fatwah

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Definition

1. Noun:
   • A formal legal opinion or decree issued by a recognized Islamic authority (a mufti) on a point of Islamic law (Sharia). A fatwah is an interpretation of religious law, not a verdict, and its authority depends on the scholar's reputation and the reasoning provided.

Usage

• A fatwah is typically issued in response to a specific question from an individual, a judge, or a government.
• It is a non-binding religious opinion, though it can carry significant moral and social weight within Muslim communities.
• The term should not be conflated with a criminal sentence or a command for violence; it is fundamentally a scholarly legal interpretation.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The scholar issued a fatwah on the permissibility of modern financial transactions.
  • She sought a fatwah to clarify the religious guidelines for medical treatment.

Advanced Usage

• "To issue a fatwah": The act of a qualified scholar formally delivering a religious legal opinion.
  • The council of scholars met to consider whether to issue a fatwah on the matter.
• The plural form is fatwahs or fatawa (the Arabic plural).

Variants and Related Words

• Mufti (n): An Islamic scholar qualified to issue a fatwah.
• Ifta (n): The process of issuing fatwahs.
• Fatwa (n): An alternative, common transliteration of the same Arabic word.

Synonyms

• Religious decree
• Legal opinion (Islamic)
• Edict (in a religious context)

Notes on Meaning

• It is a critical misunderstanding to equate a fatwah solely with a death sentence or a call to violence. While some highly publicized fatwahs have been controversial and political, the vast majority address everyday religious, personal, and social issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, worship, and ethics.
• The power of a fatwah lies in persuasion, not in temporal enforcement; it has no legal force unless adopted by a governing authority.

Học thuật

Noun

1. (Islam) a legal opinion or ruling issued by an Islamic scholar
   • bin Laden issued three fatwahs calling upon Muslims to take up arms against the United States