper of Imam Al-Hasan Al-`Askari. He taught him and was the reference for the Shi`ah sect after Imam Al-Hasan died. He became their leader and Imam after the demise of Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi.
Muhammad ibn Nusayr became dangerously extreme as he claimed to be a Prophet sent by Allah, and even claimed that his Imams, the Shi`ah leaders before him, were God-incarnated.
They were known in history as the "Nusayriyyah". During the French occupation of Syria, the French assigned them an independent state known as the State of `Alawiyyin. Such a state existed between 1920 and 1936.
Beliefs and dogmas:
1. Members of the Nusayriyyah claim that `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was God-incarnated and that his appearance in human form is similar to the appearance of the Angel Gabriel in human form several times.
2. The appearance of `Ali, being a god for them, in such a human shape is in fact out of his humbleness towards his servants. They praise `Abdullah Ibn Muljam, who killed Imam `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).
3. They believe that `Ali created Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and that Muhammad in turn created Salman Al-Farsi. Salman created the five orphans who are:
a) Al-Miqdad ibn Al-Aswad; they considered him the lord of people and the one assigned to make thunder.
b) Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari; the one assigned to run the planets and stars.
c) `Abdullah ibn Rawahah; the one responsible for running the wind and taking spirits out of human bodies.
d) `Uthman ibn Maz`un; the one responsible for fever, stomach diseases and other diseases that inflict man.
e) Qanbar ibn Kadan; the one appointed to blow spirit into human bodies.
4. Ibn Nusayr also legalized incest and buggery.
5. Members of the Nusayriyyah perform prayer five times daily, but their prayer is different from that enjoined by Allah upon Muslims as it is not the same in number of units, and does not include prostration. There is no Friday Prayer. They did not consider purity, whether wudu’ or ghusl, as a necessary prerequisite to perform prayer. They don’t pray in congregation at mosques; rather, they perform it at home while reciting incomprehensible words.
6. They perform some rites similar to Christians such as the perfume ceremony for brothers in faith, and the incense ceremony on the occasions of joy and merriment.
7. In addition, they go against Hajj as they consider it a kind of idolatry. They do not permit the obligatory charity and fasting merely means abstention from sexual relations during Ramadan.
8. Members of the Nusayriyyah also hate the Prophet’s Companions and curse them, especially Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them all).
9. They claim that the Islamic creed contains internal and external matters, and that they only know the internal aspects of religion, which are as follows:
a) Major ritual impurity refers to coordinating contradicting matters and ignorance of internal knowledge.
b) Purity is just the opposite of major ritual impurity.
c) Fasting means keeping the secrets of thirty men and thirty women.
d) Obligatory charity is symbolized in the character of Salman Al-Farsi.
e) Fighting in the Cause of Allah (Jihad) means showering curses upon their opponents and people who disclose others’ secrets.
f) The Qur'an, for them, is the curriculum that teaches people how to be faithful to `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). It was taught to Muhammad by Salman, who came to him in the shape of an angel called Gabriel.
g) Prayer is to supplicate with the names of five persons: `Ali, Al-Hasan, Al-Husayn, Muhsin and Fatimah.
It is agreed among Muslim scholars that it is forbidden to marry anyone from the Nusayriyyah sect or to eat their slaughtered animals. Moreover, the funeral prayer should not be offered for their dead, nor should they be used as guards in Muslims shelters or ports.
Ibn Taymiyah said that such sects like Nusayriyyah and other movements are the most evil of all. They are more dangerous than the Jews, the Christians and even the polytheists and they are likely to harm Muslims more than enemies such as the Tartars.
They always support enemies of Islam; they were with non-Muslims against Muslims. They considered the Muslims’ victory over the Tartars as the greatest affliction. In fact, it was with their help that the Tartars managed to enter Baghdad and kill the Muslim Caliph and other commanders.
Their feasts:
1. The feast of An-Nawruz, April 4, i.e. the first day of year for the Persians.
2. The feast of Ghadir, the feast of Al-Firash, the feast of `Ashurah.
3. The Day of Mubahalah, on the ninth of Rabi` Al-Awwal.
4. The Greater Bayram, on the twelfth of Dhul-Hijjah, as they claim.
5. They also celebrate Christian feasts, such as the feast of Epiphany (Al-Ghitas), the feast of `Ansarah, the feast of Saint Barbara, Christmas, and so on.
Their foundation of their beliefs and ideologies:
1. Members of the Nusayriyyah have derived their beliefs from those of ancient Magos; they worship planets and stars and claim that they are the residence of Imam `Ali.
2. The devotees of Plato influence their beliefs where their theory implies that everything in the universe derives its existence from a fundamental source.
3. They also adhere to Christian dogma. They maintain the Christian rites such as the trinity and celebrate their feasts and ceremonies. Alcohol is legal.
4. They cite the view of transmigration and incarnation from both the Indians and the Eastern Asians.
Their location:
Members of the Nusayriyyah reside in the mountains of Nusayriyin in Lazqiah, and have lately started to reside in other towns of Syria.”
Translated excerpts, with modifications, from Al-Mawsu`ah Al-Fiqhiyyah Al-Muyassarah fi Al-Adyan wal Madhahib Al-Mu`asirah.
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