Definition of fatwa
: a legal opinion or decree handed down by an Islamic religious leader
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Recent Examples of fatwa from the Web
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Al-Binali was at the time reportedly head of the ISIS Research and Fatwa Department, which released a fatwa allowing rape of infidel women around the time of the campaign against the Yazidis and their subsequent enslavement.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fatwa'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of fatwa
Arabic fatwā
Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms
Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra
Learn More about fatwa
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Nglish: Translation of fatwa for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fatwa for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fatwa
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