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Fundamentals of the Bidden and Forbidden of the Mouwahidoune
Druze Sect
The issue of the
bidden and the forbidden is the principal constituent of Islam, an evidence of
faith, a measure of honesty of the pious Mouwahidoune Druze; therefore, no faith
without action and no action without commitment to what is bidden and
forbidden.
The bidden and
forbidden are set by God in sympathy of mankind for reasonable causes. He only
bids all that is good and forbids all that is evil for He only wishes his
mankind bountifulness, goodness, guidance and mercifulness. One of the scholars
said,
“God forbade interest to compensate it with profitable trade, forbade silk to
compensate it with elegant clothes, forbade adultery to compensate it with legal
marriage, forbade drinking alcoholic beverages to compensate it with delicious
drinks, forbade harmful foods to compensate it with good pure ones, the Almighty
said,
“He allows Them as lawful what is good (And pure) and prohibits them From what
is bad (and impure).” (The Heights sura – verse 157)
The Mouwahidoune
Druze sect adopts the Qur’an regarding the bidden and forbidden since this Holy
Book settles the issue of right and wrong; the Mouwahidoune Druze believe that
monotheistic worship is only fulfilled when it meets the requirements of both
conditions: the bidden and the golden mean (moderation).
The Personal Status
Law of the Mouwahidoune Druze Sect covers many issues as engagement, marriage,
divorce, limitation of someone’s legal competence, custody, bequest, heritage,
etc… The legislations of marriage are based on what has been mentioned in the
verses and Hadith of the Holy Qur’an and which prompt marriage and its norms,
yet with the marriage of one wife based on his saying,
“But if ye fear that ye shall not Be able to deal justly (with them). then only
one,” (The Women sura – verse 3)
until
he says,
“ye are never able To be fair and just As between women, even if it is your
ardent desire:..” (The Women sura – verse 129)
Besides, the divorced woman can not be restored in interpretation of achieving
the absolute irrevocable marriage after considering the entire successive steps
in dealing with the marital disagreement in conformity with the detailed verses
mentioned in
The Women sura,”Men are the protectors And maintainers of women, Because God has
given The one more (strength) Than the other, and because They support them From
their means Therefore the righteous women Are devoutly obedient, and guard in
(the husband’s) absence What God would have them guard. As to those women On
whose part ye fear Disloyalty and ill-conduct, Admonish them (first), (Next),
refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); But if they return
to obedience, Seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For God is Most High,
Great (above you all).” (The Women sura – verse 34).
“If ye fear a breach Between them twain, Appoint (two) arbiters, One from his
family, And the other from hers; If they wish for peace, God will cause Their
reconciliation: For God hath full knowledge, And is acquainted with Äll things.”
(The Women sura – verse 35).
The Mouwahidoune
Druze Sect adopted what has been mentioned in the verses of the Holy Qur’an
regarding the prohibited of women,
“Prohibited to you (for marriage) are: - Your mothers, daughters, Sisters,
father’s sisters, Mother’s sisters; brother’s daughters, Sister’s daughters;
foster-mothers (who gave you suck), foster-sisters; Your wives’ mothers; Your
step-daughters under your Guardianship, born of your wives To whom ye have gone
in, - No prohibition if ye have not gone in; - (Those who have been) Wives of
your sons preceding From your loins; and two sisters in wedlock At one and the
same time, except for what is past; For God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(The Women sura – verse 23).
So is prohibited the
married woman as long as she is still married, the woman who did not pass the
“iddat”
*
period
following her divorce from or death of her husband, and the husband’s wife for
her husband’s son for the Almighty says,
“And marry not women Whom your fathers married, - Except what is past: It was
shameful and odious, - An abominable custom indeed.” (The Women sura – verse
22).
As to children, their
lineage is attributed to their father and the child is attributed to his legally
married parents. Moreover, the issue of adoption is rejected by the Mouwahidoune
Druze Sect because of the familial problems that might take place.
Regarding Foods
and Drinks:
With respect to foods
and drinks, the Mouwahidoune Druze are so strict about the necessity to exert
efforts in obtaining food and earning bidden means of living, for the Almighty
said,
“enjoy
(All) things good and pure, and work righteousness: …” (The Believers sura –
verse 51).
The Almighty
also said,
“O
ye who believe! Eat of the good things That We have provided for you, and be
grateful to god, If it is Him ye worship.” (The Cow sura – verse 172).
The Mouwahidoune
Druze also forbid the following matters pursuant to his saying,
“He hath only forbidden you Dead meat, and blood, And the flesh of swine, And
that on which Any other name hath been invoked Besides that of God.” (The Cow
sura – verse 173)
“O
ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (Dedication of) stones, And
(divination by) arrows, are an abomination , - Of Satan’s handiwork: Eschew such
(abomination), That ye may prosper.” (The Table Spread sura – verse 90).
The Islam also
prohibited the eating of all birds with claws, every beast of prey with a tusk
because of its stiff muscles and colored meat and stingy smell; the Prophet
(pbuh)
said,
“It is prohibited for you to eat any bird with a claw and any beast of prey with
a tusk.”
The Mouwahidoune
Druze should pronounce the name of God (Allah) at the beginning of every meal,
at butchering (slaying) the cattle and livestock for he says,
*Iddat
(also pronounced IDDAH
a "prescribed period" of three monthly courses (Surah 2.228), before the
divorce becomes final. The husband, after declaring to his wife on three
occasions that he intends to divorce her (anti taliq - "you are dismissed"),
must wait three months thereafter before he can finally separate from her, and
the wife likewise must remain in the home during this period to see whether she
is pregnant and to see whether a reconciliation can be made.
“Why should ye not eat of (meats) on which God’s name hath been Pronounced,”
(Cattle sura – verse 119).
Pronouncing the Almighty name at the beginning of a meal is reminding oneself of
and thankfulness to God’s innumerable graces, and so at butchering, since the
carcass is only bidden in the name of God only, for the Exalted said,
“So eat of (meats) On which God’s name Hath been pronounced, If ye have faith In
His Signs” (Cattle sura – verse 118).
Ali Bin Abi Taleb
said that butchering is good only by a piece of iron.
We must also consider
two other main issues: drugs and smoking:
In fact, the Islam
calls for the maintenance and preservation of five issues: the soul, the
intellect, honor, religion and money; they fundamentally constitute life, bring
in happiness to mankind, build up this world and keep its existence and good
health as long as this does not provoke any heresy. These five altogether are
the center and axis upon which religions were based in their history, cycles,
and successive missions.
Drugs:
Drugs are prohibited
because of their health, mental, ethical, economical, and social harmful
effects; the prophet (pbuh) said,
“no harm no wrong" ,
thus, drugs,
as well as all that is derived from them, are prohibited pursuant to the rule of
warding off evil and preventing means of corruption.
Smoking:
Smoking is discussed
from two points of view and its danger is revealed in two respects: the way it
deteriorates and sickens the body, and the way it takes away and wastes money.
It is scientifically
and medically proved that smoking has harmful effects on the soul and money
which God has consigned to man, therefore, looking after both (the soul and
money) is of great responsibility to be asked about when meeting God.
The same is applied
to
“Nargili”
which is
considered as a kind of smoking.
Socially:
With respect to
social issues, both the history and traditions of this honorable sect stand as
the best witness for the traditions, customs, decent legacy and noble humane
values deeply rooted in the members of the Mouwahidoune Druze Sect, though we
could see nowadays some who are trying to throw themselves amidst of fake
civilization.
The legislations
within this sect emphasized on the necessity rather than the importance of ideal
relations, and avoiding all that is far from humane values and morals as
killing, committing suicide, robbery, false testimony, malicious gossip,
tale-bearing, infidelity, bribery, deceit, hypocrisy and wailing for the dead
where all are considered as forbidden acts for the Mouwahidoune Druze in
execution of the Islamic Law.
In regard of
Bequest and Inheritance:
In his Holy Qur’an,
the Exalted and Glorified
says,
“It is prescribed, When death approaches Any of you, if he leave Any goods, that
he make a bequest To parents and next of kin, According to reasonable usage;
This is due From the God-fearing.” (The Cow sura – verse 180).
Based on this verse,
the Mouwahidoune Druze believe that a bequest is obligatory to every one of
them.
However, if a bequest
is not available, the inheritance is to be divided in accordance with the Hanafi
Doctrine; article 171 of the Law of Regulating the Affairs of the Mouwahidoune
Druze issued on February 24, 1948 stipulates that:
With respect to all the issues within the authority of the Confessional Judge
and are not stipulated in a special text in this law, the aforementioned judge
implements the provisions of the Islamic Law, The Hanafi Doctrine, and all the
legal texts that do not oppose the Islamic Law.”
Praying for a
Funeral Procession:
In their prayer for a
funeral procession, the Mouwahidoune Druze rely on the four exclamations of God
as Great which are the basic constituents of prayer and that should take place
after washing and preparing the dead body.
Monotheistic Concepts
The
Bureau of Mashyakhat Al Aql of the Mouwahidoune Druze Sect
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