A prominent figure of the Unitarian Druze community and one of the highest spiritual authorities in Syria.
Sheikh Abu Adnan Rakan Al-Atrash, born in 1940, passed away at the age of 79 in As-Suwayda on November 12, 2019. He was known for his spirituality and piety, as well as his wise and courageous stances at various junctures.
Biography
Al-Atrash hails from the village of Arman in the south of As-Suwayda, and he belongs to the Al-Atrash family, one of the most renowned families among the Unitarian Druze. From this family came the General Commander of the Great Syrian Revolt, Sultan Pasha Al-Atrash, who was a relative of the Sheikh. The greater part of Al-Atrash's life was one of devotion and asceticism; since his youth, he dedicated himself to worship and chose to live in the agricultural region of Dahr Al-Jabal, where he established a Khalwa (a place of worship) that later became a destination for Sheikhs in As-Suwayda governorate.
His Passing
Sheikh Rakan Al-Atrash passed away on November 12, 2019. His funeral was held in the city of As-Suwayda, attended by tens of thousands, with large delegations arriving from Jordan and Lebanon to pay their respects. He was also mourned by the religious authority of the Druze community in Palestine.
Memorial services were held in the Syrian Golan in Majdal Shams, in addition to a memorial service in Palestine at the Maqam of Abu Abdullah in Isfiya.
