--- title: "What Is a Fatwa? | Islam Is Mercy" description: "A fatwa is a scholarly answer to a question about Islamic belief or practice, given by a qualified scholar called a mufti." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/fatwa/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Glossary](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/) 3. What Is a Fatwa? # What Is a Fatwa? Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer A fatwa is a scholar's answer to a specific question about Islamic belief, worship or daily life, based on the Qur'an and Sunnah. It is given by a qualified scholar (a mufti) and is usually a non-binding opinion — not a court verdict, and certainly not a 'death sentence'. ## On this page 1. Meaning 2. How Muslims use it 3. Example **Fatwa** (Arabic: فتوى; plural *fatawa*) is pronounced *FAT-wa*. ## Meaning A *fatwa* is an answer given by a qualified Islamic scholar to a question about belief, worship, family life, business or any other part of life. The scholar who gives it is called a *mufti*. A sound fatwa is based on the Qur’an, the authentic Sunnah, the consensus of scholars and careful reasoning — and it takes into account the questioner’s real situation. Asking those with knowledge is something the Qur’an itself encourages: > وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًۭا نُّوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَسْـَٔلُوٓا۟ أَهْلَ ٱلذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾ > And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed \[Our message\]. So ask the people of the message if you do not know. [Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:43](https://quran.com/16?startingVerse=43&translations=20)Saheeh International ## How Muslims use it Most fatwas are about everyday matters: How do I pray on a long flight? Is this kind of business contract allowed? How should an inheritance be divided? Muslims ask local imams, national councils of scholars or trusted fatwa services. A fatwa is usually an opinion, not a law enforced by a court, and scholars may give different fatwas on the same question when the evidence allows more than one view. That is why the person giving a fatwa must be properly trained; a social media post or a self-appointed preacher is not a fatwa. In the media the word is sometimes used as if it meant a death sentence, but that is a misunderstanding of a word that simply means a scholarly answer. ## Example *“She wasn’t sure whether she could shorten her prayers while travelling, so she asked the imam for a fatwa.”* To understand why scholars can reach different answers, read [Where Muslims Differ, and Why It’s Okay](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/where-muslims-differ/). ## Key takeaways - A fatwa is a scholar's answer to a question about Islamic practice. - Only a qualified scholar (a mufti) should give one. - Most fatwas concern ordinary life, and they are opinions rather than court rulings. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Is%20a%20Fatwa%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Ffatwa%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Ffatwa%2F&text=What%20Is%20a%20Fatwa%3F)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Is%20a%20Fatwa%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Ffatwa%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Ffatwa%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:43](https://quran.com/16?startingVerse=43&translations=20) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [What Muslims Agree On ### Where Muslims Differ, and Why It's Okay Muslims agree on the foundations of Islam but differ on many details. Here is what is fixed, what scholars legitimately debate, and why that is normal. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/where-muslims-differ/)[Glossary ### What Does Sharia Mean? Sharia means God's guidance for life in Islam — covering worship, ethics, family, business and justice. It is much more than criminal law. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/sharia/)[Glossary ### What Is Ijma (Scholarly Consensus)? Ijma means the consensus of qualified Muslim scholars on a religious ruling. It is a key source of Islamic law after the Qur'an and Sunnah. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/ijma/)