المعروف
al-Maʿrūf
What is known to be good, and so is desirable and required of everyone; the opposite of al-munkar.
What it means
Al-maʿrūf comes from a root meaning to know or to recognise. It is the good that is recognised as good by sound reason and by the revelation, and so is the standard of right conduct. The Quran speaks of the community that calls to the good, “enjoins al-maʿrūf and forbids al-munkar” (3:104), and it calls the Muslim community the best raised up for people because of this duty (3:110). The Quran also tells Muhammad (peace be upon him), “Hold to forgiveness, command what is right (al-ʿurf), and turn away from the ignorant” (7:199). In law the word is used for fair dealing, as in the maintenance of a wife and the treatment of parents.
Often misunderstood as
It is sometimes taken to mean mere custom or social convention, but the Quran ties it to what God has approved.
What the sources say
Scholars speak of the duty of enjoining al-maʿrūf as one that each person fulfils by the means available, with gentleness and knowledge of what is being asked.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 39, listed as AL MAʿRŪF. The definition is restated here.