fatwa

American  

[faht-wah] / ˈfɑt wɑ /

noun

1. an Islamic religious decree issued by the ʿulama.

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fatwa British  

/ ˈfætwɑː /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of fatwa

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

Example Sentences

For over a decade the author lived in hiding, protected by the British government, until a deal was reached in which the fatwa was officially rescinded in exchange for Britain's granting diplomatic recognition to Tehran.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Ditto for Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s encounter with wolves in the garden of his villa in Vermont, or Ruhollah Khomeini’s fatwa on Salman Rushdie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

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 • Nov. 8, 2024

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

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2024

He then issued a religious edict, or fatwa, that allowed image-making and the depiction of living beings for scientific and educational purposes, so long as it did not lead to idolatry.

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2023