fatwa
Mufti's legal opinion
A fatwa is a formal legal opinion or ruling issued by an Islamic scholar on a point of religious law.
Though fatwas address everyday matters like diet, prayer, and commerce, Western media often associate the term with death sentences—particularly after Iran's 1989 fatwa calling for the killing of author Salman Rushdie.
A fatwa is advisory, not automatically binding, and its authority depends on the scholar's standing and the legal traditions of a given Muslim community.
Permitted under Islamic law
- haramForbidden by Islamic law
- permissibleSanctioned by authority
- forbiddenNot allowed
- lawfulPermitted by statute
prohibited · obligatory · recommended · discouraged · licit · illicit · observance · adherence
Fatwa-targeted novelist
- backlashStrong negative reaction
- death sentenceJudicial order of execution
- apostasyRenunciation of former beliefs
- blasphemyIrreverence toward the sacred
condemnation · bounty · protest · outcry · censorship · exile · Khomeini · Satanic Verses
Formal legal determination
- pronouncementFormal authoritative statement
- edictAuthoritative public command
- directiveFormal command or instruction
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
injunction · proclamation · dictum · opinion · judgment · command · order · ordinance
Recorded prophetic narration
- sunnahTraditional Islamic practice
- religious scholarExpert in faith traditions
- seminaryClergy training college
- religious authorityGoverning force in faith
Muslim canonical jurisprudence
- qadiIslamic legal adjudicator
- ijmaUnanimous juristic agreement
- legal reasoningLogic applied to cases
- religious lawFaith-based governance system
halal
Permitted under Islamic law
- haramForbidden by Islamic law
- permissibleSanctioned by authority
- forbiddenNot allowed
lawful · prohibited · obligatory · recommended · discouraged · licit · illicit · observance · adherence · piety
Rushdie
Fatwa-targeted novelist
- backlashStrong negative reaction
- death sentenceJudicial order of execution
- apostasyRenunciation of former beliefs
blasphemy · condemnation · bounty · protest · outcry · censorship · exile · Khomeini · Satanic Verses · dissent
ruling
Formal legal determination
- pronouncementFormal authoritative statement
- edictAuthoritative public command
- directiveFormal command or instruction
mandate · injunction · proclamation · dictum · opinion · judgment · command · order · ordinance · precept
hadith
Recorded prophetic narration
- sunnahTraditional Islamic practice
- religious scholarExpert in faith traditions
- seminaryClergy training college
sharia
Muslim canonical jurisprudence
- qadiIslamic legal adjudicator
- ijmaUnanimous juristic agreement
- legal reasoningLogic applied to cases
- Islamic Lawsharia, Sharia, Shariah, Islamic law, qadi
- religionChristianity, Islam, beliefs, Judaism, Hinduism
- declarationsdeclaration, declarations, proclamation, proclamations, announcement
- IslamAllah, Quran, Muhammad, Mecca, Ramadan
- Islamic StudiesQuran, hadith, Islamic law, Sunnah, madrasa
- Islamic TermsAllah, Quran, Islam, Muhammad, surah
fatwacivil law
Law governing private disputes
statute · court decision · executive order · civil code · state law