What does fatwa mean?
A fatwa is a formal legal opinion on a point of Islamic law, issued by a recognized religious scholar known as a mufti. In classical Islamic tradition, fatwas answer questions about worship, family matters, finance, and daily conduct; because Islam has no central church, a fatwa carries authority only through the reputation and learning of the scholar who issues it, and it is not legally binding on all Muslims. The word entered English from Arabic in the seventeenth century and remained largely specialist until 1989, when Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a famous fatwa against the novelist Salman Rushdie. Since then, English-language coverage has often used 'fatwa' pejoratively, implying a sentence of death or censorship — a narrow picture of what is usually a routine advisory ruling. Used carefully, the word is valuable shorthand for the way religious authority is exercised without institutions, and it is occasionally borrowed figuratively to describe any sweeping, top-down decree.
nounA formal legal opinion or ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a qualified religious authority (a mufti). Though authoritative to those who request it, a fatwa is not in itself legally binding on the wider Muslim community.
- A formal, non-binding legal ruling or opinion on a point of Islamic law, issued by a mufti or other qualified religious scholar.
- (By extension) any authoritative decree, edict, or pronouncement, often used loosely or ironically outside an Islamic context.
"The cleric issued a fatwa declaring that the new banking practice was inconsistent with Islamic law."
"The council declined to issue a fatwa, saying the matter fell under civil rather than religious law."
"In everyday speech, some people half-jokingly declare a 'fatwa' against anything they disapprove of."
'Fatwas' is the standard English plural; the Arabic-derived form 'fatawa' appears in more scholarly or transliterated contexts.
"The archive contains thousands of fatwas spanning three centuries."
Salman Rushdie lived for years under police protection after a 1989 fatwa — proof that a single scholarly ruling can echo around the world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fatwa
Fatwa comes from the Arabic noun 'fatwā', meaning a formal legal opinion or decision, derived from the Arabic root f-t-y associated with giving instruction or a youthful, eager response. It entered English in the early seventeenth century via writings on the Ottoman world, retaining its Arabic form almost unchanged. Related terms from the same domain include 'mufti', the jurist who issues fatwas, and 'fiqh', the discipline of Islamic jurisprudence within which fatwas are produced.
How fatwa is actually used
Plural: 'fatwas' is standard in English; 'fatawa' also appears as an anglicized transliteration of the Arabic plural. In English media the word often carries connotations of severity because of its association with high-profile rulings such as that against Salman Rushdie, but within Islam most fatwas are routine responses to everyday questions of religious practice. The word is sometimes used loosely or jocularly for any stern decree, which can be considered insensitive.
Easily confused with fatwa
A fatwa is a legal opinion issued by a scholar, whereas jihad is a concept of struggle or effort in Islam; the two are unrelated in meaning despite both being associated with Islamic authority.