In the eleventh century AD, specifically in 1017 AD, the Unitarian call began to emerge publicly in Cairo during the Fatimid era, and it was associated with the figure of Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad, who is considered one of its most prominent founders and theorists. The phase of the call continued until 1043 AD, when the door to the call was closed by Baha' al-Din al-Muqtana, marking the beginning of a new phase in the history of the Druze Unitarians.
Closing the door to the call was not merely a historical shift, but was linked to religious and doctrinal dimensions, in addition to the political and religious circumstances that characterized that period. While the followers of the call were subjected to unrest and persecution, the traditional Unitarian understanding holds that the call had a specific timeframe that concluded, and the sect no longer accepts new members from outside.
Since then, the Druze Unitarians have maintained the specificity of their religious affiliation, which is based on being born into the community, according to the prevailing traditional religious stance, without any adopted mechanism for converting to the sect from the outside.
In an episode of the program "Asalat al-Judhur," we return to the beginnings of the Unitarian call and pause at the historical circumstances and doctrinal significance of closing its door, to discuss the relationship between faith and time, the boundaries of religious affiliation, and how the Druze Unitarians have preserved their identity throughout the centuries.
The door to the call was closed nearly a thousand years ago, but questions about its reasons and significance remain open.
