fatwa

[ faht-wah ]

noun

1. an Islamic religious decree issued by the ʿulama.

fatwa

/ ˈfætwɑː /

noun

1. a non-binding judgment on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized religious authority

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatwa¹

First recorded in 1985–90, fatwa is from the Arabic word fatwā

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatwa¹

Arabic

Example Sentences

A fatwa is a non-binding Islamic legal ruling from a respected religious scholar usually based on the Quran or the Sunnah - the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad.

From BBC

Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa in 1989, calling for Rushdie’s assassination.

From BBC

But he has also said they were justified because of a fatwa, or religious ruling, by Ayatollah Khomeini.

From BBC

Rushdie, 76, spent years in hiding after the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, in 1989 calling for his death due to his novel “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous.

From Seattle Times

AP: I remember you writing about how, after the fatwa, there was a period where fiction was a struggle.

From Seattle Times