Etymology
'Urfi (Arabic: عرفي) comes from the Arabic word 'Urf, which means custom, convention, or a customary act. Only some Sunnis believe in 'Urfi whereas a large majority do Misyar. Misyaar marriages are very common in Arab countries and are meant to receive sexual gratification in a legitimate way.
In its modern context, 'Urfi is used to connote something that is different to official state ceremony or procedure. Thus a Nikah 'urfi' in an Islamic state may denote something similar to a common-law marriage in the west, while in some countries, such as Egypt, a Nikah 'Urfi is a marriage that takes place without the public approval of the bride's guardians, even though the contract is officiated by a religious cleric and sometimes by a state representative.
Read more about this topic: Nikah 'urfi
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