Fetwas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Authoritative Islamic legal opinions issued by qualified jurists in response to specific questions or situations ; rulings that guide believers on religious, ethical, or social matters according to Islamic law ; formal interpretations providing religious guidance and decisions applicable to community practices
2. Expert determinations on Islamic law offered by recognized scholars to address particular legal or moral issues ; religious verdicts that help followers understand and apply Islamic principles in daily life ; official judgments serving as guidance for conduct within the Muslim community based on jurisprudential reasoning
3. Specialized religious decrees issued by Islamic jurists that clarify or resolve jurisprudential queries ; documents delivering formal judgments on specific questions concerning faith, law, and ethics ; considered binding advice or rulings guiding the behavior of adherents under Islamic tradition

Etymology: "Fetwas" is the plural of "fetwa," a noun for a ruling on a point of Islamic law, issued by a qualified jurist. The plural is the form used when several such rulings are meant, and it follows the same pattern as the singular, which carries the meaning of the word. The singular "fetwa" comes from Arabic "fatwā," the Arabic term for a legal opinion or decision given by a scholar of Islamic law. Its root sense is closely tied to giving a considered answer to a question, so a fetwa is a response to a query rather than a law imposed from above. Readers meeting the word in English usually encounter it in news reports about religious authorities, where a single pronouncement can carry wide public weight.

Synonyms: fatwas, edict, decree, ruling, religious ruling