THE SHI'A, WHO ARE KNOWN BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT NAMES
As for the Shi'a, they are also known by several other names, including ar-Rafida [the Deserters or Rebels], al-Ghaliya [the Extremists] and at-Tayyara [the Flighty or Volatile Ones]. They came to be called the Shi'a [the Partisans] for the simple reason that they rallied to support [shayya'at] the cause of 'Ali (may Allah be well pleased with him), and considered him superior to all the rest of the Companions [of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)].
The Rafidah
Rawafid is a term often used to denote those who show great love for the Household of the Prophet, and in this light Imam Shafi`i said, "If being Rafidi is loving the Household of Muhammad Then let all mankind and jinn testify that I am Rafidi." However, it is usually used with negative connotations. The Rafida were so called because of their rejection [rafd] of the majority of the Companions, and their refusal to accept the Imamate of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be well pleased with them both). According to some, however, they were called ar-Rawafid [the Deserters] because they deserted Zaid ibn 'Ali, when he accepted the authority of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be well pleased with them both) and declared himself in favor of their Imamate. Zaid said [of his former supporters]: "They have deserted me [rafaduni]," and so they came to be known as deserters [rafida].
The Saba'iyyah
A sect of the Rawafid, emerged in the time of `Ali and told `Ali he was God. `Ali (May Allah be pleased with Him) burned some of them to death as a result.
Later, the Rawafid split into four groups:
1. The Zaydis
Some people asked Imam Zayd ibn `Ali to disavow Abu Bakr and `Umar. He would not do so, and some people refused his decision, and deserted him, thereby becoming known as Rawafid, which means the Refusers. Those who stayed with him became known as the Zaydis, and so they are technically not of the Rawafid. The Zaydis split into three groups:
- Jarudis
- Sulaymanis
- Butris.
They all agreed on the leadership of Imam Zayd ibn `Ali ibn al-Husayn when he revolted at the time of Hisham ibn `Abdul-Malik. They are the closest of the Shi`ah to Ahlus-Sunnah; they merely maintain that `Ali had more right to the Caliphate, but they do not claim that he was explicitly appointed as Caliph by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and his Household and grant them peace), and hence they accept the Caliphates of Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman.
2. Kisanis
The Kisanis split into
two groups: one claimed that Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah, a son of `Ali, is still alive and that he is the Mahdi; the other group say he died and passed on the leadership.
3. Imamis
4. Ghulah (Exaggerators)
The exaggerators are not Muslims. The Imamis and exaggerators split into
fifteen groups, among which are the
Ja`faris / Ithna `Asharis (Twelvers) and the Isma`ilis. The exaggerators claimed divinity for their Imams, permitted all sorts of haram things, and in short dismissed the obligations of shari`ah.
Qat'iyya [Positivists]:
They are so called because of their positive certainty [qat'] concerning the death of Musa ibn Ja'far.
Ghaliya [Extremists]:
So called because of their excessively fanatical devotion [ghuluww] to 'Ali (may Allah be well pleased with him), and due to the fact that they improperly ascribed to him certain attributes of Lordship [rububiyya] and Prophethood [nubuwwa].
The names of the authors who compiled their textbooks are: Hisham ibn Hakam, 'Ali ibn Mansur, Abu'l-Ahwas, al-Husain ibn Sa'id, al-Fadl ibn Shadhan, Abu 'Isa al-Warraq, Ibn ar-Rawandi and al-Maniji. Their most numerous concentrations are to be found in the cities of Qum and Qashan [in Iran] and in the districts of Idris and Kufa [in 'Iraq].