The Druze faith emerged from a schism within Fatimid Ismailism in Egypt in 1017 AD, when al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (the Fatimid caliph) was proclaimed divine by his followers Hamza ibn Ali and al-Darazi. The Druze believe al-Hakim did not die but went into occultation and will return. The Druze religion is strictly secret — full theological knowledge is restricted to initiated members (uqqal, ‘the knowers’) who constitute a minority of the community. The Druze do not accept converts and do not allow marriage outside the community. They believe in reincarnation (taqammus) exclusively within the Druze community. The Druze consider themselves monotheists but not Muslims, Christians, or Jews — though their faith emerged from Ismaili Islam. Today approximately 1 million Druze live in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan, where they have often served in military roles and navigated complex minority politics.