| LC control no. | sh 85092746 |
|---|---|
| LC classification | BP195.N7 BP195.N72 |
| Topical heading | Nosairians |
| Variant(s) | Alawis Alawites ʻAlawīyīn Alouite Ansarii Ansaris Nossarii Nusairis Nusayri-Alawis Nusayris |
| See also | Ethnology--Syria Ethnology--Turkey Shīʻah |
| Found in | Wikipedia, Aug. 20, 2012 (Alawi may refer to: The Alawi, a prominent religious minority group in Syria; The Alevi, a religious community in Turkey) Alawi (The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical religious group centred in Syria who follow a branch of the Twelver school of Shia Islam. The Alawis take their name from Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of Muḥammad, who was the first Shi'a Imam and the fourth and last "Rightly Guided Caliph" of Sunni Islam. Until fairly recently, Alawis were referred to as "Nusairis", after Abu Shu'ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr (d. ca 270 h, 863 CE) who is reported to have attended the circles of the last three Imams of the prophet Muhammad's line. This name is considered derogatory, and they refer to themselves as Alawis. In older sources they are often referred to as Ansaris, as this is how they referred to themselves, according to the Reverend Samuel Lyde, who lived among Alawis in the mid-19th century. Other sources state that "Ansari", as referring to Alawites, is simply a Western mis-transliteration of "Nosairi". Alawis are distinct from the Alevi religious sect in Turkey, although the terms share similar etymologies). Alevi (Alevism (Alevilik) is a group identity which is variously interpreted as: religious (combining Anatolian folk Shi'ism with Sufi elements such as those of the Bektaşi tariqa); sub-ethnic (within larger Turkish, Kurdish, and Zaza communities); cultural (emphasizing special traditions of poetry, music and dance); and/or humanistic and political (whether leftist or Kemalist). "Alevi" is generally explained as referring to 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. The name represents a Turkish form of 'Alawī "of or pertaining to 'Alī". Even though the term Alevi is simply the Turkish derived form of Arabic 'Alawī, the Arab form of the term today refers to the distinct group of the Arabic-speaking 'Alawī of Syria) 2002022543: Bar-Asher, M.M. The Nuṣayrī-ʻAlawī religion, 2002. 2009035966: Friedman, Y. The Nuṣayrī-ʻAlawīs : an introduction to the religion, history, and identity of the leading minority in Syria, 2010. 2010498070: Procházka-Eisl, G. The plain of saints and prophets : the Nusayri-Alawi community of Cilicia (southern Turkey) and its sacred places, c2010. |
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