mufti

American  

[muhf-tee] / ˈmʌf ti /

noun

muftis plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• muftis
  plural

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

See Examples For:

mufti muftis

The mufti conspired with Iraqi soldiers to overthrow the pro-British Prince Regent Abd al-Ilah of Hejaz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

A similar appeal was issued by Dagestan's chief Muslim cleric, or mufti.

From Reuters ● Oct. 30, 2023

After Elizabeth’s death, a video clip from 2015 went viral showing Ali Gomaa, the former grand mufti of Egypt, describing the British queen as a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2022

He’s grouchy and dyspeptic in his costume, and mopey and floppy in his Bruce Wayne mufti.

From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2022

He claimed to be a mufti, or an Islamic scholar, and said he had a problem with the school.

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

“For example, different jurists and muftis will put forth various, sometimes conflicting fatwas. On which fatwa should the police or any other agents of the state rely when enforcing Islam?”

From The Guardian ● May 27, 2015

Muslim leaders, the muftis, have apparently worked out a kind of modus vivendi with the government; in exchange for being allowed to practice their religion they often support the government on major policy questions.

From Time Magazine Archive

One would suppose that an English governor, if called to decide upon such a claim of the Nabob's, would doubtless be attended by judges, muftis, lawyers, and all the apparatus of legal justice.

From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 12 (of 12) by Burke, Edmund

The Sultan personally witnessed the departure of the fleet; all the muftis prayed for the success of the expedition, as all the muftis here prayed for the success of the last general election.

From Ten Englishmen of the Nineteenth Century by Joy, James Richard

The Mahommedan community is rapidly diminishing; it is organized under 16 muftis who with their assistants receive a subvention from the government.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4 "Bulgaria" to "Calgary" by Various