Ad-Darazi

Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Darazi (; died 1018) was an 11th-century Isma'ili preacher and early leader of the Druze faith who was labeled a heretic in 1016 and subsequently executed in 1018 by the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah .

Life

Little information is known about the early life of al-Darazi. According to most sources, he was born in Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan). He is believed to have been of Persian origin and his title Darazi is Persian, meaning 'the tailor', although some sources state that he could be of Turkic descent. He was also known as Nashtakin.

Al-Darazi was converted to be one of the early preachers of the Unity faith (which became known as the Druze faith). At that time, the movement enlisted a large number of adherents. However, he was later considered a renegade and is usually described by the Druze as following the traits of Satan, in particular, arrogance.

This view is based on the observation that as the number of his followers grew, he became obsessed with his leadership and gave himself the title “The Sword of the Faith” (Sayf ad-Dīn). In the Epistles of Wisdom, Hamza ibn Ali warns al-Darazi, saying, “Faith does not need a sword to aid it.” ad-Dīn la yahtāj ilā sayf lī yansurāh. However, al-Darazi ignored Hamza's warnings and continued to challenge the Imam. This attitude led to disputes between al-Darazi and Hamza ibn Ali, who disliked his behaviour. ), rival groups probably attached the name of the controversial preacher to the new sect and it has stuck with them ever since. Druze refer to themselves as "unitarians" (al-Muwahhidūn).