A fatwa () is a non-binding legal opinion in Islam, issued by an Islamically qualified religious law specialist, known as a mufti, on a specific issue. The following is a list of notable historical and contemporary fatwas.
16th century
1504 Oran fatwa
The Oran fatwa was issued in 1504 to address the crisis that occurred when Islam was prohibited in Castile in 15001502, and Muslims in the realm were required to convert and conform to Christianity. The fatwa sets out detailed relaxations of the sharia (Islamic law) requirements, allowing the Muslims to conform outwardly to Christianity and perform acts that are ordinarily forbidden in Islamic law, if necessary to survive. It includes relaxed instructions for fulfilling the ritual prayers, the ritual charity, and the ritual ablution, and recommendations when obliged to violate Islamic law, such as worshipping as Christians, committing blasphemy, and consuming pork and wine. The fatwa enjoyed wide currency among Muslims and Moriscos (Muslims nominally converted to Christianity and their descendants) in Spain, but its influence was limited to that country. 1515 fatwa on the printing press In the year 1515, Shaykh al-Islam of the ulema (learned scholars) issued a fatwa that printing was haram (forbidden). As a result, Ottoman Sultan Selim I issued a decree of a death penalty on anyone using the printing press. The fatwa has been attributed as one of the reasons for the stagnation of knowledge, invention and discovery in the Muslim world, at a time when Europe was in the midst of the Renaissance period.
18th century
1727 fatwa on non-religious books
Ruling by the Ottoman chief mufti solicited by the Ottoman ruler to lend religious legitimacy to the printing of nonreligious books.
19th century
1803 fatwa against Western colonialism
Ruling by Shah Abdul Aziz in India invoking the legal theory obliging Muslims to wage war against the rulers of lands under European domination. 1804 fatwa against Western colonialism Ruling by Usman dan Fodio in West Africa invoking the legal theory obliging Muslims to wage war against the rulers of lands under European domination. 1845 on vaccinations Ruling by the Ottoman chief mufti solicited by the Ottoman ruler to lend religious legitimacy to vaccination. 1891 fatwa against tobacco Ruling by the Iranian Mirza Shirazi that prohibited smoking as long as the British tobacco monopoly was in effect, and led to the tobacco protest.
20th century
1904 fatwa against Western colonialism
Ruling by the Moroccan ulama on the obligation to dismiss of European experts hired by the Moroccan government. 1907 fatwa against Western colonialism Ruling by the Moroccan ulama on the obligation to depose the sultan on accusation that he failed to mount a defense against French aggression. 1909 fatwa deposing Abdülhamid When the Action Army entered Istanbul, a Fatwa was issued condemning Sultan Abdülhamid, and the parliament voted to dethrone him. 1914 fatwa supporting Ottoman 'jihad' in WWI Ruling by the Ottoman Shaykh al-Islam supporting the Ottoman sultan's proclamation of jihad to mark the entry of the Ottoman Empire into World War I. 1919 fatwa denouncing the Kemalists 1920 fatwa against the (Turkish) nationalist movement in Asia Minor Called for death of Turkish leaders and stated that true believers should not go along with the nationalist (rebels) movement. 1922 fatwa deposing Sultan Vahideddin Mehmed VI was deposed as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph, and then subsequently publicly hanged upon the signing of the fatwa. 1933 fatwa against Zionist products Ruling by Iraqi ulama in 1933 calling on Muslims to boycott Zionist products. 1947 fatwa calling for jihad on Zionism On December 2, 1947, the University of Al-Azhar religious scholars, the most respected in the Sunni Muslim world, called for jihad against the Zionists. 1951 fatwa on soft drinks
In September 1951, the mufti of Egypt issued a fatwa stating that both Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola were permissible for Muslims to drink. In order to arrive at that decision, the Department of Fatwas had the Ministry of Public Health analyze the composition of the two drinks. As they did not find the pepsin or any narcotic or alcoholic substances to be present, nor any "microbes harmful to health", the mufti found that it was not forbidden under Islamic law. 1959 fatwa on Jafari (Shia) jurisprudence