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The view of Sunni scholars about minorities and sects in the medieval Muslim world has a crucial influence on their actual image in the Middle East. While Sfism is considered a fifth school (madhab) in Islam today, Sunni authorities have never accepted such sects as Baha'is, Druzes and Nusayris-'Alawis as part of Islam. This rejection of what Sunnls consider as heretical sects contributed to their persecution and isolation, which lasted until the twentieth century.
The case of the Nusayris-'Alawis is an extraordinary one. Firstly, negative rumors were always associated with this sect because of its esoterical religion and cult, which were always kept a secret. secondly, its situation changed dramatically in the second half of the twentieth century, the Nusayrls-'Alawis becoming the dominant element in Syria. Their doctrines, as well as the circumstances that led to their rise to power, have already been studied.2 Our purpose in this paper is to re-examine a religious decree launched by one of the most prominent Sunni scholars in the late medieval period regarding the subject of the Nusayris-'Alawis.
The main fatwa (pl. fatawa, judicial decision) of Taqi l-din Ahmad Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328),3 the most prominent Hanbali theologian and jurist, dealing with the Nusayriyya sect in Syria and its status in Islam, was first printed in Arabic and translated into French at the end of the nineteenth century by M.S. GUYABD.4 The publication reflected the French Société Asiatique's interest in the Levant and its sects, since SILVESTRE DB SACY'S introduction to the Druze religion.5 This specific fatwa has not been a subject of study since that time, although today it is considerably more important than when first published. In GUYABD'S period the sect's condition was poor and its influence on the surrounding was limited.
Today, when the Nusayris-'Alawis are the only dominating sect in the Muslim world, the study of Ibn Taymiyya's fatwa has gained greater significance. In general, Ibn Taymiyya's fatwa has a great importance for the understanding of the Nusayris-'Alawis' history, as well as for comprehending the Islamic view - mainly that of the Hanball school - of the sect's religious identity.6 Other fatawa by Ibn Taymiyya relating to this sect that have not yet been studied will also be discussed here.
The Nusayriyya is a...