عرف
ʿUrf
Topic
Local custom is respected where it agrees with the faith, but the Quran condemns following forefathers blindly.
What it means
The Quran criticises people who say “we follow what we found our fathers following” (2:170, 5:104) and condemns pagan customs (6:138). It also tells the Prophet to “command what is customary and good” (7:199). The Hanafi and Maliki schools recognise ʿurf as a basis for rulings when it does not conflict with a text.