Rafida

Rafida (Arabic: رافضة, romanized: Rāfiḍa, lit. 'rejectors') refers to those Shia Muslims who 'reject' the legitimacy of the caliphates of Abu Bakr (r. 632–634), Umar (r. 634–644), and Uthman (r. 644–656), in favor of Ali ibn Abi Talib (r. 656–661), the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

In particular, the term Rafida appears in Sunni polemics as a deragotary nickname for Twelvers, who constitute the overwhelming majority of the Shia community. In turn, Twelvers have reinterpreted this nickname favorably to signify their rejection of perceived Sunni oppression.