Rafida, also transliterated as Rafidah, is an Arabic word (collective plural Arabic: الرافضة‎, multiple plural Arabic: روافض‎, romanized: Rawāfiḍ; singular Arabic: رافضي‎, romanized: Rāfiḍī) meaning "rejectors", "rejectionists", "those who reject" or "those who refuse". The word is derived from the Arabic consonantal root ر ف ض (r-f-ḍ), which as a verb means "to reject". The non-collective singular form is رافضي rāfiḍī "one who rejects".The term is used contemporarily in a derogatory manner by Sunni Muslims, who refer to Shias as such because Shias do not recognize Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman as the legitimate successors of Muhammad, and hold Ali as to be the first successor.