Rubab, robab, or rabab (Persian: رُباب, Punjabi: ਰਬਾਬ, Kashmiri: رَبابہٕ, Sindhi: رَبابُ (Arabic script), रबाबु (Devanagari), Azerbaijani / Turkish: Rübab, Tajik / Uzbek рубоб) is a lute-like musical instrument.

[1] The rubab is the national musical instrument of Afghanistan; it is also commonly played in India and Pakistan, mostly by Pashtuns, Balochis, Sindhis, Kashmiris,[2] and Punjabis.

The earliest historical record of an instrument named rabab dates back to 10th-century Arabic texts, as identified by Henry George Farmer.

This instrument, along with its variations like rubab, rebab, and rabob, subsequently gained popularity in various regions of West, Central, South, and Southeast Asia.

[9] In northern India, the seni rebab, which emerged during the Mughal Empire, has "a large hook at the back of its head, making it easier for a musician to sling it over the shoulder and play it even while walking.