to that. Thus, the designation Rāfida was not known at that time. This and other evidence (1) establish the falsity of [the wording of the hadiths traced back to the Prophet that contain the designation] (2) Rāfida.

They were, however, known by names other than this. For example, they were (3) called the Khashabiyya because they said, “We will not fight with swords except alongside an infallible imam,” and so they fought with wooden staves. Hence, according to some reports, al-Shabī said (4), “I have never seen anyone more foolish than the Khashabiyya.” (5)

Accordingly, referring to them by the designation Rāfida would be a transmission of the meaning rather than the exact wording, besides the fact that Abd al-Rahmān is weak. It is also evident that these words were composed and formulated by Abd al-Rahmān ibn Mālik ibn Mighwal, although he had heard part of them (6) from al-Shabī. Whether he authored them himself; composed them from what he observed of the Shīa in his own time and what he heard (7) about them; based them on what he heard scholars say about them; or whether this applies to only part of them, to a combination of both sources, or part derives from this and part from that—this (8) statement is established by evidence and requires neither a transmitted report (9) nor a chain of transmission.

When someone says, “The Rāfida do such-and-such and such-and-such,” (10) what is meant is some of the Rāfida,