Alawite, any member of a minorityesoteric sect ofIslam living chiefly inSyria. The Assad family that ruled Syria from 1971 to 2024 are Alawites and made thecommunity politically dominant there, although the state and its policies were largelysecular underHafez al-Assad and his sonBashar al-Assad.

Beliefs

Alawite teachings and practices are not widely understood outside the community, which refrains from publishing orproselytizing their beliefs. Their doctrines are known to extract mystical inner meanings behind the scripture (seeBāṭiniyyah) and there is some degree of overlap with the tenets ofTwelver Shiʿism. They hold that Godmanifested himself in some way in the figure ofʿAlī, the cousin and son-in-law ofMuhammad and one of the most influential leaders of early Islam—perhaps not too dissimilar from mainstream Shiʿi concepts of a divine guidance (nūr) that has passed through theimamate. Alawites reject claims that they consider ʿAlī an incarnation of God. They affirm the unity (tawḥīd) of God but are said to believe that God has revealed himself several times in a triune form. Alawites accept thePillars of Islam (the five duties required of every Muslim), but they interpret them in ways that may not satisfy orthodox Muslimcriteria. For example, Alawites hold a symbolic interpretation of thehajj and do not perform a literal pilgrimage toMecca. Among the holidays they observe are Eid al-Ghadir, a traditionally Shiʿi holiday celebrating Muhammad’s appointment of ʿAlī as his successor, andChristmas, a traditionallyChristian holiday celebrating the birth ofJesus (who in Islam is both prophet andmessiah).

Are the Alawites Shiʿi?

Whether Alawites can be consideredShiʿi has been a matter of debate. Alawite and Twelver Shiʿahcommunities became increasingly close in the late 20th century. Alawites’ acceptance as Shiʿi by Shiʿi clergy gained traction after they were recognized as such by a 1973 legal decision (fatwa) byMusa al-Sadr, the leader of the Twelver Shiʿah inLebanon. As social and political developments have drawn the communities closer, Alawite leaders have increasingly referred to the rich tradition of the Twelver Shiʿis to inform their interpretation of Alawite doctrine. At least some Alawites continue to reject the label of Shiʿi.

History

The roots of Alawite belief lie in the teachings of Muḥammad ibn Nuṣayr al-Namīrī (flourished 850), a Basran contemporary of the 10th Shiʿiimam, and the sect was chiefly established byḤusayn ibn Ḥamdān al-Khaṣībī (died 957 or 968) during the period of theḤamdānid dynasty (905–1004), at which time Alawites had great influence inAleppo. With the fall of Shiʿi rule, however, Alawites became the victims of persecution. They were ill-treated by waves ofCrusaders, byMamluks, and byOttoman conquerors, in addition to fighting a number of internecine wars.

In Arabic, the term ʿAlawī is more generally used to refer to all Muslims groupsaffiliated with or descended from ʿAlī; thus, Muslims sometimes refer to the Syrian Alawites as Nuṣayriyyah, or Namīriyyah, to distinguish them from other groups that may be called ʿAlawī. Though well established in Syria since the 12th century, Alawites were not able to fully adopt the name ʿAlawī until 1920, the time of French occupation of the area.

The Alawite sect became politically dominant inSyria under the rule ofHafez al-Assad, an Alawite, and his son and successorBashar al-Assad. The sect is predominant in theLatakia region of Syria, and it extends north toAntioch (Antakya),Turkey. Many Alawites also live around or inHoms andHama. They are second in number within Syria to theSunni sect, which makes up about three-fourths of the Muslim population of mostly Muslim Syria.