Ali-Illahism

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Ali-Illahism (Persian: علی‌اللّهی; Arabic: علي إلهي) is a syncretic religion practiced in parts of the Luristan region of Iran that combines elements of Shia Islam with older religions. It centers on the belief that there have been successive incarnations of God throughout history: Ali-Illahis reserve particular reverence for Ali, the son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who is considered one of those incarnations. Various rites have been described as "Ali-Illahi," a label also applied to the Yazidis, the Alawites, and other native minority groups whose doctrines and practices are unfamiliar to the surrounding Muslim- and Christian-majority populations. Observers have described it as an agglomeration of the traditions and rituals of several older religions, including Zoroastrianism, based historically on travelogues that were "evident that there is no definite code which can be described as 'Ali-Illahism'." "Ali-Illahism" is sometimes used as an umbrella term for ghulat who venerate...

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