aloes historically known as neries are a group you may have recently heard about especially in connection with ass Syrian Conflict for many people this group might be unfamiliar but their history and beliefs are actually a fascinating mix of religion mystery and politics so who are they what do they believe and are they even considered Muslim let's dive in the name noi comes from Muhammad IB a follower of the 11th sh IM Hassan alari now here's where things get interesting after IM Hassan Al asari's death he didn't clearly name a successor which led a lot of division among Shia most Shi came up with the idea of a hidden Imam the 12th Imam who went into occultation and will return one day but Muhammad IB he had a completely different take he claimed some pretty wild things like saying that the 11th IM was actually a manifestation of Allah he also declared that he himself was the door or gateway to the Imam these ideas didn't sit well with either Sunni or Shia and from the very start it was clear that his teachings were way outside the boundaries of Islam over time ib's followers known as noes developed their beliefs further to escape scrutiny they eventually fled to the mountainous regions of Alem modern day Syria where they were able to practice their faith in secret and this is the key secrecy became a huge part of their tradition their beliefs were kept Under Wraps shared only among the religious Elite while the average follower was left in the dark so what do noes or alawites as they're called today actually believe well their faith is what you'd call syncretic meaning it's a mix of different religious ideas there are elements of Islam of course but also influences from Christianity gnosticism and even ancient Persian beliefs for example they hold IM Ali in an incredibly elevated position to the point where they attribute divine qualities to him some even believe that Imam Ali created the world or that he was a manifestation of God it's a belief that's completely outside Sunni and mainstream Shia then there is their view on the soul instead of believing in Resurrection in the day of judgment like most Muslims aloes believe in reincarnation they think the soul goes through the cycles of birth and the form you take in the next life depends on how you lived your current one and here is where the Christian influence comes in after converting some Christians in the ashem region the noes adopted a trinity like concept instead of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit their version is Allah the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and IM Ali on top of that they use wine in their rituals similar to the Christian Eucharist they say the wine symbolizes blood and martyrdom specifically the martyrdom of Hussein now when it comes to worship like Salah fasting zakah or Hajj the alawites have a completely different approach they don't observe these acts of the way we do instead they believe that their faith in Hidden knowledge or certain individuals replaces the need for these practices for them it's all about esoteric knowledge knowledge that's hidden from the public and only known by select few fast forward to about a century ago and the noes found themselves in a tough spot they were an isolated Fringe group surrounded by a majority Sunni population in Syria realizing how different they were one of their leaders decided to Rebrand they changed their name from n to alaw the new name emphasized a connection to IM Ali and it helped them blend in a little more with a wider Muslim population but make no mistake this was more about Optics than actual beliefs their doctrines remain just as far from Islam then came the 20th century during the French mandate in Syria the French Colonial Powers favored minorities like the alites as a way to divide and rule the alawites took advantage of this and began gaining influence particularly in the military this eventually led to the rise of ha al-assad in 1971 an alawite who became president of Syria since then the alawite community has remained at the center of Syrian politics with the assid family holding power for decades unfortunately this political rise has caused deep tensions between the alawite ruling class and the majority Muslim population in Syria the Syrian Civil War have only worsened these divides and while the actions of the ID regime are widely condemned it's important to remember that not every alawite is responsible for what the regime does now the big question are alawites considered a Muslim well according to mainstream Muslims and even Shia Scholars the answer is no their beliefs like reincarnation divinizing Ali in abandoning acts of worship placed them far outside the fold of Islam even 12 Ria Scholars who also honor IMI reject these doctrines as heretical that being said many alawites today identify as Muslim particularly in a cultural or political sense over time their leadership has tried to align themselves more closely with TW verism hardly to gain legitimacy especially with Iran support So to sum it up the alawites are unique mysterious group whose beliefs blend Islam with elements of other faiths their Origins lie with Muhammad nus and their doctrines evolved over centuries often in secrecy while they've been historically marginalized they also Rose to political power in Syria creating both influence and massive conflict may Allah subhana wa ta'ala guide us all to the truth and Grant the people of Syria and the entire Muslim World Peace Justice and the strength to rebuild amen