Urf
/ʕurf/noun
A customary practice recognized as a source of law or social authority, especially in Islamic jurisprudence.
Did you know?In Islamic jurisprudence, ʿurf could influence legal judgments when local custom did not contradict explicit religious law.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ʕ-r-f
“To know, recognize, or become acquainted with”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʿurf
“A known or familiar custom; an accepted practice”
7th–10th Centuries
Arabic
al-ʿurf
“Social convention considered in legal and ethical reasoning”
19th–20th Centuries
English
urf
“A customary rule or practice, especially in Islamic law”
Modern English
English
urf
“Customary law or socially recognized practice”