FETVÀ. — Turkish pronunciation of the Arabic fatva, a technical term denoting a legal opinion issued by a mufti or a jurist of renown in response to a question posed to him by a judge or any private individual. Here is a Turkish f., as an example of the form followed on such occasions (Zejd and 'Amr are fictitious names, like our Gaius and Titius).
The non-Muslim Zejd sells, for delivery, to the non-Muslim Ottoman subject 'Amr, in Islamic territory, a certain quantity of his goods at a given price. Then Zejd, without having received payment of the price, goes to non-Muslim territory and remains there for 30 years without being able to collect the money. Now, if Zejd were to return and demand that money from 'Amr, could 'Amr say: «Your claim has become time-barred merely because you have spent 30 years abroad», and would he be authorized not to pay? Answer: «No; but God is wiser».