Rafida or Rafidha or Rafidhis رافضة أو رافضي...

Rafida or Rafidha or Rafidhis رافضة أو رافضي: Literally, it means “rejectors” or “rejectionists”; a misnomer used to insult Shiites by reminding them (as if they forgot!) that they rejected the governments established by the first three “righteous caliphs”.

These days, Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabis in general and Takfiri extremists in particular, are circulating this misnomer in order to stir hostility against Shiite Muslims and thus justify beheading them, raping their women, killing their children, destroying their mosques…, etc.

The best answer we provide for these ignorant Wahhabis and Takfiris are these poetic verse by none other than one of the four main imams of the Sunnis, namely Imam ash-Shafi’i (150 – 206 A.H./767 – 206 A.D.; notice how he founded this sect one century and a half after the hijra , migration, whereas Ali (ع), cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet (ص), was there a long time before then): يا راكبـا قف بالمحصب من منى واهتف بقـاعد خيفها والناهض سحرا إذا فاض الحجيج إلى منى فيضا كملتطم الفرات الفـائض إن كان رفضا حب آل محمــد فليشهد الثقــلان أني رافضي O rider!

Stop at the Muhassab in Mina and shout At one who sits at its Kheef (Mosque) and who stands At the time of sahar, when pilgrims flood Mina A flood like the Euphrates when it floods That if loving Muhammad’s Progeny is Rafdh, Let both Thaqalan bear witness that I am Rafidhi. The “Muhassab” is an area in Mina, one of the stations where pilgrims perform the rituals of the pilgrimage. The “Thaqalan” is a collective word that refers to jinns and mankind.

Imam ash-Shafi’i, may Allah be pleased with him, used to recite these verses with tears in his eyes whenever he was on top of any hill or mountain while performing the pilgrimage. Rak`at or Rakat or Rek'a ركعة: an individual unit of salat Ramadan or Ramadhan or Ramazan رمضان: the holy month of prescribed fasting for the Muslims. It was during this month that the Qur'anic revelations began. For details about this month, refer to my book titled Fast of the Month of Ramadan: Philosophy and Ahkam.

Rashid راشد : adult, adolescent, the age of distinguishing between right and wrong through commonsense and instinct, the age of responsibility, of accountability, of questioning on the Day of Questioning; it also means wise, sage. Rasul or Rasool رسول: The meaning of the word Rasul is: a messenger. Allah sent many prophets and messengers to mankind. Amongst them, the names of twenty-five are mentioned in the Qur'an.