Glossary
Fatwa
فتوىDefinition
A formal scholarly opinion on a question of Islamic law, issued by a qualified scholar or fiqh body.
A fatwa is non-binding in the absolute sense — Muslims are encouraged to follow scholars they trust within their madhhab. However, fatwas from major bodies (AAOIFI, IFA-OIC, national councils) carry institutional weight and shape industry practice.
Quality scholarly fatwas show their evidence (Quran, hadith, classical fiqh reasoning) rather than asserting a conclusion. The fatwas surfaced on this site link to that evidence wherever possible.