Exploring The Yazidi Faith: Ancient Spiritual Traditions

what is yazidi faith

The Yazidi faith, also known as Sharfadin, is a monotheistic religion with roots in pre-Zoroastrian Iranian religion. The followers of the Yazidi faith, known as the Yazidis, are a Kurdish-speaking community indigenous to Kurdistan, a region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. The religion includes elements of ancient Iranian religions, Judaism, Nestorian Christianity, and Islam.

Yazidis believe in one God, who created the world and entrusted it to seven Holy Beings, known as Angels. The leader of these Angels is Tawûsî Melek, also known as the Peacock Angel. This figure has often been associated with the devil in other monotheistic religions, leading to centuries of persecution of the Yazidis as devil worshippers.

Yazidis have a well-organized society, with a chief Sheikh as the supreme religious head and an Emir as the secular head. Their religious centre is the tomb of Sheikh Adi, located in the town of Lalish, Iraq.

Characteristics Values
Name Yazidi, Yezidi, Êzidî, Azīdī, Izadī, Yazdani, Zedī
Population 500,000-1,000,000
Location Kurdistan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Germany, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, the US, Canada, the UK, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia
Religion Monotheistic, syncretic, includes elements of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Nestorian Christianity, and Islam
Religious Texts Kitāb al-jilwah (“Book of Revelation”), Maṣḥafrash (“Black Book”), hymns in Kurdish
Religious Figures Tawûsî Melek/Malak Ṭāʾūs/Peacock Angel, Yasdan, Sheikh ʿAdī ibn Musāfir
Religious Practices Pray to Malak Taus five times a day, annual pilgrimage to Sheikh ʿAdī's tomb, animal sacrifice, circumcision, baptism, fasting
Religious Organisation Chief Sheikh, Emir/Prince
Religious Symbols Bronze/iron peacock effigies (sanjaqs)
Religious Taboos No conversion, no intermarriage, no military service, no formal education, no blue clothing, no pronunciation of Shayṭān (Satan)
Caste System Murids, Sheikhs, Pirs

shunspirit

The Yazidi faith is monotheistic and includes elements of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Nestorian Christianity, and Islam

The Yazidi faith, also known as Sharfadin, is a monotheistic religion with roots in pre-Zoroastrian Iranian religion. It has also been influenced by Judaism, Nestorian Christianity, and Islam.

The Yazidi faith is based on the belief in one God, who created the world and entrusted it to seven Holy Beings, known as Angels. The leader of these Angels is Tawûsî Melek, or the Peacock Angel, who has authority over the world. This Angel is often mistakenly associated with Satan by Muslims and Christians, leading to centuries of persecution of the Yazidis as "devil-worshippers".

The Yazidi faith includes elements of Zoroastrianism, such as the belief in a supreme creator god and the importance of fire, water, air, and earth as sacred elements. From Judaism, the Yazidis have adopted the practice of baptism and circumcision. They also revere both the Bible and the Koran. Nestorian Christianity, also known as the Ancient Church of the East, has influenced the Yazidi belief in a fallen angel who is forgiven by God. This story of a fallen angel as a figure of worship has led to the persecution of the Yazidis by Muslims and Christians, who associate it with the devil.

The Yazidi faith also includes elements of Islam, such as refraining from eating pork and the practice of sacrifice and circumcision. However, many Yazidi practices are unique, such as their rigid religious caste system and their belief in reincarnation. The Yazidi community is highly concerned with religious purity and follows a strict set of taboos governing daily life, including restrictions on food and clothing colour.

shunspirit

The Yazidi people are a Kurdish-speaking, endogamous religious group indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia

Yazidism is a monotheistic religion with roots in pre-Zoroastrian Iranian religion and the Indo-Iranian tradition. It includes elements of ancient Iranian religions, Judaism, Nestorian Christianity, and Islam. The Yazidis believe in one God, who created the world and entrusted it to seven Holy Beings, known as Angels, with the Peacock Angel, Tawûsî Melek, as their leader. This Angel is often mistakenly associated with Satan or Shaitan by Muslims and Christians, leading to centuries of religious persecution and the mislabelling of Yazidis as "devil-worshippers".

The Yazidis have a well-organized society with a strict caste system and a supreme religious head, the chief Sheikh, and a secular head, the Emir or Prince. They consider themselves to be ethnically and religiously distinct from other Kurdish groups and have a strong sense of identity and community. Marriage outside the Yazidi community is forbidden, and those who marry non-Yazidis are expelled.

Yazidi religious practices include prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and the sacrifice of animals. They have two sacred scriptures, the ""Book of Revelation" and the "Black Book," as well as a rich oral tradition of hymns and religious literature. Their holiest temple is located in Lalesh, Iraq, which is the site of an annual pilgrimage.

Yazidis have faced severe persecution throughout their history due to their religious beliefs. They have been targeted by Muslim clerics, Ottoman rulers, local Kurdish leaders, and, most recently, by the Islamic State (IS) or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), who consider them heretics and devil-worshippers. The Yazidi community has experienced massacres, forced conversions, and displacement, with thousands killed, imprisoned, or forced to flee their ancestral homelands. Despite the challenges, the Yazidis have persevered and continue to practice their faith, even in exile.

shunspirit

The Yazidi faith is often misunderstood and has led to the persecution of the Yazidis as 'devil worshippers'

The Yazidi faith is often misunderstood, leading to the persecution of the Yazidis as devil worshippers. The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious group indigenous to Kurdistan, a region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. While the majority consider themselves ethnically Kurdish, they are religiously distinct from Iraq's predominantly Sunni Kurdish population.

Yazidism, also known as Sharfadin, is a monotheistic ethnic religion that originated in Kurdistan and has roots in pre-Zoroastrian Iranian religion. The religion includes elements of ancient Iranian religions, as well as elements of Judaism, Nestorian Christianity, and Islam. The Yazidis believe in one God, who created the world and entrusted it to seven Holy Beings, known as Angels. The leader of these Angels is Tawûsî Melek, or the Peacock Angel.

Due to a misunderstanding of their beliefs, the Yazidis have often been labelled as devil worshippers. In both Christianity and Islam, the devil is presented as a fallen angel, similar to the story of Tawûsî Melek in the Yazidi faith. This perception has led to centuries of persecution, with the Yazidis facing accusations of heresy and even attempts at genocide.

The Yazidis have faced violence and persecution throughout their history, particularly at the hands of Muslim clerics, Ottoman and Kurdish leaders, and more recently, the Islamic State (IS). During the Islamic State's advance in Iraq in 2014, thousands of Yazidis were killed, imprisoned, or forced to flee their homes. Women and children were sold as sex slaves, and those who refused to convert to Islam were executed.

The Yazidi religion is often misunderstood due to its unusual beliefs and secretive nature. It is not possible to convert to Yazidism; one must be born into it. The Yazidis' holiest temple is located in Lalesh, Iraq, and they have sacred sites across northwest Iraq, northwest Syria, and southeast Turkey. Their religious practices include baptism, fasting, pilgrimage, animal sacrifice, and circumcision.

The Yazidis' belief system is highly concerned with religious purity, and they follow a strict caste system and a multiplicity of taboos governing daily life. For example, certain foods and wearing blue clothing are forbidden, and contact with outsiders is discouraged. The Yazidis' sense of identity and strength of character has helped them preserve their faith despite centuries of persecution.

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The Yazidi community has been targeted by the Islamic State, with thousands imprisoned, killed, or forced to flee

In 2014, the Islamic State (IS) launched a genocidal campaign against the Yazidis in northern Iraq. IS considers the Yazidis, who are mostly of Kurdish descent, to be heretical devil worshippers. In August 2014, shortly after declaring a caliphate, IS attacked Sinjar, the northern Iraqi Yazidi homeland. Over 400,000 Yazidis fled their homes, and tens of thousands took refuge on Mount Sinjar, where they remained stranded and hungry for weeks. More than 3,000 Yazidis, mostly men and elderly women, were killed, and around 6,000 women and children were captured by IS. The captive women and children were targeted for sexual slavery and trafficking, while the boys were trained to fight for IS.

The United Nations reported that IS killed about 5,000 Yazidis and trafficked about 10,800 Yazidi women and girls in a "forced conversion campaign" throughout Iraq. By 2015, upwards of 71% of the global Yazidi population was displaced by the genocide, with most Yazidi refugees fleeing to Iraq's Kurdistan Region and Syria's Rojava.

IS militants have committed numerous atrocities against the Yazidis, including massacres, genocidal rape, and forced conversions to Islam. During the Sinjar massacre, IS killed and abducted thousands of trapped Yazidis. In one instance, IS buried alive an unknown number of Yazidi women and children in northern Iraq in an attack that killed 500 people. In another instance, IS abducted 400 Yazidi women in Sinjar to sell them as sex slaves.

The persecution of the Yazidis by IS has prompted military intervention from the United States and other Western countries. In 2014, the United States established CJTF-OIR, a military coalition consisting of many Western countries and Turkey, Morocco, and Jordan. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia also made emergency airdrops to support Yazidi refugees trapped in the Sinjar Mountains.

The Yazidi community continues to deal with the aftermath of IS's brutal rule. While IS's so-called caliphate has collapsed, thousands of Yazidis remain in camps in other parts of Iraq, unable to return home. Many of those who have returned to their homes struggle with access to education and healthcare, as well as consistent electricity and clean water.

The Islamic State's persecution of the Yazidis has had a devastating impact on the community, with thousands killed, imprisoned, or forced to flee. The Yazidis have endured centuries of persecution due to their faith, and the recent attacks by IS have once again threatened their existence as a distinct group.

shunspirit

The Yazidi religion has a rich oral tradition, and its sacred scriptures include the Kitāb al-jilwah and Maṣḥafrash

The Yazidi religion has a rich oral tradition, with its sacred scriptures including the Kitāb al-Jilwah and Maṣḥafrash. The Kitāb al-Jilwah, or the "Book of Revelation", is a 12th-century text that has become legendary and controversial. It was supposedly dictated by the Peacock Angel, Tawûsî Melek, to the Yezidi prophet Sheik Adi. The Kitāb al-Jilwah is considered the most important doctrine of the Yazidi faith, serving as their "Bible". The Maṣḥafrash, or the "Black Book", is another sacred scripture of the Yazidis, often mentioned alongside the Kitāb al-Jilwah.

While the Kitāb al-Jilwah and Maṣḥafrash form the sacred scriptures of the Yazidi religion, it is widely suspected that these texts were compiled by non-Yazidis in the 19th century and passed off as ancient manuscripts. Despite this, the content of these scriptures is said to align with authentic Yazidi traditions. The Yazidi religion also has a wealth of oral literature, including religious hymns called Qewls, which are performed by a distinct class within Yazidi society called Qewals. These hymns are full of cryptic allusions and are usually accompanied by Çirōks, or stories, that provide context.

In addition to their oral traditions, the Yazidis also have written texts such as mişûrs, which are sacred manuscripts written down in the 13th century. These manuscripts contain descriptions of the founders of the Pir lineages, along with lists of affiliated Kurdish tribes and priestly lineages. The Yazidi religion also includes various genres of poetic literature, such as Beyt (poem), Du‛a (prayer), and Şehdetiya Dîn (the Declaration of the Faith). This poetic literature is composed in an advanced and archaic language, often requiring religious training to fully understand.

Frequently asked questions

Yazidism, also known as Sharfadin, is a monotheistic ethnic religion that originated in Kurdistan and has roots in pre-Zoroastrian Iranian religion. It includes elements of ancient Iranian religions, as well as elements of Judaism, Nestorian Christianity, and Islam.

Yazidis believe in one God, who created the world and entrusted it to seven Holy Beings, known as Angels. The leader of these Angels is Tawûsî Melek (Peacock Angel), who has authority over the world. Yazidis believe in the rebirth of the soul and that the soul passes into successive bodily forms (transmigration).

Yazidis have a well-organised society, with a chief Sheikh as the supreme religious head and an Emir as the secular head. They have a rigid caste system and a multiplicity of taboos governing daily life. Yazidis face towards the sun when they pray and make annual pilgrimages to the tomb of Sheikh Adi at Lalesh, north of Mosul.

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  • Seti
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  • Aisha
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