The subject of the permissible and the forbidden is the essence of Islam, the evidence of faith, and the scale of honesty before the One, the Judge. There is no faith without action, and no action except according to the requirements of commands and prohibitions.
God Almighty made the lawful and the forbidden as a mercy to His servants for reasonable causes related to the interests of humans themselves; He has not permitted anything except what is good, and has not forbidden anything except what is vile, but rather desires for them ease, goodness, guidance, and mercy. A scholar once said: “God has forbidden usury to His servants and compensated them with profitable trade; He forbade them silk and compensated them with luxurious clothing; He forbade them adultery and compensated them with lawful marriage; He forbade them the drinking of intoxicants and compensated them with delicious drinks; He forbade them vile foods and compensated them with good, wholesome foods.” And the Almighty said:
}And he makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil{ [Al-A'raf: 157]
The Druze Monotheist community derives its concepts of the lawful and the forbidden from the clear Book of God, which distinguishes between truth and falsehood: the Holy Quran. The Monotheists say that there are two constraints in monotheistic worship: the constraint of what is lawful and the constraint of moderation.
The Personal Status Law of the Druze Monotheist community includes many issues such as betrothal, marriage, divorce, interdiction, guardianship, wills, inheritance, and others. Marriage legislation has relied on the noble verses and honorable Hadiths mentioned in the Holy Quran that encourage marriage and its regulations, but with the adoption of monogamy based on the Almighty’s saying: }But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one{ [An-Nisa: 3] until He, the Almighty, says: }And you will never be able to be equal [in feeling] between wives, even if you should strive [to do so]{ [An-Nisa: 129]. In addition to the inadmissibility of taking back a divorced woman through interpretation, to reach the possibility of irrevocable final divorce after observing the full progression in addressing marital disputes in accordance with the detailed verses mentioned in Surat An-Nisa: }Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand{ [An-Nisa: 34].
}And if you fear dissension between the two, send an arbitrator from his people and an arbitrator from her people. If they both desire reconciliation, Allah will cause it between them. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Acquainted [with all things]{ [An-Nisa: 35].
Regarding women who are forbidden for marriage, the Druze Monotheist community relies on what is stated in the noble verses.
}Prohibited to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father’s sisters, your mother’s sisters, your brother’s daughters, your sister’s daughters, your [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing, your wives’ mothers, and your step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you. And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins, and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful{ [Surat An-Nisa: 23].
Likewise, a married woman is forbidden as long as she remains under her husband’s protection, and a woman who has not completed her waiting period (Iddah) due to divorce or death is forbidden. Similarly, a father’s wife is forbidden to his son, for the Almighty said: }And do not marry those [women] whom your fathers married, except what has already occurred. Indeed, it was an immorality and hateful [to Allah] and was evil as a way{ [An-Nisa: 22].
As for children, their lineage traces back to their father, and the child is attributed to parents who are in a lawful marriage. The idea of adoption is rejected by the Druze Monotheist community due to the family problems that may arise from it.
On Food and Drink:
Regarding food and drink, the Druze Monotheists strictly insist on the necessity of striving to earn food and sustenance that is lawful (Halal), as the Almighty says:
}Eat of the good things and work righteousness{ [Al-Mu'minun: 51] and also says:
}O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship{ [Al-Baqarah: 172]. The Druze Monotheists forbid the following things, acting upon the Almighty’s saying:
}He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been slaughtered in other than the name of Allah{ [Al-Baqarah: 173].
}O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful{ [Al-Ma'idah: 90].
Islam also forbade the eating of every bird with talons and every beast with fangs due to the toughness of their muscles, the discoloration of their meat, and the foulness of their odor. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Forbidden to you is every bird with talons and every beast with fangs.”
It is also a duty for the Druze Monotheists to mention the name of God Almighty at the beginning of eating, and when slaughtering livestock and cattle, due to the Almighty’s saying:
}And why should you not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned?{ [Al-An'am: 119]. Mentioning His name at the start of eating is an act of remembering and thanking God Almighty for His numerous and countless blessings. This is also required during slaughter, as sacrifices are only permissible when done in the name of God alone, as the Almighty said: }So eat of that upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned, if you are in His signs believers{ [Al-An'am: 118]. It is reported from Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him) that slaughtering is only valid with a sharp iron tool.
We must also address two topics: drugs and smoking:
The truth is that Islam came calling for the protection and preservation of five things: the preservation of life, the preservation of the intellect, the preservation of honor, the preservation of religion, and the preservation of wealth, for they are the foundation of life, human happiness, the flourishing of the world, and the guarantee of its continuity, persistence, and health. These five have been the focal point and the axis upon which all religions have stood throughout their long history, the succession of their cycles, and the sequence of their messages.
Drugs:
Drugs are forbidden due to their harmful health, mental, spiritual, moral, economic, and social consequences. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “No harming and no reciprocating harm.” Therefore, drugs and their derivatives are forbidden based on the rule of repelling evil and blocking the causes of corruption.
Smoking:
We address smoking from two angles and clarify its danger in two respects: the aspect of destroying and sickening the body, and the aspect of wasting and squandering money.
Since it has been scientifically and medically proven beyond any doubt that smoking is harmful to one’s person and wealth—both of which God has entrusted to every human—the responsibility before God Almighty for them on the day of meeting Him is a grave one.
The same applies to the hookah (nargile), which is considered a form of smoking.
Socially:
As for social matters, the history and heritage of this noble community are the best witness to the deep-rootedness of the members of the Druze Monotheist community in their customs, traditions, ancient heritage, and noble human values, despite the fact that we see some today trying to throw themselves into the embrace of false civilization.
Legislations within this community have emphasized the necessity, and even the duty, to set a good example in dealing with others, and to avoid everything that is far from human values and morals, such as murder, suicide, theft, perjury, backbiting, slander, betrayal, bribery, fraud, hypocrisy, and wailing over the dead—all of which are forbidden among the Druze Monotheists in accordance with Islamic law.
On Wills and Inheritance:
God Almighty says in His Holy Book: }It is prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [that he should make] a bequest for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable - [this is] an obligation upon the righteous{ [Al-Baqarah: 180].
Based on this verse, the Druze Monotheists consider that a will is mandatory for every Monotheist.
In the absence of a will, the distribution of inheritance follows the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. Article 171 of the Law Organizing the Affairs of the Druze Monotheist Community, issued on February 24, 1948, states: “In all matters falling within the jurisdiction of the sectarian judge, for which there is no specific provision in this law, the judge shall apply the provisions of Islamic Sharia, the Hanafi school, and all legal texts that do not conflict with Islamic Sharia.”
Funeral Prayer:
In the funeral prayer for the deceased, the Druze Monotheists rely on the four Takbirs, which are the pillar and essence of the prayer, following the washing and preparation of the deceased.
