rafiqn.

1783 J. Capper Observ. Passage to India 58 An Arab Sheick..engages a certain number of refeeks or associates to join with him in furnishing the merchants of the different cities with camels..and also each of the refeeks engages to bring a certain number of armed men to ensure the safety of the caravan across the desert: the refeeks are taken from different tribes, in order to lessen the risque of being attacked.

1856 R. F. Burton Personal Narr. Pilgrimage to El-Medinah III. 84 The payment of a small sum secures..a ‘Rafik’, and this ‘friend’, after once engaging in the task, will be faithful.

1888 C. M. Doughty Trav. Arabia Deserta I. viii. 235 The Arabian rafîk, often an enemy, is a paid brother-of-the-road, that for a modest fee takes upon him to quit the convoy from all hostile question and encounter of his own tribesmen.

1913 G. Bell Let. 20 Dec. (1927) I. xiii. 314 We have a Rafiq, a comrade of the Ghiyatah with us—we fetched him from Dumeir to stand surety for us if we met his tribe.

1935 C. R. Raswan Black Tents of Arabia xxii. 162 Ali offered himself as my rafiq for the journey to Jesira.

1978 Z. Freeth & H. V. F. Winstone Explorers Arabia 255 Explaining that his rafiq had abandoned him, he asked for an ass to carry his bags into Anaiza.

2001 T. Macintosh-Smith Trav. with Tangerine 284 My discoveries were hardly earth-shattering... It would have been good to share them with a rafiq, a travelling companion.