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lived in hiding, protected by the British government, until a deal was reached in which the fatwa was officially rescinded in exchange for Britain's granting diplomatic recognition to Tehran.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

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

He says each wing of the prison has an emir, or leader, who issues fatwas - rulings on points of Islamic law.

From BBC

He has not said whether his alleged actions were influenced by the fatwa.

From BBC

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