Do Yazidis worship the sun?

Sun-worshippers — that is the second thing Yazidis hear about themselves. Right after the first, which is even worse. It is not true. But it does not come out of nowhere, and that is why it is worth taking a closer look at it.

The short answer

No. Yazidis do not worship the sun. They pray in its direction.

The difference is the same as with a Muslim who turns toward Mecca: He does not worship the Kaaba. He orientates himself. The direction is an aid, not the object of prayer.

What actually happens

In the morning, one turns to where the sun rises. In the evening, to where it sets. Prayer is performed quietly, in Kurmanji, often standing, often at a window. It rarely lasts longer than a minute or two.

At the end, people often lift the collar of their shirt or jacket slightly and briefly bring it to their lips. Anyone who does not know what to look for can see this gesture for a lifetime without ever noticing it.

You do not need a building for this. You need a window.

Why the sun of all things

Because it is the light. Every morning, for free, the same for everyone. The rich get no more of it than the poor, the believer no more than the indifferent. Anyone looking for a sign that there is something greater than themselves would be hard-pressed to find a better one.

There is also a very practical explanation, and it is no less true: A community that has had to flee again and again for centuries could not afford a religion tied to buildings.

How often do they pray?

This is where it gets messy, and that is part of the honest answer. Some pray three times a day — morning, noon, and evening. Some only in the morning. Many only sometimes. And quite a few not at all.

There is no obligation in the sense that other religions know it. No one is keeping count. No one calls out from the street that it is time. That has a beautiful side and a bitter one: what no one demands, one can also simply let go. And what one generation lets go of, the next can no longer do.

Who is prayed for?

That is the answer that surprises most people. In the common form, one does not only pray for oneself. You include others: the family, the neighbors, the people you do not know. In the end, everyone.

Even non-Yazidis. Whoever starts sorting in the morning has not understood the principle.

Where the misunderstanding comes from

Anyone who only sees a religion from the outside sees movements. They see people turning in a direction where something conspicuous stands — and concludes that this is the goal. That is not malicious intent, it is an obvious confusion.

It only becomes malicious when an observation turns into a judgment. And that has happened to the Yazidis more than once.

Where you can read more

In ÊZÎDÎ — What we really believe this scene is at the beginning of the fourth chapter: A boy wakes up on his grandmother's sofa and sees her standing at the window. He asks her at breakfast what that was — and gets an answer that is sharper than he expected.