This is an old revision of this page, as edited by RiskAficionado (talk | contribs) at 17:46, 6 February 2007 (Revert to revision 105871742 dated 2007-02-05 20:21:23 by Zora using popups). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 17:46, 6 February 2007 by RiskAficionado (talk | contribs) (Revert to revision 105871742 dated 2007-02-05 20:21:23 by Zora using popups)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Rafida (رافضة, pl. Rawafid) is an Arabic collective noun which means "turncoats, dissenters, deserters", from the Arabic verb root ر ف ض which can mean "to reject".
It is an Islamic term, which refers in a derogatory way to those who (in the opinion of the person using the term) reject legitimate Islamic authority and leadership.
In past times, it was used by some Shi'a Muslims to refer to other Shi'a who refused to follow Zayd ibn Ali. It is thought that the usage of the term came from Zayd ibn Ali himself who exclaimed "You have abandoned me (rafadtumuni)" to his own followers who retracted their oath of allegiance to Zayd ibn Ali.
It was also used by Sunni Muslims as a term of abuse for Shi'a Muslims. They were considered "Refusers" because they refused to give allegiance to Abu Bakr, or refused to recognize the authority of Sunni caliphs.
The word rafida (and also the Arabic non-collective singular form rafidi رافضي) is currently used as a derogatory term for Shi'a Muslims by Sunni Muslims who refuse to accept Shi'a Islam as being a valid form of Islam. It would seem to be used primarily by Salafis, but it is possible that it is used by other groups.
References
- Tareekh at-Tabari, Vol. II, p. 1700