Who Are the Alawites? From Historical Roots to Their Relationship with Twelver Shiism

The name Alawites has been associated with varying narratives and interpretations throughout Islamic history, from ties to the family of the Prophet (PBUH) and Twelver Shiism to attributions to movements such as the Nusayris. But where do these similarities and differences come from, and what do historical sources say about this group's beliefs? Answering this question requires a critical rereading of documents and a clear distinction between religious titles.

According to the Missionary Thought and Culture Base, the title "Alawites" has had various meanings throughout the history of Islam, and sometimes, due to its confusion with currents such as Nasiriyyah, it has become the basis for misconceptions about the religious identity of this group. Examining the historical and theological sources shows that it is not possible to know the Alevis without distinguishing the general and specific uses of this title and paying attention to the differences in existing views. In this framework, some Shiite sources emphasize the belief alignment of the Alawites under investigation with Twelver Shiism; A point of view that for its accurate evaluation, one must pay attention to the historical background and beliefs attributed to this group.

Who are the Alevis? Review of a historical title

According to the narrative of the field, the history of Islam has witnessed the formation of various intellectual, religious and political currents since the first centuries. In addition to differences caused by different interpretations of religious texts, political competitions and efforts to achieve power and social status have also played a role in the spread of some conflicts and the formation of religious sects.

In the eyes of some Muslim historians and theologians, the dispute over the issue of the succession of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the explanation of the position of Imamate has been one of the important factors in the formation of religious divisions in the history of Islam. Over time, these differences led to the emergence of different views about monotheism, prophethood, and imamate, and in some cases, it also led to the emergence of currents whose beliefs were far from the belief framework of the main Islamic currents.

Among these streams, groups are known as "grains"; A movement that has been criticized and rejected by many Muslim scholars due to attributing extreme beliefs to Shia imams.

Some sources of sectarianism introduce Gholat as groups that have gone beyond the limits accepted by Shi'ism in explaining the position of imams (pbuh) and have proposed beliefs such as the divinity of imams, the dissolution of the divine essence in them, or reincarnation. These sources also mention people like Abul Khattab who sought to attract followers and increase their influence by attributing exaggerated teachings to Imams (a.s.).[1][2]

Based on these analyses, the political and social conditions of that era were not unaffected in the spread of such currents. The limited access of people to imams, the difficulty of direct communication with scientific and religious centers, and the interest of some people in hearing the virtues of Ahl al-Bayt (pbuh), provided the ground for abuse by those who sought their personal and social goals by distorting religious teachings.

However, understanding the currents attributed to Shiism requires a careful separation between the documented beliefs of each group and the accusations attributed to them in polemical and sectarian sources. The title "Alawites" also needs historical investigation from this point of view.

Alawites; A title with different meanings

In historical and religious sources, the word "Alawi" is used in different meanings. This multiplicity of uses is one of the main reasons for the difficulty of knowing the exact identity of the groups known by this name.

In general usage, the title Alawi is applied to the children of Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (a.s.), his friends and followers, and those who believed in his guardianship and status. Some sources have also used this title about people who pledged allegiance to Amir al-Mu'minin (a.s.) in the Ghadir Kham incident and remained firm on their promise.[3]

Accordingly, "Alawi" does not necessarily mean membership in a specific religious sect, but can be a broad title to refer to family, religious or political relationship with Imam Ali (AS).

In some historical sources, the first Shiites are known as the followers of Ali (AS) and the term "Ali's Shia" is used to introduce them. Following the political and religious developments at the beginning of Islam and the formation of different currents, titles such as "Alawiya" were also used to distinguish the followers of Amirul Momineen (AS) from other political and religious currents.[4]

This historical usage shows that one should not attribute any reference to Alevi or Alevis in old texts to a specific religious group in later periods. The meaning of this term depends on the time of writing the source and its historical context.

3. Alawites and their relationship with Nasiriyah

One of the most important issues in examining the identity of Alevis is the connection of this title with Nasiriyah. Some books on sectarianism have brought Alaviyyah along with Nasiriyyah or used these two titles interchangeably. As a result, a set of beliefs attributed to Nasiriyah is sometimes extended to all those who are called Alawites.

In a number of old sources, beliefs such as the divinity of Imam Ali (a.s.), the dissolution of the divine essence in him, reincarnation, the obscenity of certain taboos, and the sanctification of heavenly bodies have been attributed to Nasiriyyah. Some of the same sources have reported reports about the position of Salman Farsi, wine and vines, as well as the attitude of this group to Ibn Muljam.[5][6]

However, these accounts must be examined in the historical and religious context of the sources that recorded them. The mere existence of an attribution in sectarian books is not sufficient to prove the acceptance of that belief by all members of a society.

In some sources, Nasiriyya have been introduced with names such as "Ansariyya" and "Alaviyeh" and the formation of this movement has been attributed to a person named Nasir. According to the above-mentioned reports, this group separated from the Shia communities in the first centuries of Islam and later settled in parts of northwestern Syria. In the description of its beliefs, the combination of some Shiite elements with elements of Christian traditions and pre-Islamic beliefs has been mentioned.[7][8]

At the same time, equating Nasiriyyah with all currents known as Alavi in the sources requires caution. Even some researchers of the Islamic sect have differentiated between Nasiriyyah and groups such as Ahl al-Haq, and they believe that sharing certain beliefs does not mean that all the beliefs and rituals of these groups are the same.[8]

Therefore, to recognize Alawites, a distinction must be made between the general use of this title, its historical uses among the followers of Imam Ali (a.s.) and its specific use for specific religious communities.

The view of Shiite sources about the beliefs of the Alawites

Against some sectarian reports, a number of Shiite sources and writings related to the introduction of Alawite beliefs have emphasized the closeness of their beliefs to Twelve Imam Shiism.

Based on these sources, the Alawites in question believe in the mission of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Imamate and immediate succession of Imam Ali (AS) and the Imamate of his eleven sons. In this description, they accept the principles and branches of religion, they consider God as one and without partners, they consider the Qur'an as a divine book protected from distortion, and they believe in the validity of Islamic Sharia.[9]

It is also stated in these sources that the followers of this stream refer to religious authorities for Sharia rulings and religious issues, respect the prophets and heavenly books, and do not accept the traditions that they find inconsistent with the Qur'an. Paying attention to the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), the scientific status of Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) and the role of the Prophet's family in explaining religious teachings are also among the features that are highlighted in these descriptions.

Despite this, in order to draw conclusions about the degree of conformity of the beliefs of all Alawite communities with Twelver Shiism, it is necessary to pay attention to the historical, regional and religious diversity of these communities. The doctrinal accounts of a particular group or author are not necessarily representative of all views among Alawites.

The principles of religion in the description of Alevi beliefs

In the sources cited by Shia writers, the principles of Alawite beliefs are explained in the five axes of monotheism, justice, prophethood, imamate and resurrection.[10]

Monotheism: Belief in the only God who has the attributes of perfection and is considered to be free from any faults, defects and partners.

Adl: Belief that God does not commit injustice and abominable acts and does not oblige a person beyond his capacity and talent.

Prophethood: Belief in the prophethood and infallibility of divine prophets who are sent to guide people; From Adam (pbuh) to the last prophet, Muhammad (pbuh).

Imamate: Belief that divine wisdom requires that leaders be appointed after the prophets to guide the people. In this view, the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) introduced Imam Ali (pbuh) as his successor, and after him, eleven imams from his children have assumed the position of Imamate.

Resurrection: Belief in the resurrection of humans after death and the establishment of the Day of Reckoning, in which the actions of humans will be measured and the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be determined.

The mentioned sources also introduce the acceptance of branches of religion, including prayer, fasting, zakat, hajj and jihad, among the characteristics of this group's beliefs.[10]

These descriptions show the belief framework of the Alevis from the perspective of the sources cited by the author; However, its comparative analysis with the beliefs of contemporary Alevi communities requires independent evidence and field studies.

Jumblaiyeh Tariq and the concept of "Bab" in historical reports

Some Shiite sources, along with the above-mentioned commonalities of belief, have mentioned two issues that have been raised in historical reports about the Alawites: the Jumblaiyya Tariqa and the concept of "Bab".

The Jumblaiyya school of thought is attributed to Abu Muhammad Abdullah Jumbalani, who is mentioned in some sources as one of the prominent figures of this movement. According to these reports, he traveled to Iraq and Egypt and presented teachings related to Sufism, philosophy, astronomy, and delegation within the framework of his Tariqat.[11]

In some reports, the concept of Bab also refers to the belief that it is possible to recognize Imams (a.s.) through certain people. For example, Imam Ali (a.s.) has been introduced as the "Bab of the Prophet's Knowledge" in famous traditions, and in some reports related to the Alawites, Salman Farsi has been mentioned as the "Bab of Imam Ali" [11].

Of course, the existence of such reports alone does not show that these beliefs were accepted in all periods and among all Alawite groups. Some Shia writers have also rejected the attribution of these beliefs to the Alawites they have studied. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between the historical beliefs attributed to a movement and the real beliefs of its followers in different periods.