Rafida


The term Rafida (Arabic: رافضة, lit.'those who reject') is a derogatory nickname used by Sunni Muslims to describe the majority of Shia Muslims, that is, those of them who 'reject' the legitimacy of the early Muslim caliphs in favor of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Rooted in early Islamic history, the term Rafida is still used in Sunni polemics against Shi'ism. The charge that Shias have rejected the Truth is frequently cited by Sunni extremists to justify their acts of violence against the Shia community. This nickname has been reinterpreted favorably by some Shia scholars to signify Shias' rejection of their oppressive Sunni rulers.

Definition

The term Rafida or Rawafid (lit.'those who reject', sg. Rafidi) is a derogatory nickname used by Sunni Muslims to describe Shia Muslims, at least those of them who 'reject' the legitimacy of the first three Muslim caliphs, namely, Abu Bakr (r. 632–634), Umar (r. 634–644), and Uthman (r. 644–656). One after another, these caliphs succeeded the Islamic prophet Muhammad after he died in 632 CE.[1][2] In particular, this nickname is applied to Twelvers, who constitute the overwhelming majority of the Shia community.[3][4] Twelvers believe that, shortly before he died in 632 CE, Muhammad publicly designated his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, as his successor at the Ghadir Khumm. The early caliphs thus usurped Ali's right. Twelvers also believe that Ali was succeeded by eleven of his descendants.[3][5] Rooted in early Islamic history, the term Rafida is still used in Sunni polemics, but has also been reinterpreted favorably by some Shia scholars to signify 'rejection' of all tyranny and the Shia struggle against their oppressive Sunni rulers.[1] Less commonly, the term Rafida has been applied to other Shia sects, such as the Ghulat (lit.'exaggerators' or 'extremists'),[3] who ascribed divinity to Shia imams.[citation needed]

Context

By eleventh century, the Shia status as "rejectors of the Truth" was canonized by Hanbali scholars, who did not grant Islamic rights to Shia Muslims: They were not to be married with, meat slaughtered by them was not halal (permissible), and they could not lead prayers.[6][3] With the fall of Abbasids in 1258, such attacks on Shi'ism intensified.[6] They are labeled today as infidels or heretics by Salafi and Wahhabi scholars,[7][8] considered a bigger threat to Islam than Christianity and Judaism,[6][8] and there are frequent calls for their extermination.[9][7][10] On these grounds, the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and other Sunni extremist groups have justified their acts of violence against the Shia community.[11][12] A popular reference for these groups is the prominent Hanbali theologian Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328), a staunch anti-Shia who also accused the Shia of conspiring with nonbelievers to destroy Islam from within.[13] In Saudi Arabia, where Wahhabism is the state religion,[14][15] schoolbooks referred to Shias as the Rafida until 1993. They are still openly denounced in Saudi schoolbooks and state-sponsored media.[16][17]

History

Origins

Origins of the term Rafida is uncertain. Perhaps the term is linked with the desertion of the Shia rebel Zayd ibn Ali (d. 740 CE) by some Kufan Shias, after the former refused to denounce the first two caliphs. They thus 'rejected' Zayd and became known as the Rafida. Zayd's rebellion was subsequently suppressed by the Umayyads and he was killed.[3][18][19] Rather than the rejection of Zayd, more likely the term Rafida historically signified the rejection of the first three caliphs by most Shias.[4]

Over time, the term Rafida became a popular pejorative for Imamite Shias, that is, the majority of the Shia community, known today as the Twelvers.[20] For Sunnis, the term signified the rejection of the first three caliphs,[20] whom Twelvers count among infidels for allegedly usurping Ali ibn Abi Talib's right to succeed Muhammad.[21][22] Alternatively, for Zaydi Shias, who follow Zayd's teachings, the term denoted the rejection of Zayd by early Imamites.[20]

Rafida in Sunni tradition

The term Rafida appears in some Islamic traditions of dubious authenticity. In one such tradition, Muhammad predicts the emergence of a group that would reject (yarfuduna) Islam. In another one, he orders Ali ibn Abi Talib to kill the Rafida for they are polytheists. Elsewhere, the Rafida, who are allegedly similar to Jews, are blamed for introducing into Islam the concept of anthropomorphism (tashbih), which is allegedly a hallmark of Judaism.[3]

Rafida in Shia tradition

Even though the term Rafida is intended as an abusive nickname, there are traditions, attributed to Shia imams, that reinterpret this term favorably. In one such tradition, Rafida are identified as a small group among the people of Pharaoh who rejected his rule, undaunted by his threats of punishment. This might be a reference to verses 7:120–126 and 20:70–75 of the Quran, the central text of Islam. The term Rafida even reportedly appeared in the original Torah, which has since been falsified, according to the Quran.[20]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Esposito 2003, p. 262.
  2. ^ Madelung 2000, p. 112.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Kohlberg 2012.
  4. ^ a b Momen 1985, p. 73.
  5. ^ Amir-Moezzi 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Nasr 2007, §1.
  7. ^ a b Yamani 2008, pp. 151–152.
  8. ^ a b Steinberg 2014, p. 113.
  9. ^ Jones 2005, p. 21.
  10. ^ Steinberg 2014, p. 114.
  11. ^ Shorok 2017, pp. 14–15.
  12. ^ Steinberg 2014.
  13. ^ Steinberg 2014, p. 111.
  14. ^ Ibrahim 2006, pp. 21–22.
  15. ^ Jones 2005, p. 23.
  16. ^ Prokop 2003, p. 81.
  17. ^ Jones 2005, pp. 23–24.
  18. ^ Daftary 2013, p. 146.
  19. ^ al-Abdul Jader 2010, p. 11.
  20. ^ a b c d Kohlberg 1979, p. 677.
  21. ^ Dakake 2007, p. 107.
  22. ^ Friedlaender 1907, p. 22.

Sources

  • al-Abdul Jader, A.S. (2010). "The Origin of Key Shi'ite Thought Patterns in Islamic History". In Suleiman, Y. (ed.). Living Islamic History: Studies in Honour of Professor Carole Hillenbrand. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748637386.
  • Amir-Moezzi, M.A. (2014). "Ghadīr Khumm". In Fleet, K.; Krämer, G.; Matringe, D.; Nawas, J.; Stewart, D.J. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (Third ed.). ISBN 9789004269613.
  • Daftary, F. (2013). A History of Shi'i Islam. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 9780857723338.
  • Dakake, M.M. (2007). The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in Early Islam. State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780791470336.
  • Delong-Bas, N.J. (2004). Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195169911.
  • Esposito, J.L. (2003). The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195125597.
  • Friedlaender, I. (1907). "The Heterodoxies of the Shiites in the Presentation of Ibn Ḥazm". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 28: 1–80.
  • Ibrahim, F. (2006). The Shi'is of Saudi Arabia. SAQI. ISBN 9780863569036.
  • Jones, T. (2005). "The Iraq Effect in Saudi Arabia". Middle East Report. 237: 20–25.
  • Kohlberg, E. (1979). "The Term 'Rāfida' in Imāmī Shī'ī Usage". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 99 (4): 677–679. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 601453.
  • Kohlberg, E. (2012). "al-Rāfiḍa". In Bearman, P.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (Second ed.). ISBN 9789004161214.
  • Madelung, W. (2000). "Review of Islamic Legal Orthodoxy: Twelver Shiite Responses to the Sunni Legal System, by D.J. Stewart". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 120/1: 111–114.
  • Momen, M. (1985). An Introduction to Shi'i Islam. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300035315.
  • Nasr, V. (2007). Shia Revival. W.W. Norton. ISBN 9780393066401.
  • Prokop, M. (2003). "Saudi Arabia: The Politics of Education". International Affairs. 79/1: 77–89.
  • Shorok, K. (2017). We are Saving Iraq: The Legitimising Discourse of The Popular Mobilisation in Iraq (PDF) (Thesis). University of Oslo.
  • Steinberg, G. (2014). "Jihadi-Salafism and the Shi'is: Remarks About the Intellectual Roots of Anti-Shi'ism". In Meijer, R. (ed.). Global Salafism: Islam's New Religious Movement. Oxford Academic.
  • Yamani, M. (2008). "The two faces of Saudi Arabia". Survival. 50/1: 143–156.

External links

  • rafida.org
  • Haddad, F. (2013). "The Language of Anti-Shiism". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2013-08-11.
  • Zelin, A.Y.; Smyth, P. (2014). "The Vocabulary of Sectarianism". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2014-03-16.
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