SHA’BAN – MYTHS AND FACTS
February 13, 2025Introduction
February 24, 2025
The recent events in Syria, culminating in the “finalization of the 2011 Revolution” have shed light on the grievous atrocities perpetrated against Syrians by the Al-Assad regime. Sunnis being forced to prostrate to images of Bashar al-Assad while proclaiming “Bashar is my God” is but one of the shameful acts that were perpetrated by Assadist forces against the war-torn and traumatized Syrian people. Acts of aggression such as these, however, did not take place within a vacuum. Rather, there is a very specific context for them: the hatred and enmity burning in the hearts of the Nuṣayrī (or ʿAlawī) sect for the Ahl al-Sunnah. This hatred stems from the historical inferiority complex harboured by this extremist sect—a sect considered extreme and misguided even by the Twelver Shīʿah—and was exploited by the French colonial administrators who moulded this sect into a political elite.
In spite of the tensions between this sect and those they come into contact with, and their prominent—albeit fabricated—status in Syrian society, not much is known about what they actually believe. This is not due to disinterest, but rather due to the secrecy of this sect about their sinister beliefs. Many incidents have been reported in which Nuṣayrīs who dared reveal the esoteric secrets of their doctrine were assassinated. The esteemed author of this work, Dr Sulaymān al-Ḥalabī, dares us to delve into this dark and sinister world of the Nuṣayriyyah, as he features excerpts from their sparse religious texts. In so doing, he proves the misguidance of this sect, and dispels the myth of their tolerance for people of other beliefs.
THE NUṢAYRIYYAH SHĪʿAH
— History & Beliefs —
Dr. Sulaymān al-Halabi
Click one of the sections below:
The Doctrine of the Nusayriyyah
Modes of Worship of the Nusayriyyah
The Festivals of the Nusayriyyah
The Nusayriyyah and the Transmigration of Souls
The Nusayri Position on the Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum
The Treachery of the Nusayriyyah Against the Muslims in the Past and Present
Nusayri Tribes and Their Homelands