In view of the large number of this type of persons among...

In view of the large number of this type of persons among Iraqi traditionists (muhaddithin) it must be said that this is an acceptable name for them which solves the problem of explaining the religious tendency of this type of individuals.

In any case, it should be noted that while referring to Shiism of Kufah, or basically to that of Iraq, it must be made clear whether the individual or tendency concerned is of the type associated with mere preference (tafdil) for Imam Ali ('a) over Uthman or that of Shi'ism in its doctrinal Imami sense. There were many in Kufah who were Shi'is only in the former sense and were very attached to the and many of them were narrators of the fada'il of Imam Ali and other figures of the .

These persons must not considered Sunnis in its technical sense although many of them considered the first two caliphs to have been legitimate. In other words, their narrations must be studied with attention to their strong Shi'i inclinations. Naturally; the Uthmaniyyah, who were the progenitors of the later Sunnis, had a character different from that of this group and they were not on good terms with one another.

It is for this reason that in rijal works of the Ahl al-Hadith and the Hanbalis the allegation of tashayyu', in the sense of narration of the fada'il of the , is considered one of the marks of discredit (qadh). They are "Iraqi Shiis" whose names are not mentioned in Shii works of rijal. Nevertheless, many of these persons have been considered trustworthy (thiqah) narrators by staunch Hanbalis and writers belonging to Ahl al-Hadith.

For instance, concerning Dawud ibn Abi Awf, who has been considered a thiqah narrator by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Main, it has been said: "He is a Shii, and most of what he narrates is concerning the fada'il of the " (Shi'i, 'ammatu ma yarwihi fi fadi'il ). Thereafter Dhahabi cites an example of his narrations which is a hadith of the Prophet (s) addressed to Ali ('a): ..... O Ibn Abi Talib, indeed you and your shi'ah shall be in paradise.

Following this hadith is a statement against the rafidis attributed to the Prophet (s). [^19] Examples of the phrases and statements concerning Shi'is and cited by al-Dhahabi from experts of rijal of early centuries will serve to elucidate the use of the terms shi'ah and rafidi during that era. These expressions become harsher in accordance with the higher degree of the Shi'i tendency of the individual concerned.