It has been stated in Al-Mawsu`ah al-Muyassarah fi al-Adyan wal Madhahib al-Mu`asirah that: “The Durooz sect is a secret religious sect that aims at deification of the Fatimid Caliph, Al-Hakim bi Amrillah. This sect has foundations with the Ismaelite Sect, and it takes its name after a man called Nashtakin Ad-Durzi.
This sect originated in Egypt but later became popular in the Levant where it is found today.
There are different ideas and dogmas concerning its creed, and they are shrouded in complete secrecy. Even the followers can only gain access to these dogmas when they reach forty years of age.
Founding members and prominent figures:
1- At the heart of this sect, is the Fatimid Caliph, Abu `Ali Al-Mansur ibn Al-`Aziz Billah ibn Al-Mu`izz li Dinillah Al-Fatimi: nicknamed Al-Hakim bi Am
rillah. He was born in the year 375 AH/ 985 CE and was assassinated in the year 411 AH/1021 CE. He had weird ideas and manners, was extremely cruel, unstable and would always hold people in contempt. He took part in a series of systematic human massacres for no apparent reason.
2- The real founder of this sect is Hamzah ibn `Ali ibn Muhammad Az-Zuzny (375AH – 430 AH). He was the one who announced and propagated the deification of the Caliph Al-Hakim in the year 408 AH. He even authored a book on the dogmas of this sect. Hamzah enjoyed such superficial esteem among his followers that they raised him to an elevated position, similar to that of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for Muslims.
3- Muhammad ibn Isma`il Ad-Durzi, known as Nashtakin, and Hamzah founded this religious sect, but Nashtakin rushed to announce the deification of Al-Hakim in the year 407 AH. This angered Hamzah and so he seized the chance to stir people’s anger against him. Ad-Durzi fled to the Levant as a result of this and it was there that he staged a campaign, calling people to follow this sect. The sect gained ground from that point on, and his name became synonymous with it, despite many people cursing him for deviating from the rules and teachings set down by Hamzah (who planned to assassinate him in the year 411 AH).
4- Husayn ibn Haydarah Al-Farghani, known as Al-Akhram or Al-Ajda` championed the propagation of Hamzah’s ideas among people.
5- Baha’ Ed-Din Abu Al-Hasan `Ali ibn Ahmad Al Sumuqi, known as Ad- Dayf played an important role in acquainting people with the belief of the Durzi sect, especially during the absence of Hamzah in the year 411 AH. He authored many of books published on behalf of this sect, like Risalat at-Tanbih wat-ta’nib wat-tawbikh and Risalat at-Ta`nif wat-tahjin, etc. It was he who forbade personal reasoning on dogmatic matters in order to preserve the fundamental beliefs of this sect laid down by Hamzah, at-Tamimi and him.
6- Abu Ibrahim ibn Hamid At-Tamimi who was a son in-law of Hamzah as well as his assistant in inviting people to the Durooz Sect. He is next to him in rank.
Ideas and dogmas:
– They claim the deification of Al-Hakim bi Amrillah. After his death, they claim that he was only doing a disappearing act and that he will return.
– They do not believe in any of the Prophets and Messengers sent by Allah; instead, they condemn them as devils.
– They hold all the adherents of other religions, especially Muslims, in contempt. They claim death warrants on all of them and consider their property as violable (enjoying no protection whatsoever).
– They proclaim that all other religions and creeds have been subrogated by theirs. This explains why they reject all the doctrines and fundamentals of Islam.
– They believe in the notion of the soul’s transfiguration, claiming that the reward or punishment is based on the new body in which a person’s soul enters after death.
– They have no belief in Paradise, Hell, reward and punishment that will take place in the Hereafter.
– Recently, they claimed to have a distinguished ancestry and traced their descent from the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs and Indian rulers.
– They reject the Glorious Qur’an, claiming it to be a work of Salman Al-Farisi, one of the Prophet’s virtuous Companions.
– They take the year 408 A.H. (the year Hamzah announced the deification of Al hakim bi Amrillah) as the starting point of their calendar.
– Their own self-assumed Day of Judgment is the day their leader, Al Hakim – whom they maintain to have gone through a mysterious disappearing act – will return. He will lead them to destroy the Ka`bah, crush the Muslims and Christians and obliterate all of their traces. They dream of ruling the whole world and levying a humiliating tribute on all Muslims.
– They take Hamzah, Isma`il, Muhammad Al-Kalima, Abul-Khayr and Baha’ as the five prophets sent to them by their leader, Al-Hakim.
– They forbid their followers to marry strangers (non-members), and they go against the system of polygamy and do not allow the woman revocably divorced to reunite with her husband.
– Like a closed fortress, no one is allowed to adopt their beliefs and at the same time no one is allowed to forsake it.
– The Durooz can be divided into two categories:
1. Saintly figures (Ar-Rawhaniyyin): people who hold the secrets of the sect. They are subdivided into the ruling family, the intelligentsia and mystics.
2. Ordinary figures (Al-Jusmaniyyin): people concerned with worldly matters; they are subdivided into the nobles and the poor.
– They share opinions with the philosophers who claim all beings are the product of an absolute power of reasoning.
– They transgress against the noble figures of the Prophet’s Companions.
– They believe in complete secrecy which characterizes their beliefs.
– No mosque can be found within their habitations, but don’t be surprised if you find some of them feigning belief in Islam. The intention is to draw you in and seek advantage.
Some of their books:
1- They have written many texts which they call “Words of Wisdom,” amounting to approximately 111 in number and written by Hamzah, Baha’ud-Deen and At-Tamimi.
2- They have a book called Mithaq Waliyy Az-Zaman, written by Hamzah ibn `Ali: it is full of mistakes that can be taken as evidence against this sect.”
Uttering words of disbelief:
Before considering words to indicate disbelief or a person as a disbeliever, we must first of all differentiate between the words and the person uttering them. A word or an idea, like communism or secularism, can indicate or suggest disbelief and this applies to anyone who professes or champions that idea.
But the case is different when it comes to a specific person uttering words pertaining to disbelief or doing an act of disbelief. We have to be cautious before judging that particular person. We must try to reason with him and ask why he professes such an idea.
Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah says in this regard: “A word can amount to disbelief rendering any person saying it as a disbeliever. But a particular person who utters such a word may not be considered a disbeliever until we discuss with him and hear his points of view.
Ibn Taymiyyah adds that a true Muslim should not rush to condemn people as unbelievers who utter the words of faith, testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His Messenger, regardless of their mistakes.
It is unquestionable that pronouncing the words of faith makes them entitled to belong to the Muslim community, and have their lives and properties protected. Besides, Allah orders us not to jump to conclusion regarding hidden matters, for He is the All-Knowing. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity (Zakah), so if they perform that, then they save their lives an property from me except for (committing crimes punishable by) Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts regarding their hidden affairs) will be done by Allah.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)