المعنى الاصطلاحي :

Discerning lineage through insight and inspecting resemblances in the face and body parts.

الشرح المختصر :

"Qiyāfah" (tracking) is the skill which allows one to identify facial features (physiognomy) and physical resemblances among people. The one who does so is called a "qā’if" (tracker), and he can determine whether a person belongs to a certain family by way of resemblance, features, and hidden signs. He is often correct in his identification results. The "qāfah" (pl. of qā’if) are used to identify ancestry and to catch criminals by following their tracks, arresting them, and bringing them to the authorities. Nowadays, however, the services of the "qā’if" are rarely needed because of the modern techniques used to identify traces, such as fingerprint identification, lab tests, etc.

التعريف اللغوي المختصر :

"Qiyāfah": tracking and examining resemblances to use them as evidence. Original meaning: following the trace.