fatwah
Islamic legal pronouncement
Fatwah is an alternate spelling of fatwa, a formal ruling or opinion on Islamic law issued by a recognized religious authority.
The word gained widespread English usage after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a 1989 fatwah calling for the death of novelist Salman Rushdie, leading many English speakers to associate the term specifically with death sentences, though most fatwahs address mundane matters of religious practice and daily life.
Islamic law interpreter
- shariaMuslim canonical jurisprudence
- imamMuslim religious guide
- halalPermitted under Islamic law
- haramForbidden by Islamic law
qadi · sunnah · hadith · mosque · madrasa · ayatollah · mullah · cleric
Authoritative public command
- rulingFormal legal determination
- pronouncementFormal authoritative statement
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
- directiveFormal command or instruction
mandate · proclamation · dictum · commandment · precept · legal opinion · binding decision · declaration
Fatwa-targeted novelist
- blasphemyIrreverence toward the sacred
- death sentenceJudicial order of execution
- backlashStrong negative reaction
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
censorship · condemnation · outcry · bounty · apostasy · Khomeini · Satanic Verses · threat
Assigned meaning
- guidanceAdvice for decisions
- counselExpert guidance offered
- consultationMeeting seeking expert guidance
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
reasoning · analysis · conclusion · recommendation · position · stance · advisory · religious guidance
mufti
Islamic law interpreter
haram · qadi · sunnah · hadith · mosque · madrasa · ayatollah · mullah · cleric · scholar
edict
Authoritative public command
- rulingFormal legal determination
- pronouncementFormal authoritative statement
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
directive · mandate · proclamation · dictum · commandment · precept · legal opinion · binding decision · declaration · judgment
Rushdie
Fatwa-targeted novelist
- blasphemyIrreverence toward the sacred
- death sentenceJudicial order of execution
- backlashStrong negative reaction
protest · censorship · condemnation · outcry · bounty · apostasy · Khomeini · Satanic Verses · threat · religious persecution
interpretation
Assigned meaning
- guidanceAdvice for decisions
- counselExpert guidance offered
- consultationMeeting seeking expert guidance
deliberation · reasoning · analysis · conclusion · recommendation · position · stance · advisory · religious guidance · spiritual direction
fatwahcivil law
Law governing private disputes
statute · court ruling · executive order · constitutional amendment · state law
fatwahdispensation
Official permission to skip rules
absolution · blessing · pardon · amnesty · indulgence