Anjum Anam –
In the study of religion, the five largest and most widely practiced religious movements — Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — are grouped under the heading of “world religion”. Other world religions including Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and the Baháʼí Faith are also included in this group by some academics. These are frequently compared to other classifications by academics, like indigenous religions and new religious movements. These religions are essentially considered minor ones.
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian religion that may have started as early as 4,000 years ago. It is one of the oldest still-practicing religions and is thought to be the earliest monotheistic faith in the world. Up until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the 7th century AD, Zoroastrianism was the official religion of three Persian dynasties. Parsis, or Zoroastrian refugees, left Iran to avoid persecution at the hands of Muslims. Zoroastrianism is still practiced as a minority religion in some regions of Iran and India and has between 100,000 and 200,000 adherents today.
According to Zoroastrians, their supreme God Ahura Mazda, also known as the “Wise Lord”, revealed his faith to a priest by the name of Zarathustra (or Zoroaster, as the Greeks called him). The religion is credited to Zarathustra as its founder, and those who practice it refer to themselves as Zoroastrians or Zartoshtis.
The fundamental contrast between good and evil and the belief that God, Ahura Mazda, created the world so that the two forces may interact and the evil one would be defeated are at the heart of Zoroastrianism. This includes the notion that a person’s afterlife will be determined by the decisions they make while on earth, that evil will be finally and irrevocably vanquished at the end of time and that the planet will be returned to its former state of perfection.
Druze
Druze is a small Middle Eastern religious sect that has been able to preserve its unique faith and close-knit identity for generations. It is distinguished by its eclectic system of ideas, as well as by the cohesion and allegiance of its members (which has occasionally had political significance). More than 1 million Druze people lived in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel at the beginning of the 21st century, with smaller populations in other nations.
The Druze faith arose in Egypt as an outgrowth of Ismaili Shiasm under the eccentric al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh’s (6th Fatimid caliph) caliphate (996–1021) when some Ismaili theologians organized a movement professing al-Ḥākim to be a divine person. Although al-Ḥākim himself may have supported the notion, the Fatimid religious establishment believed that al-Ḥākim and his forefathers were divinely chosen but not themselves divine. The idea was first publicly expounded in 1017, which resulted in riots in Cairo.
Alawites
Alawite is a minority sect of Shiite Muslims living chiefly in Syria. Approximately 2 million or 12–15 percent of Syria’s current population are Alawites. Nearly two-thirds of them reside in the hilly regions of Latakia on the northwest coast, where they are the majority.
The 10th Shiite Imam’s Basran contemporary Muḥammad ibn Nuṣayr an-Namiri’s teachings are the foundation of Alawism. The sect was primarily founded by Ḥusayn ibn Ḥamdan al-Khasibi (d. 957 or 968) during the Ḥamdanid dynasty (905–1044) when the Alawites had significant influence in Aleppo.
The Alawites hold to the unbreakable and unfathomable absolute unity and transcendence of God. However, God occasionally manifests himself to humanity as the Trinity. The last and final instance of this, according to Alawite theology, occurred between Ali, Muhammad, and Salman al-Farisi, a Persian follower and close colleague of Muhammad.
Ali is regarded by the Alawites as the divine incarnation (similar to Jesus). Alawites assert, “There is no deity but Ali, no veil but Muhammad, and no bab but Salman”, in contrast to mainstream Muslims (both Sunni and Shiite), who state, “There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is His prophet”.
Alawites also disregard Islamic rites, dietary restrictions, and hygienic rules. The Alawite calendar, which is jam-packed with holidays with Christian, Persian, and Muslim roots, serves as further evidence of the syncretistic aspect of their religion.
Giving Ali precedence over Muhammad, a practice shared by several sects, allowing wine consumption, not requiring women to cover their faces, holding ceremonies at night, and engaging in several pagan customs have caused mainstream Muslims to frequently single out Alawites as heretics or extremists.
Manichaeism
The dualistic religious movement, known as Manichaeism, was started in Persia in the 3rd century by Mani, who was hailed as the “Apostle of Light” and the greatest “Illuminator”. Manichaeism was a religion in its own right that, despite long being regarded as a Christian heretic, managed to maintain a sense of unity and distinctiveness throughout its existence due to the coherence of its beliefs and the rigidity of its structures.
Mani was born in southern Babylonia (now in Iraq). He followed a divine command to publicly present himself and declare his ideas with his “annunciation” at the age of 24, which marked the beginning of the new religion. Mani began to preach all over the Persian empire after that. Initially unopposed, the king later opposed him, condemned him, and put him in prison. Mani was put through 26 days of tribulations, which his devotees referred to as the “Passion of the Illuminator” or Mani’s “crucifixion” before he gave his pupils one last message and passed away (between 274 and 277).
Mani believed that he was the last in a long line of prophets that included Adam, Buddha, Zoroaster, and Jesus. He believed that prior revelations of the true religion were ineffective because they were local and given in a single language to a single population. In addition, later followers forgot the initial truth. Mani believed that he was the deliverer of a message that would displace all other religions. He wrote down his teachings and granted them canonical authority during his lifetime to prevent corruption and preserve doctrinal harmony.
Manichaeism was one of the most widely practiced faiths in the world at its zenith and flourished between the 3rd and 7th centuries. As far east as China and as far west as the Roman Empire, Manichaean churches and texts were present. It was fiercely opposed by the Christian church and the Roman government, and by the end of the 5th century, it had virtually vanished from Western Europe. By the middle of the 6th century, it had vanished from the eastern part of the empire.
In comparison to the West, Manichaeism has endured longer in the East. A growing body of evidence suggests that Manichaeism still exists in some parts of China, particularly in Fujian, where many Manichaean relics have been found over time.
Yazidism
Yazīdī is a member of the Kurdish ethnic group, which has its main settlements in northern Iraq, southern Turkey, northern Syria, the Caucasus, and parts of Iran. The Yazīdī religion incorporates aspects of Islam, Judaism, and Nestorian Christianity as well as aspects of ancient Iranian religions. The Yazīdī people, who are dispersed and probably only number between 200,000 and 1,000,000, have a well-organized society, with a chief sheik serving as the highest religious leader and an emir, or prince, serving as the head of state.
According to Yazīdī mythology, they were created completely differently from the rest of humanity since they were derived from Adam but not from Eve. As a result, they try to maintain their separation from the people they dwell with. It is prohibited to get married outside the community.
According to the Yazīdī cosmogony, a great creator god created the universe and then withdrew from it, leaving it in the care of seven celestial entities. Malak Ṭāʾūs (“Peacock Angel”), the main deity, is worshipped in the guise of a peacock. Outsiders frequently link Malak’s with the Judeo-Christian character of Satan. According to their belief, the Peacock Angel was made from some part of God so he is part of God. He rejected to do prostration in front of Adam because the part of God should not prostrate in front of God’s earthly mortal creation. Bronze or iron peacock effigies called “Sanjaqs” are transported from town to town and they play a significant part in Yazīdī devotion. There were supposedly seven Sanjaqs at one time. It is believed that at least two of them still exist.
Mandaeism
Mandaeism is ancient Middle Eastern religion still surviving in Iraq and Khuzestan (southwest Iran). The belief system parallels Manichaeism in several ways and is typically regarded as a Gnostic sect. Although the majority of researchers place the roots of Mandaeism in the first 3 centuries AD, its exact origin is extremely speculative.
Some academics contend that Mandaeism began in the region of southwestern Mesopotamia in early Christian or perhaps pre-Christian periods. They highlight the Babylonian components in Mandaean magical literature, usage of the Iranian calendar, and adoption of various Iranian words into the Mandaic language.
Others support a Syro-Palestinian origin, citing the quasi-historical Mandaean text known as the Haran Gawaita, which describes a group of people known as Nasoreans—the Mandaean priestly caste as opposed to Mandaiia, the laity—emigrating from Palestine to Mesopotamia in the first century AD. They also draw attention to some Mandaean similarities to Judaism, such as knowledge of Old Testament literature, emphases on marriage and childbearing similar to Jewish ethics, concern for cultic purity, and usage of Hebrew angelology.
Yarsanism (Kaka’i or Ahl-e Haqq)
Yarsanism is a Kurdish religious system founded in the 14th century between the border of the Kurdistan Regional Government or KRG (near Halabja) and Iranian-occupied Kurdistan (mostly around Kermanshah), and more recently also in the Diaspora in Western countries. Yarsani believers are all Kurds. Other Islamic groups, including the Hurufites, also refer to themselves as Ahl-e Haqq.
Yarsanis hold a belief in five successive epiphanies of divine hypostases or angels as well as seven consecutive manifestations of the divine. They were created from the divine and each had its nature.
They adopted Dhikr at Cem rituals, communal meal-sharing, and fraternal cohabitation from Sufism (Islamic mysticism). Cem is viewed as a mystical union, and an orchestra of tembûr players is seated opposite a group of singers (kelamxwen) who are singing religious songs. Tembûr (or temîre) is one of the Kurdish long-necked lutes that resembles a tanbur and has a religious significance to the Ahl-e Haqq.
Four of the seven steps had already been completed; therefore, the divine essence was revealed in the Creator God’s form in Kavandagar, Mortaza Ali, Shah Hoshin, and Sultan Sahak, with Sultan Sahak disclosing the unalterable truth.
Samaritanism
Samaritans claim a blood connection to the Israelites of ancient Samaria who were not expelled by the Assyrian conquerors of the kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE. This community is now almost extinct. The Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) is the exclusive standard of religious adherence for Samaritans, who refer to themselves as Bene Yisrael (Children of Israel) or Shamerim (Observant Ones).
In the Talmud, which is a collection of Jewish law, tradition, and commentary, they are referred to as simply “Shomronim” (Samaritans), suggesting that they are Mesopotamian Cuthaeans who settled in Samaria following the Assyrian conquest. The location that the Samaritans and Jews think God picked for his abode is one of the biggest distinctions between them. Samaritans think God chose Mount Gerizim near Shechem, whereas Jews assert that God chose Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
Alevism
Alevism is a mystical faith with roots in Islam and Sufism as well as some aspects of Christian and Shamanic traditions. It is a faith that is carried down orally and is centered on humanistic principles of love and tolerance that are conveyed in mystical poems as opposed to rigid restrictions. The adherents of this local Islamic tradition follow the mystical Islamic teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, who is said to have imparted the Twelve Imams’ teachings.
In contrast to Usuli Twelver Shia and Sunni Islam, Alevis have no enforceable religious doctrines, and teachings are disseminated by a spiritual leader in the manner of Sufi groups. They accept the six tenets of Islam, albeit their interpretations of them may vary. Alevism’s adherents are mostly located in Turkey.
Ishikism
Ishikism is an Alevist religious movement that rejects its Islamic roots. It is also known as Chinarism or Ishik Alevism and is present in Turkey. Ishiks identify as esotericists and assert that Alevism is esotericism itself, which means that they are connected to all forms of esotericism throughout history. According to them, Alevism is the oldest religion in the world and has evolved. Ishiks asserts that all other religions and worldviews have their roots in this “First and True Religion” of the earth.
Ishikism refers to a recent syncretic religious movement among Alevis who have come to a different conclusion about Alevism and its past. With the publication of his book Aleviliğin Gizli Tarihi (The Secret History of Alevism) in 2004, Turkish author Erdoğan Çınar inspired these different views and viewpoints.
Ali-Illahism
Ali-Illahism is a syncretic religion that has been practiced in parts of Iranian Luristan. It combines Shia Islam with other ancient faiths. It is based on the idea that the Deity has taken on different incarnations throughout history. As one of these incarnations, Ali-Illahees holds a special reverence for Ali, the son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Similar to the Yezidis, Ansaris, and all sects whose teaching is unknown to the local Muslim and Christian community, several rites have been attributed to Ali-Illahian. Because it is evident that there is no definite code that can be described as Ali-Illahism, observers have historically regarded it as a synthesis of the rituals and practices of numerous preceding religions, notably Zoroastrianism.
Bábism
Babism was a 19th-century messianic movement in Iran and Iraq under the charismatic leadership of Sayyed ʿAlī-Moḥammad Šīrāzī, the Bāb. Its beliefs were outlined in the Bayān, a holy book that declared a global law in place of all currently extant religious legal codes and laid forth its views.
The Bábi Faith thrived in Iran until 1852, after which it continued to exist both underground and in exile throughout the Ottoman Empire, particularly in Cyprus. The Báb movement indicated a split from Shiite Islam and the start of a new religious order with its own distinctive set of rules, doctrines, and customs.
Baháʼí
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that emphasizes the universality of all faiths and their intrinsic value. Bahá’u’lláh founded it, and it first emerged in Iran and other regions of the Middle East, where it has long been persecuted. The Baháʼís, or followers of the religion, are thought to number between 5-8 million and are dispersed across the majority of the world’s nations and territories.
The Baháʼí Faith has three central figures:
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The Báb (1819–1850), considered a herald who taught his followers that God would soon send a prophet similar to Jesus or Muhammad and who was executed by Iranian authorities in 1850
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Baháʼu’lláh (1817–1892), who claimed to be that prophet in 1863 and faced exile and imprisonment for most of his life
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His son, ʻAbdu’l-Bahá (1844–1921), who was released from confinement in 1908 and made teaching trips to Europe and the United States.
After ʻAbdu’l-Bahá died in 1921, the leadership of the religion fell to his grandson Shoghi Effendi (1897–1957).
A five-year election is held for the Universal House of Justice, the nine-member supreme governing body of the global Baháʼí community, which is based in Haifa, Israel, close to the Shrine of the Báb. Baháʼís elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies annually to manage the affairs of the religion.
Shabakism
Shabakism is a syncretic faith and religion practiced by the Shabak people, who primarily live in the Kurdistan region and Mosul area of Iraq. Certain aspects of Islamic, Christian, and Yazidi practices are included in the faith. Although the majority of Shabaks identify as Shia Muslims and a small percentage as Sunnis, their real faith and traditions diverge from those of the Islamic faith. They perform pilgrimages to Yazidi holy places alongside Muslim ones, consume wine and engage in confession just like Christians, and have a holy book that is written in Turkomen.
The Shabaks think that ritualized meditation under the direction of a mystical leader or spiritual mentor known as a Pir can reveal God’s wisdom. They also have a strange history. Some claim that the Shabak are descended from the Qizilbash Army, a formidable Shia force from the 13th century. Others think they were Anatolian refugees.
