noun
An order of Sufi dervishes pledged to poverty and asceticism, and practising the repeated calling out of chants to attain religious ecstasy.
Formerly sometimes known as howling dervishes.
adjective
Of or belonging to the Rifai; designating the Rifai.
Origin
Mid 19th century. From Dakhini rafāʿī, variant of rifāʿī and its etymon Arabic rifāʿī, rafāʿī from the name of Aḥmad b. Ali al-Rifāʿī (d. 1182), the founder of this order.
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