عُرْفٌ

[Acknowledgment, or confession;] a subst. from الاِعْتِرَافُ, (S, O, K, TA,) as meaning الإِقْرَارُ. (TA.) Hence, (S, O,) you say, (K,) لَهُ عَلَىَّ أَلْفٌ عُرْفًا, meaning اِعْتِرَافًا [i. e. A thousand is due to him on my part by acknowlegment, or confession]; (S, O, * K;) the last word being a corroborative. (S, O.)

Also i. q. مَعْرُوفٌ; (S, O, Msb, K;) as also عَارِفَةٌ, (S, O, K,) of which the plural is عَوَارِفُ; (O, K;) عُرْفٌ being opposite of نُكْرٌ, (S, O, K,) and مَعْرُوفٌ being opposite of مُنْكَرٌ [as synonym with نُكْرٌ]; (S, Mgh, O, K;) i. e. Goodness, or a good quality or action; and gentleness, or lenity; and beneficence, [favour, kindness, or bounty,] or a benefit, a benefaction, or an act of beneficence [or favour or kindness]: (Msb:) عُرْفٌ is also explained as signifying liberality, or bounty; (K, TA;) and so عُرُفٌ, which is a dialect var. thereof: (TA:) and a thing liberally, or freely, bestowed; or given: (K:) and مَعْرُوفٌ is explained as signifying liberality, or bounty, when it is with moderation, or with a right and just aim: [and sometimes it means simply moderation:] and sincere, or honest, advice or counsel or action: and good fellowship with one's family and with others of mankind: it is an epithet in which the quality of a subst. predominates: (TA:) and signifies any action, or deed, of which the goodness is known by reason and by the law; and مُنْكَرٌ signifies the contr. thereof. (Er-Rághib, TA.) It is said in the Qur'an, 7:198, وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ, (O,) meaning [And enjoin thou goodness, &c., or] what is deemed good, or approved, of actions. (Bd.) And you say, أَوْلَاهُ عُرْفًا, (S, O,) or عَارِفَةً, (TA,) meaning مَعْرُوفًا [i. e. He did to him, or conferred upon him, a benefit, &c.]. (S, O, TA.) وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَاتِ مَتَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ [in the Qur'an, 2:242 means [And for the divorced women there shall be a provision of necessaries] with moderation, or right and just aim, and beneficence. (TA.) And قَوْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى [in the same, ii. 265,] means Refusal with pleasing [or gracious] speech, (Bd, Jel, TA,) and prayer [expressed to the beggar, that God may sustain him,] (TA,) and forgiveness granted to the beggar for his importunity (Bd, Jel) or obtained by such refusal from God or from the beggar, (Bd,) are better than an alms which annoyance follows (TA) by reproach for a benefit conferred and for begging. (Jel.) And مَنْ كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ [in the same, iv. 6,] means [And such as is poor, let him take for himself (lit. eat)] according to what is approved by reason and by the law, (TA,) or according to his need (Bd) and the recompense of his labour. (Bd, Jel.)

[العُرْفُ, in lexicology, signifies The commonly-known, commonly-received, or common conventional, language; common parlance, or common usage: mostly meaning that of a whole people; in which case, the epithet العَامُّ is sometimes added: but often meaning that of a particular class; as, for instance, of the lawyers. Hence the terms حَقِيقَةٌ عُرْفًا and مَجَازٌ عُرْفًا, explained in arts. حق and جوز. See also مُتَعَارَفٌ: and see عَادَةٌ.]

Also The عُرْف of the horse; (S, O;) [i. e. the mane;] the hair (Mgh, Msb, K) that grows on the ridge (Msb) of the neck of the horse (Mgh, Msb, K) or similar beast; (Msb;) as also عُرُفٌ: (K:) [see also مَعْرَفَةٌ:] or the part, of the neck, which is the place of growth of the hair: [see again مَعْرَفَةٌ:] and the part, of the neck [of a bird], which is the place of growth of the feathers: (TA:) [or the feathers themselves of the neck; used in this sense in the K and TA in article برل, as is shown by the context therein:] and the [comb or] elongated piece of flesh on the upper part of the head of a cock; to which the بَظْر of a girl is likened: (Msb:) plural أَعْرَافٌ [properly a plural of pauc.] (O, TA) and عُرُوفٌ. (TA.) As used it in relation to a man, explaining the phrase جَاءَ فُلَانٌ مُبْرَثِلًّا لِلشَّرِّ as meaning نَافِشًا عُرْفَهُ [i. e. (assumed tropical:) Such a one came as though ruffling the feathers of his neck to do evil, or mischief]. (TA.) And [hence] it is said in a tradition, جَاوءُوا كَأَنَّهُمْ عُرُفٌ (assumed tropical:) [They came as though they were a mane], meaning, following one another. (TA.) And one says, جَاء القَوْمُ عُرْفًا عُرْفًا (assumed tropical:) [The people, or party, came] one after another: like the saying, طَارَ القَطَا عُرْفًا (assumed tropical:) [The sand-grouse flew] one after another. (K.) And hence, وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا, (S, O, K,) in the Qur'an, 77:1, a metaphorical phrase, from the عُرْف of the horse, meaning (tropical:) [By the angels, or the winds, that are sent forth] consecutively, like [the several portions of] the عُرْف [or mane] of the horse: (S, O:) or the meaning is, sent forth بِالْمَعْرُوفِ, (S, O, K, TA,) i. e. with beneficence, or benefit: (TA:) [for further explanations, see the expositions of Z and Bd or others: and see also article رسل:] some read عَرْفًا [explained in the next preceding paragraph]. (TA.)

[Hence also,] (tropical:) The waves of the sea. (K, TA.)

And (assumed tropical:) Elevated sand; as also عُرُفٌ and عُرْفَةٌ: plural (of the last, TA) عُرَفٌ and (of the first, TA) أَعْرَافٌ: (S, O, K:) and all signify likewise (assumed tropical:) an elevated place: (K:) and the first, (assumed tropical:) the elevated, or overtopping, back of a portion of sand, (K, TA,) and of a mountain, and of anything high: and (assumed tropical:) an elevated portion of the earth or ground: and [the plural] أَعْرَافٌ (assumed tropical:) the حَرْث [meaning land ploughed, or prepared, for sowing] that is upon the [channels for irrigation that are called] فُلْجَان [plural of فَلَجٌ] and قَوَايءِد [plural of قَايءِدٌ]. (TA.)

[The plural] الأَعْرَافُ, (S, O, K,) mentioned in the Qur'an, 7:44 and 46], (S, O,) is applied to (assumed tropical:) A wall between Paradise and Hell: (S, O, K:) so it is said: (S, O:) or the upper parts of the wall: or by عَلَى الأَعْرَافِ may be there meant عَلَى مَعْرِفَةِ أَهْلِ الجَنَّةِ وَأَهْلِ النَّارِ [i. e., apparently, and possessing knowledge of the people of Paradise and of the people of Hell: for it seems that مُحْتَوُونَ, or the like, is to be understood before على]. (Zj, TA.) [And hence it is the name of The Seventh Chapter of the Qur'an.] By أَصْحَابُ الأَعْرَافِ [The occupants of the اعراف], there mentioned, are said to be meant persons whose good and evil works have been equal, so that they shall not have merited Paradise by the former nor Hell by the latter: or prophets: or angels. (Zj, TA.)