fatwa
[faht-wah]
- an Islamic religious decree issued by the ʿulama.
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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. 2018
Examples from the Web for fatwa
Contemporary Examples
Such communications are allowed only in cases of necessity, the fatwa says.
Unfortunately, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz al-Sheikh and his colleagues who issued the fatwa against The 99 fit that description.
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 SavvyMichael Weiss
February 16, 2014
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 CartoonThe Telegraph
January 23, 2014
According to the Iranian government, the failure of the fatwa against Salman Rushdie.
Historical Examples
The fatwa of a Muhammadan law officer should be dispensed with in such cases.
Rambles and Recollections of an Indian OfficialWilliam Sleeman
fatwa
fatwah
- a non-binding judgment on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized religious authority
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Word Origin
Arabic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for fatwa
n.
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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper