With this sect there is but one Lord God, and no other: he is one, living, omniscient, self-acting, almighty, hearing and seeing every thing, and the first of speakers; they acknowledge his power, not only over possible, but even impossible things; they consider God Almighty as possessed of qualities necessarily inherent in his essence; they hold the servant of God to be master of his own actions. With them the word of God is not ancient, but it is a novelty, because its meaning is understood from sounds. They adduce the words of _Abu Jâfr Túsî_[550] (the mercy of God be with him!), who says that, fundamentally considered, the seventy and three sects are only two religions, namely: _Navá seb_, “the enemies of Alí,” and _Ravafés_, “heretics” (the Shiâhs), because on the day on which Muhammed (the peace of God be upon him!) left the _mortal_ garment, there were forty thousand companions present, who all acknowledged, with approbation and satisfaction, Abubekr as khalif, except eighteen persons, who were attached to Alí (the peace of God be with him!) who were joined by seventeen other individuals, who, averse to Abubekr, did not acknowledge him, nor give their consent to his khalifat. He said of these seventeen, _rafas á na_, “they abandoned me,” or “they separated from me,” whence they received the name _raváfés_, “schismatics;” and those eighteen persons said to the companions: “You have appointed Abubekr without inauguration.” that is: “You raised to the khalifat Abubekr, without having due sanction for it;” on which account they received the title of _Naváséb_, “enemies,” and each of these two sects had two names; the one their own, on account of the part which they took in the appointment of the khalif, and the other name, which their antagonist or enemy gave them; all the companions called themselves _the people of the faith_, or _the people of the Sonnat and Jamáât_, whilst those eighteen persons called them _naváseb_, “enemies,” and to themselves they gave the title of _múmin_, “believers,” and _Shiâhs_, “troop,” but all the companions named them _Ráfés_, “heretics.” Afterwards, the religion of the Naváséb divided itself into fifty and five sects, and that of the Raváfés into eighteen, as it was said: “All are in the fire of hell, except one.”