fatwa

[faht-wah]

noun

an Islamic religious decree issued by the ʿulama.

Nearby words

Origin of fatwa

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fatwa

Such communications are allowed only in cases of necessity, the fatwa says.
Egypt’s Fatwa Against Tinder: Clerics Ban Online Chatting|Nina Strochlic|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unfortunately, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-Sheikh and his colleagues who issued the fatwa against The 99 fit that description.
Saudi Arabia’s Comic Book Fatwa|Christopher Dickey|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His corpse, which was subsequently dumped in the Bosphorus, had a fatwa pinned to it.
Poet and Rake, Lord Byron Was Also an Interventionist With Brains and Savvy|Michael Weiss|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some have even suggested a fatwa should be placed on him while others have threatened they would be “glad to cut your neck off”.
British Candidate Receives Death Threats for Tweeting Prophet Mohammed Cartoon|The Telegraph|January 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

According to the Iranian government, the failure of the fatwa against Salman Rushdie.
Salman Rushdie’s New Nightmare: Bounty Upped Amid Mideast Protests|Omid Memarian|September 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The fatwa of a Muhammadan law officer should be dispensed with in such cases.
Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official|William Sleeman

British Dictionary definitions for fatwa

fatwa

fatwah

noun

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

Word Origin for fatwa

Arabic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for fatwa

fatwa

1620s, from Arabic fetwa "a decision given by a mufti," related to fata "to instruct by a legal decision." Popularized 1989 when Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a ruling sentencing author Salman Rushdie to death for publishing "The Satanic Verses" (1988). It was lifted 1998.