Who are the Alawites (Nusayris), and are they considered Muslims?

The Alawites, historically called Nusayris, emerged in ninth-century Iraq and later Syria from the extremist Shia fringe (the ghulat), and their inherited doctrines include the divinity of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, a cycle of divine manifestations, reincarnation, and an esoteric reading that sets aside the five daily prayers, fasting and hajj. Ahl al-Sunnah judge that these specific beliefs fall outside Islam, since the Qur'an condemns deifying any human being and warns against excess (ghuluww) in religion — and 'Ali himself is reported to have punished severely those who made such claims about him. Sunni scholars nevertheless distinguish between ruling on a doctrine and passing takfir on a named individual, many of whom inherit a communal label without knowing or holding these teachings. The correct approach is clear teaching of tawhid and fair dealing, not blanket condemnation of persons.

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