Semantic Evolution of the Terms Rafida and Shi'ism in Rijal and Religious Sect Sources of the Sunnis

Understanding the exact meaning of the terms and tracking the evolution of the semantic components of a word or term throughout history will offer a more realistic perception of the issues and the accurate analysis of its applications. Among the words that seem to have undergone a semantic change over the course of history are the two terms Shi'ism and rafida, which are used both in sectology and Elm al-rejal (Science of Narration). This research, by analyzing historical evidences, attempts to revisit terms " rafida and Shi'ism " in the early centuries and address the question whether the two terms of rafida and Shi'ism in these centuries have referred solely to the Imamiyyah Shia or the semantic scope of this term is far beyond Imamiyyah Shia, encompassing other Shia sects and movements. This paper seeks to prove that, contrary to the general perception, the two terms of Shi'ism and rafida are not exclusive to Imamiyyah Shia. The definitions of these two terms offered in Sunni sources and its adaptation to the movements attributed to Shi'a manifest a kind of semantic development of these two words in the discourse of earlier theorists. However, it has undergone a semantic delimitation over time, becoming constrained to its current meaning in the Imamiyyah Shia. Failure to recognize this point, some researchers have provided incorrect analysis of the application of these two terms in describing narrators.