A fatwa is an official answer or ruling from a qualified Islamic scholar — a mufti — about what Islamic law says on a question. In the faith itself, that question can be almost anything people actually ask: food, prayer, money, family, a contract. It is a legal opinion, not automatically a law of the state, and not automatically a punishment.

A fatwa法特瓦 is是 an official answer or ruling一項正式的答覆或裁定 from a qualified Islamic scholar來自一位合格的伊斯蘭學者 — a mufti穆夫提 — about what Islamic law says on a question針對某個問題伊斯蘭法怎麼說。In the faith itself在這個信仰本身裡, that question那個問題 can be almost anything people actually ask幾乎可以是人們真的會問的任何事: food, prayer, money, family, a contract飲食、禮拜、金錢、家庭、合約。It它 is是 a legal opinion一種法律意見, not automatically而不是自動就是 a law of the state國家的法律, and not automatically也不是自動就是 a punishment一種懲罰。

English, though, has a loud second use. After 1989, when a famous fatwa called for a writer to be killed, news English often treated fatwa as “a religious death order.” Many speakers still hear it that way first. Though actually, that is a narrowing of the word, not the whole of it.

English英文這個字, though不過, has有 a loud second use很鮮明的第二種用法。After 1989在1989年之後, when a famous fatwa called for a writer to be killed當一則有名的法特瓦要求處死一位作家, news English新聞英文 often treated fatwa as常把fatwa當作 “a religious death order”「一種宗教死刑令」。Many speakers許多說英文的人 still hear it that way first仍然先這樣理解這個字。Though actually不過其實, that那 is a narrowing of the word是這個字意思的窄化, not the whole of it並不是它的全部。

Some people even use fatwa as a verb, “to fatwa someone,” in a journalistic or joking way; that is English stretching the word, not the original Arabic sense. Older English spellings fetwa and fetwah also turn up in older books.

Some people有些人 even use fatwa as a verb甚至把fatwa當動詞用, “to fatwa someone,”「to fatwa someone」(對某人下法特瓦) in a journalistic or joking way用在新聞體或開玩笑的說法裡; that那 is是 English stretching the word英文把這個字延伸使用, not the original Arabic sense而不是阿拉伯文原本的意思。Older English spellings較舊的英文拼法 fetwa and fetwah fetwa和fetwah also turn up也會出現 in older books在較舊的書裡。