People of the rural Mashriq, who identify themselves as badū (nomadic) or ḥaḍarī (settled), by tribal or family descent or locality, understand customary law ( ʿurf , from the root ʿ r f, to know, to recognize) as the knowledge of jurally based rules and customs known to all, predating Islam and embedded in existing social, economic, and political practices. ʿUrf resolves disputes so both parties reconcile their differences, and the community as a whole moves forward. ʿUrf maintains peace through the restitution of honor to the complainant by reconciliation and compromis…