The Extremist Shia
February 25, 2025The Doctrine of the Nusayriyyah
February 25, 2025BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
The Nusayriyyah Sect
It is a sect of the Batini[1] Ghaliyah, the majority of whose members reside in Syria[2], in the mountains named after them, and east of Latakia, extending from the Taurus Mountains in the north to the Lebanon Mountains in the south. However, recently they have spread to most Syrian cities.
On the Origins of their Name
The Nusayriyyah do not like to be labelled by this title, since they prefer to be called ‘Alawiyyah[3]. They say that this title was given to them out of sectarian enmity as a pretext to persecute them mercilessly.
The Nusayriyyah say that the Turks are the ones who deprived the members of the sect of the name ‘Alawiyyah, and they labelled them Nusayriyyah in reference to the mountains in which they live, out of spite and contempt for them. However, the French restored the label of ‘Alawiyyah to them, which they had been deprived of for more than four hundred and twelve years during the Ottoman mandate over Syria, since an order was issued by the Supreme Commissionerate in Beirut on 9/1/1920 to declare the Nusayri mountains as the independent lands of the Alawites.[4]
There is another explanation for why they are referred to as Nusayriyyah, which was mentioned by the orientalist Rousseau, who claimed it was related to the word Nasrani or Nasara.[5] This is not unlikely, especially if we note that the Nusayriyyah, as we will see in the coming pages, still maintain some religious traditions and rituals that are somewhat similar to Christianity. In addition to this, their participation with the Christians in many of their holidays, and standing by them in critical times throughout modern history—in Lebanon, for example—is evidence of the correctness of this view.
But what is closest to the truth and appeals more to logic, is that the name Nusayriyyah is taken from the name of the founder of the sect, Abu Shu’ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr al Basri al Namiri, who died in the year 260 Hijri or 873 CE, who was the bondsman of al Hassan al ‘Askari (the eleventh Imam of Twelver Shi’ism). He would later break off (from the Twelvers) and invent this sect which is named after him. It is also said that they were called ‘Alawiyyah because they were one of the sects that took ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu as their ultimate liege-lord and worshipped him. The Turks used to call them Surahk which is a Turkish word meaning “the exiles” or “the shepherds”. With time, people began to pronounce it Surak, referring to the Nusayriyyah. To this day, there are some Nusayriyyah in Aleppo and in the districts of Sahyun, ‘Umraniyyah, and Safita who are still called by this name.[6]
Among the names given to the Nusayriyyah is the name “al Namiriyyah”, in reference to Muhammad ibn Nusayr al Namiri.[7]
Although the Nusayriyyah hate this name and do not want to be referred to as such, we find the Nusayri, Muhammad Amin Ghalib al Tawil, explaining the reason that his sect is referred to as Nusayriyyah:
لما فتحت جهات حمص وبعلبك استمد أبو عبيدة نجدة فأتاه من العراق خالد بن الوليد ومن مصر عمرو بن العاص وأتاه من المدينة جماعة من العلويين وهم ممن حضروا بيعة غدير خم وهم من الأنصار وعددهم يزيد عن أربعمائة وخمسين مجاهداً ولما وصلت هذه النجدة والتحقت بالجيش نجح نجاحاً جزئياً فسميت هذه القوة الصغيرة نصيرة وإذا كان من قواعد الجهاد تمليك الأراضي التي يفتحها الجيش إلى ذلك الجيش نفسه فقد سميت الأراضي التي امتلكها جماعة النصيرة جبل النصيرة وهو عبارة عن جهات جبل الحلو وبعض قضاء العمرانية المعروف الآن ثم أصبح هذا الاسم علماً خاصاً لكل جبال العلويين من جبال لبنان إلى أنطاكية
When the regions of Homs and Baalbek were conquered, Abu ‘Ubaidah sought reinforcements, so Khalid ibn al Walid came to him from Iraq, and ‘Amr ibn al ‘As from Egypt, and a group of ‘Alawiyyah came to him from Madinah, who were among those who attended the pledge of allegiance at Ghadir Khumm,[8] and they were from the Ansar, and their number exceeded four hundred and fifty mujahidin. When this help arrived and joined his army, it was partially successful, so this small force was called Nusayrah. If one of the rules of jihad is to give ownership of the lands that the army conquers to that army itself, then the lands that the Nusayrah group received was called Jabal al Nusayrah, which is the regions of Jabal al Halu and some of the district of ‘Umraniyyah, which is known today. Then this name became a special name for all the mountains of the ‘Alawiyyah, from the mountains of Lebanon to Antioch.[9]
These are most of the theories pertaining to the reasoning behind naming this sect Nusayriyyah. We have mentioned them briefly. However, I see that the closest to the truth is that it was named after the founder of the Nusayri doctrine, Muhammad ibn Nusayr al Basri al Namiri, the bondsman of al Hassan al ‘Askari, after he separated from the Twelver Shia. If we consult any book that chronicles the different sects, we find that many of these sects are attributed by name to the one who created them. There are many examples of this, and you will find them in appropriate place in the sources.[10]
On their Proliferation
After the death of the eleventh Imam, the Imami Shia split into fourteen sects. Only three of them recognized Muhammad ibn al Hassan al ‘Askari as the Mahdi. The remaining sects denied that al Hassan al ‘Askari had a legitimate biological son. One of the three sects said that al Hassan al ‘Askari had a son named Muhammad (the one alluded to before), who was born two years before his death.[11] A second group said that he had a son that was born eight months after his death, and that those who claim a son for him before his death are misguided.[12] The third group, the Twelvers—who were joined by all the other Imami sects after that—used to uphold both of these two statements, but the first opinion prevailed. One of the strangest occurrences is when asked about the Mahdi, one sect among the various sects of the Shia said:
We do not know what to say about that Imam, whether he is from the descendants of al Hassan or from his brothers. The matter has become confusing to us. We say that al Hassan ibn ‘Ali was an Imam and he has passed away, but the world cannot be left without a Hujjah. We therefore take the position of tawaqquf (abstaining from making a declarative proclamation) on the matter and do not proceed with anything until the matter becomes clear to us.[13]
Up until the ghaybah[14] of the Mahdi, the Imams were the reference-point and role model for the Shia. Since they are privy to all the knowledge that was revealed to the angels, prophets and messengers, and they know the knowledge of what was and what will be, and nothing is hidden from them, according to the claim of the author of the book al Kafi,[15] then each one of the Imams must have a bab[16] that is the link and connection between the Imam and the Shia, based on ahadith that they claim were narrated from the Messenger of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala including:
أنا مدينة العلم وعلي بابها فمن أراد المدينة فليأت الباب
I am the city of knowledge and ‘Ali is the door. Whoever desires to enter the city should enter from the door.[17]
According to their claims, the abwab[18] of the Imams are:
| Name of Imam |
Name of Bab |
| 1. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib | Salman al Farsi |
| 2. Al Hassan ibn ‘Ali | Qais ibn Waraqah (known as al Safinah) |
| 3. Al Hussain ibn ‘Ali | Rushayd al Hajari[19] |
| 4. ‘Ali Zayn al ‘Abidin | ‘Abdullah al Ghalib al Kabili |
| 5. Muhammad al Baqir | Yahya ibn Ma’mar ibn Umm al Tawil |
| 6. Jafar al Sadiq | Jabir ibn Yazid al Ju’fi |
| 7. Musa al Kazim | Muhammad ibn Abi Zainab al Kahili |
| 8. ‘Ali Rida | Al Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar |
| 9. Muhammad al Jawwad | Muhammad ibn al Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar |
| 10. ‘Ali al Hadi | ‘Umar ibn al Furat (known as al Katib) |
| 11. Al Imam al Hassan al ‘Askari | Abu Shu’ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr al Basri al Namiri |
As for the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad al Mahdi ibn al Hassan al ‘Askari, he has no bab, according to the Nusayriyyah. Rather, the position of bab remains with Abu Shu’ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr al Basri al Namiri.[20]
But the Twelver Shia did not acknowledge Abu Shu’ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr in this capacity, so he separated from them and founded the Nusayri sect attributed to him. Later, they would explain their separation by saying, “They (i.e. the Twelvers) could not stand to remain without a living and apparent Marja’[21] in which to believe, because no matter how exalted and accomplished in spiritual matters a person may be, to them (i.e. the Twelvers) it is impossible for such a person not to be dependent on the material realm.”[22]
Muhammad ibn Nusayr made the city of Samarra his headquarters, and he remained the highest authority of the Nusayri sect until he died in the year 260 AH. He claimed prophethood, and that the one who sent him was Abu al Hassan (‘Ali ibn Abi Talib). He believed in reincarnation, and exaggerated about Abu al Hassan, attributing Rububiyyah (Supreme Lordship—a quality of Allah alone) to him, and declaring things that were heretofore haram as halal.[23]
Upon the death of Muhammad ibn Nusayr, however, another bab took his place, by the name of Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad al Hanan al Junbulani. He came from the locality of Junbula’ in Iran, hence his Persian epithet.
He created a Sufi order known as the Junbulani Order. He then travelled to Egypt, where he was able to win over al Hussain ibn Hamdan al Khasibi to his Sufi order and school of thought. He returned to the town of Junbula’, and his student al Khasibi followed him, studying their teachings and doctrine with him. After al Junbulani’s death in the year 287 AH, al Khasibi succeeded him and became a religious leader and the highest authority for the Nusayriyyah.
Al Khasibi left his Persian town, Junbula’, and headed to Iraq, making the city of Baghdad his headquarters. He then began to wander among his followers as a preacher and guide, until he settled in the city of Aleppo, where he died in the year 346 AH. His grave is in the north of the city of Aleppo and is inscribed with the name “Sheikh Yabraq”, which the Nusayriyyah visit and sanctify.[24]
It is said that al Khasibi is the one who established and codified the foundational beliefs of the Nusayri sect as they exist today. After the death of al Khasibi, the Nusayri sect had two headquarters: the first and greatest in the city of Aleppo, headed by Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al Jali. The second in the city of Baghdad, headed by ‘Ali al Jisri, the supervisor of the bridges of Baghdad at that time. This headquarters ceased to exist after Hulagu Khan’s infamous assault on the city of Baghdad.
After al Jali, Abu Sa’id al Maymun Surur ibn Qasim al Tabarani was born in the city of Tiberias in northern Palestine in the year 358 AH. At some point, he travelled to Aleppo, where he studied under al Jali, and the leadership of the sect passed to him, as well as the leadership of the Junbulani Sufi order. Then he moved the headquarters of the sect from the city of Aleppo to the city of Latakia, fleeing the continuous Kurdish raids on them. He died there in the year 426 AH. His grave was on the seashore inside the Masjid known today as the al Sha’rani Masjid, which is a place of visitation for Sunni Muslims who visit it, while the Nusayriyyah sanctify it.
After the death of Abu Sa’id al Tabarani, several figures took turns leading the sect, until the Amir Hassan al Makzun al Sinjari[25] came to the regions of Latakia at the request of the Nusayriyyah, and they sent Sheikh Muhammad al Baniyasi and Sheikh ‘Ali al Khayyat to him as delegates, informing him of the sorry state of the Nusayriyyah and the harassment of the Kurds and Turks towards them. So, he marched with an army of 25 000 fighters and set up his tents on ‘Ayn al Kilab near the castle of Abu Qubays at the base of Jabal al Kalbiyyah. The Kurds and Turks noticed his arrival, so they gathered secretly in Masyaf and raided the prince’s troops at night, defeating him badly. He then returned to Sinjar with his tail between his legs. Thirty years after his defeat, he marched from Sinjar to the Nusayri region with 50 000 fighters, including women and children, from whom the Nusayri clans of al Haddadiyyah, al Mutwarah, al Darawasah, al Muhalabah, and Banu ‘Ali descended. This army arrived from the direction of Aleppo, and the Nusayriyyah in the area joined it. This army marched to the Nusayri mountains and occupied the area through bloody fighting. They took control of the Abu Qubays Castle and established it as their headquarters. After taking it by force, they also took control of Jabal al Kalbiyyah. Once they took over the peaks of the Nusayri mountains, which are called Sha’ra, they began cooperating with the Agha Khani Ismailiyyah present in the region in order to expel the Kurds from the region and push them into the region of Acre in present-day Lebanon. They then returned to the castle of Abu Qubays, which the Amir Hassan al Makzun al Sinjari made his summer residence.
He chose the village of Siano, neighbouring al Kharbah Jablah as a winter resort. Then he devoted himself to Sufism[26] and writing about the principles of the Nusayri sect until he died in the year 638 AH and was buried in the village of Kafr Sousa near the Golan Heights. His grave is a common shrine for ignorant Sunnis and the Nusayris who consider visiting him as a kind of worship and sanctification.
After the death of Amir Hassan al Makzun al Sinjari, the Nusayriyyah dispersed into several religious centres that were not connected to each other. Each centre was headed by a religious authority whom they call “Sheikh”. Each Sheikh independently headed a small centre until they were able, in recent times—while the Muslims in Syria and elsewhere were asleep—to gain control of the government in Syria. Their authority and power returned to them once again, and they use this to control the lives of Muslims within their sphere of influence.”
NEXT⇒ The Doctrine of the Nusayriyyah
[1] Lit. Internalist or Esoteric. These are sects that believe the Qur’an and the Sunnah have a hidden, internal meaning that is only perceivable by the elite, while the uninformed masses follow the apparent, external meanings of the text.
[2] The Nusayriyyah are distributed as follows, according to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, first edition: (a) In the Alawite Mountains, 213,000 people. (b) In the Sanjak of Alexandretta (currently occupied by Turkey), 58,000 people in (Antioch, then Juwaydiyyah, Suwaidiyyah, Al Eidiyyah, and Al Jaliyah). (c) In Hama and Homs, and in two neighbourhoods of Aleppo, and near the bridge, and to the north of Lake Hula (Ain Fit: 3060 people). (d) In Palestine, 2000 people. (e) In Cilicia since the fifteenth century, and in Tartus and Adana, 80,000 people in 1921, and it is now part of Turkiye.” See The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, pg. 434, London, 1961, and see The Doctrines of the Islamists, pg. 497. The Nusayriyyah are also present in the city of Tripoli, Lebanon, and they have an armed organization there led by the Alawite ‘Ali Eid.
[3] Lit. Those connected to or descended from ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam. The Nusayriyyah believe this name gives them legitimacy within the Muslim world.
[4] Al Tawil: Tarikh ‘Alawiyyin, pg. 391.
[5] Hassan: Tarikh al Islam al Siyasi, 4/265-267.
[6] Al Tawil: Tarikh ‘Alawiyyin, pg. 343.
[7] Al Nawbakhti: Firaq al Shia, pg. 78; Al Ash’ari: Maqalat al Islamiyyin, pg. 15; Al Baghdadi: Al Farq bayn al Firaq, pg. 252.
[8] See pg. 47 of this book.
[9] Al Tawil: Tarikh ‘Alawiyyin, 97-98.
[10] See the books Al Farq bayn al Firaq, Al Milal wa al Nihal, and the book Al Firaq al Islamiyyah (epilogue to the book Sharh al Mawaqif by al Kirmani).
[11] Al Nawbakhti: Firaq al Shia, pg. 102.
[12] Ibid., pg. 106.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Occultation: The belief of various Shia sects that the awaited Mahdi (whoever they believe him to be) has gone into hiding in some other-dimensional realm, where he is being sustained until the time is right for his return.
[15] Al Khatib: Al Khutut al ‘Aridah, pg. 25.
[16] Literally “gate”.
[17] The hadith is narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas, Jabir, ‘Ali, Anas, and Abu Dharr radiya Llahu ‘anhum. Most scholars of hadith have ruled that this hadith is munkar (unacceptable).
[18] Plural of “bab” (gate).
[19] It was narrated that Rushayd al Hajari, one of those who followed the doctrine of ‘Abdullah ibn Saba’ the Jew, entered upon ‘Ali (Zayn al ‘Abidin) after his death while he was lying on his back. He greeted and said to his companions, “He still understands speech, returns greetings, breathes the breath of a living person, and sweats under a soft blanket. He is the Imam who will fill the earth with justice and equity, just as it was filled with injustice and oppression.” Then he claimed with the Saba’iyyah that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala had raised him up just as He had raised ‘Isa. They said, “He only raised him up because of His anger at the people of the earth, since they disobeyed Him and did not obey His command.” [See pg. 22-23 of the book Masa’il al Imamah, as well as selections from the book Al Awsat fi al Maqalat.]
[20] Al Tawil: Tarikh ‘Alawiyyin, pg. 201-202; Ghalib: Al Haft al Sharif, pg. 20-21.
[21] Literally “source” or “reference”, used in this case as a synonym for bab, but generally used by the Shia to refer to a highly ranked scholar who serves as a living “source” of their religion.
[22] Al Tawil: Tarikh ‘Alawiyyin, pg. 200.
[23] Firaq al Shia, pg. 78; Maqalat al Islamiyyin, pg. 15; al Farq bayn al Firaq, pg. 252.
[24] See Al Tawil: Tarikh ‘Alawiyin, pg. 204. As for Hassan: Tarikh al Islam al Siyasi, 4/265-267, it states that the name on the grave is “Sheikh Barqaq”.
[25] See the book by Dr. As’ad ‘Ali, who is from the Nusayri sect, about Al Makzun al Sinjari, under the title: Knowledge of Allah and Al Makzun al Sinjari.
[26] i.e. The misguided and fabricated Sufism invented by the Nusayriyyah.