mufti

American  

[muhf-tee] / ˈmʌf ti /

noun

plural

muftis

1. civilian clothes, in contrast with military or other uniforms, or as worn by a person who usually wears a uniform.

2. a Muslim jurist expert in the religious law.

3. (in the Ottoman Empire) a deputy of the chief Muslim legal adviser to the Sultan.

4. (initial capital letter) Grand Mufti.

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mufti ¹ British  

/ ˈmʌftɪ /

noun

1. a Muslim legal expert and adviser on the law of the Koran

2. (in the former Ottoman empire) the leader of the religious community

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mufti ² British  

/ ˈmʌftɪ /

noun

1. civilian dress, esp as worn by a person who normally wears a military uniform

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Etymology

Origin of mufti

First recorded in 1580–90, mufti is from the Arabic word muftī literally, “a person who delivers a judgment,” originally a Muslim legal adviser; sense of mufti def. 1 arises from the legal adviser being a civil official

Explanation

A mufti is an Islamic scholar who is legally able to rule on various religious and personal matters. In some places, people going through a divorce might need the help of a mufti. In Islamic countries, muftis are officials who are authorized to make legal decisions or help judges in deciding cases. Most often, they give advice about inheritance, marriage, divorce, and other civil issues. The word mufti means "judge" in Arabic. The secondary meaning of mufti is "ordinary clothes," when they're worn by people who usually wear a uniform. So a soldier wearing civilian clothes might be said to be in mufti.

Example Sentences

That unease perhaps began with Al-Husseini, the World War II-era grand mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian Arab nationalist, an enthusiastic Nazi supporter who helped recruit Bosnian Muslims to their side, and whose antisemitism was well-documented.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023

In a move widely seen as conciliatory, he made a historic trip to predominantly Muslim Turkey later that year and prayed in Istanbul's Blue Mosque with the city's grand mufti.

From Reuters • Dec. 31, 2022

Six years into the war, Mr. Putin turned the chief mufti of Chechnya to betray the rebel cause.

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2022

When Italian bombers attacked Haifa and Tel Aviv, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem sent his congratulations to Mussolini.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2021

What we knew, but the mufti did not, was that his own niece attended my father’s school in secret.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai