: a legal opinion or decree handed down by an Islamic religious leader
Examples of fatwa in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That same weekend, Ayatollah Khomeini died in Iran, a few months after issuing a fatwa against Salman Rushdie.
—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
In January, Egypt’s governmental Islamic advisory and justiciary body issued a fatwa banning the use of artificial intelligence applications for the interpretation of the Quran.
—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
26 May 2026
In 1994 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was also a cleric with the rank of ayatollah, issued a fatwa forbidding the practice of self-flagellation.
—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 May 2026
In fact, then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued a fatwa, or religious decree, against nuclear weapons, according to Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat professor for peace and development at the University of Maryland.
—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2026
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Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
In January, Egypt’s governmental Islamic advisory and justiciary body issued a fatwa banning the use of artificial intelligence applications for the interpretation of the Quran.
—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
26 May 2026
In 1994 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was also a cleric with the rank of ayatollah, issued a fatwa forbidding the practice of self-flagellation.
—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 May 2026
In fact, then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued a fatwa, or religious decree, against nuclear weapons, according to Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat professor for peace and development at the University of Maryland.
—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fatwa
Cite this Entry
“Fatwa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatwa. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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