Ziyarat al-Nabi Shu'ayb

Culture of origin: Druze · Cultural

Holiday sources: Druze

The Druze hold Shu'ayb in high regard and identify him with the biblical Jethro, Moses' father-in-law; his shrine near Hittin, in the Lower Galilee west of Tiberias, is the most important religious site of their faith. The pilgrimage once had no fixed date and was generally held in the spring; when Israel recognized it as a Druze religious holiday it was fixed to 25–28 April. The first day is for the prayers of religious Druze, the other three for the whole community. Pilgrims pour oil into a footprint the Druze attribute to Shu'ayb and rub it on their bodies for blessing; sheikhs from Mount Carmel, the Galilee and the Golan gather to discuss religious matters, and Israeli leaders come to congratulate the community. Druze schools in Israel close, Druze soldiers get leave, and people greet each other with "Ziyara maqbula", "may your pilgrimage be accepted". In April 2025 Druze from Syria were allowed to visit the shrine again. The Druze faith was founded by Hamza ibn Ali, a Persian Ismaili missionary born in Zuzan in Khorasan, today a village in Khaf County, and al-Darazi, who gave the Druze their name, is believed to have been Persian: his title comes from the Persian darzi, "tailor".