What is the difference between Alawites and Shia?

The Alawites hold Ali to be the (Jesus-like) incarnation of divinity. While mainstream Muslims (both Sunni and Shi’ite) proclaim their faith with the phrase “There is no deity but God and Muhammad is His prophet,” Alawites assert, “There is no deity but Ali, no veil but Muhammad, and no bab but Salman.”

What is Alawites religion?

Alawi Muslims practice an esoteric form of Shi’a Islam. This complex faith includes an emphasis on a trinity (Muhammad, his nephew and eventual successor Ali, and Salman al-Farisi, an early Persian convert to Islam), a belief in reincarnation, and the celebration of a “mass” involving wine and bread.

What is the religion of Assad?

The Assad family and the Syrian security forces are Alawite. Alawites identify as Shiite Muslims, but their religion includes aspects of Zoroastrian, ancient pagan, Christian and other beliefs. They believe in the divinity of Ali, the son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad.

Are Alawites and Alevis the same?

Despite semantically similar names — both Alawites and Alevis derive their names from their reverence for Ali, a close relative of the Muslim prophet Mohammed — Alevis and Alawites represent different strains of Islam. Alevis are not Alawites, just as Protestants are not protestors.

Can you drink alcohol in Syria?

For those unacquainted with Syria, the local drinking culture deserves an explanation. It can be traced back to ancient civilizations and continues today. Alcohol in Syria is not banned as it is in some Muslim countries. Nor is it reserved for the upper class elite or religious minorities.

Why do Shias get tattoos?

In a 1965 article published in the journal Man: A Record of Anthropological Science, author John Carswell documented that Sunni and Shia Muslims in Lebanon would get tattoos of the swords of Abu Bakr and Ali, respectively, to distinguish themselves from one another.

Are perfumes halal?

To start with the first answer – YES, it is permissible to apply perfume and pray under the islamic faith, with perfumes that have alcohol. The reasoning behind this is simple. Alcohol used in the making of perfumes is called perfumers alcohol. It is created using a different distillation process.