Druze Reincarnation: A Connection Between Lives
By Evan Ploeckelman & Noura Abou Hamze/Arab America Contributing Writers
What are the Beliefs of the Druze?
The Druze believe in reincarnation. When we die, our souls enter the body of a newborn. This is due to the belief in the duality of body and soul. As such, the soul cannot stay separated from the body. The body is also considered al-qamis (literally “the shirt”) for the soul. The last breath of the dying person signifies the soul leaving the body, which then enters a newborn child in a process. This process is instantaneous with no intermediate process, as a soul must be contained within a body. As a result, there is little mourning within the Druze community.
Reincarnation for the Druze vs. Other Religions
There are certain specifics of Druze reincarnation that make it different from reincarnation in Hinduism and Buddhism. First, one can only be reincarnated into a person of the same gender, so a man can only reincarnate as a man and a woman can only reincarnate as a woman. Additionally, one can only reincarnate as a human and not any other living organism like animals or plants. The person the soul inhabits next is not determined by actions performed in a previous life. Furthermore, the number of souls in the universe is finite and souls cannot divide. Lastly, Druze can only be reincarnated as Druze. None of these aspects are true of either Hinduism or Buddhism.
The reason why Druze can only reincarnate as Druze is due to the concept of the Pact of Time Custodian (mithaq wali al-zaman). In the past, the Druze affirmed this pact, granting their entrance into the faith. However, the faith stopped accepting new converts in 1043 AD. The pact stays with the soul during reincarnation, and as such, one must be reborn as a Druze if one was a Druze in a prior life. This is also a reason why apostasy is officially banned in the Druze faith. The pact is of the soul and thus eternal, so it cannot be broken.
Why Do Druze Remember their Past Lives?
Some Druze, called Nateq, even claim that they can remember their past lives. This usually occurs in the cases of violent deaths, and usually occurs in young children, closest to the actual act of reincarnation. Some Druze may try to find old relatives or friends through this, but this can also lead to the continuation of old feuds and rivalries.
The Druze concept of heaven and hell plays a role in understanding why the Druze might have this belief. The concepts of heaven and hell are a state of existence to the Druze, rather than a specific place like their definitions in Islam, Judaism, or Christianity. The cycle of reincarnation, and the struggles that go along with life, constitute hell for the Druze. They can escape this cycle through successive reincarnations up until the day of judgment to join in the closeness of God, equating to Heaven.
Benefits of Reincarnation in Druze Community
Because the Druze community is so small due to the inability to convert to the Druze faith, in-group ties are extremely important. Reincarnation allows for people to feel like they know newborns and children, even though they technically do not. This allows for stronger community ties, which can help ensure the longevity of the Druze communities.
The existence of reincarnation also provides them with different views on death. As mentioned previously, Druze do not tend to mourn the death of others nearly as much as other religions. This is because they believe in instant reincarnation into their already close-knit community. They may also experience less depression and feelings of hopelessness after the death of a loved one than followers of other religions. For some, this also leads to less fear of death. A common phrase among Druze in the army is “Tonight my mother’s womb”, which references how they will be immediately reincarnated upon dying in battle. As such, they readily join the military of their home nations (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, etc.), as they feel they do not have much to fear.
Stories of Reincarnated Druze
Many people in the Druze community reincarnate, and many stories detail the experience of reincarnation. My, Noura’s, dad’s uncle, for example, has died in his past life drowning in a lake with his horse. Everytime his mom in his new life wanted to shower him, he would escape the shower and cry. When he was only three years old, he could finally communicate his memories of the people who were in his past life, including his siblings and parents. Another story is my mom’s cousin who died on her wedding day while she was wearing her white wedding dress. She died from a sudden heart attack, and everytime we gather, she tells us about her experience with reincarnation. She is now living happily with her family and children.
On the other hand, my grandfather’s brother, who died young, reincarnated twice and remembers two past lives. After he died as my grandfather’s brother, he was born into a different family. He is now still alive and visits my grandfather’s family on every occasion they have. He even remembered where he buried his gun as his brother. Before dying as his brother at a young age, he died when he was nine years old. While these stories only reflect those of my family members, there are countless other stories, including the story of the three-year-old child who not only recalled his past life but also remembered his killer, who killed him with an axe.
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