Who are the the Druze and the Maronites of Lebanon respectively?

I hear of the Druze Muslims on the one hand the Maronite Christians on the other hand. Any difference between the Druze and other Muslims or between the Maronites and other Christians in terms of doc tine/belief or any other things?

Druzes Believe that Allah came down in the body of AL-Hakim bi-Amrillah, and that a man named Muhammad .... (i.e. a Muhammad other than Muhammad bin `Abdillah the Prophet of Islam) was his messenger to the Levant.

Believe in reincarnation

Believe that everyone had a chance to enter their religion hundreds of years ago, and that those whose souls refused may not any longer; hence no-one can enter their religion.

Have a 'secret book' called "AL-Hikmah."




The Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with Rome, has a history reaching back to the fifth century. The monks of the monastery of St. Maron, from which the Church takes her name, were fierce opponents of the Monophysite heresy who learned to be independent during the violent theological struggle. At one point, the Monophysites killed three hundred fifty monks loyal to the teachings of the council of Chalcedon. Correspondence of the time between St. Maron [the monastery] and Pope Hormisdas reveals that Rome recognized a degree of autonomy among the Maronites even
then.
In the seventh century, during the conflict with the Arabs, the patriarchs of Antioch moved to Constantinople and were appointed by the emperor, thus leaving the Chalcedonians in Syria without a patriarch. In response, the monks of St. Maron and other local bishops elected the first Maronite patriarch in 685.
By the mid-eighth century, most Maronites had moved to Lebanon and established a tightly-knit Christian society presided over even in temporal affairs by the patriarch. The Crusades brought the Maronites into direct contact with the West, and in 1215 the Maronite patriarch participated in the Fourth Lateran Council and later received the pallium from Pope Innocent III.
From that time on, ties have been very strong between the Maronites and Rome, leading to a degree of Latinization of this Oriental Church. The use of Syriac, however, has been retained in the Maronite Liturgy.
Because of constant political turmoil and intermittent war with Muslims, many Maronites have left Lebanon. The Maronite patriarch still resides in [Lebanon] but has jurisdiction over dioceses in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Australia, Brazil and the United States.

Druze branched off the Ismalili Shia groups more than a thousand years ago. They are rather closed society. They included influences of other philosophical systems, among others believe in reincarnation.

Maronites are Christians who slit from the main branches of Christianity around the fifth century following the teachings of Maroun. They took refuge in mountain areas of Lebanon, fleeing the Byzantine Church. After the Muslims conquered that land, they were freed from the persecutions of the main churches, as Christians they were allowed to live amongst Muslims because they also were people of the book. Nowadays they are considered Catholics as they consider the Pope of Rome as having supreme authority.

Both of them are respect in Lebanon. Many people should really stop thinking that Lebanese people always think of religion and other stuff. Druze live their life up to 40 years old and then they choose their own religion whatever so it is. Maronites are more close to Catholic Christians and they are the main Christian people in Lebanon were as the president should only be a Christian Maronite.