After I had prayed, I found a drop of menstrual blood and was unsure when that happened; what is the ruling on my prayer and fast?
All praise is due to Allah, peace and blessing be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Your prayer and fast are correct ,and you should not make up for them, and we ask Allah, The Almighty, to duely reward you for these acts of worship. Your menses start once you see blood because the situation remains as such unless there is certainty or predominant conjecture, as per the Fiqh maxim: "Certainty is not removed by doubt". And Allah Knows Best.
I am an author, and I have books stored with me. Is it permissible to pay my zakat in the form of books containing beneficial knowledge for poor students, such as chemistry and mathematics, or religious books that spread Islamic sciences?
Zakat on wealth must be paid in cash from the wealth itself. Therefore, you should pay your zakat in monetary form so that the poor can purchase what they need. And Allah Knows Best.
Should Al-Basmalah (i.e. saying Bismillaaahi Ar-Rahmaani Ar-Raheemi) be recited after Takbeerat Al-Ihram (saying Allahuakbar) which marks the beginning of prayer?
All perfect praise be to Allah,The Lord of The Worlds A praying person is obliged to recite Al-Basmalah at the beginning of Chapter Al-Faatihah, and in every Rak`ah (unit of prayer) because it is a verse of it. And Allah Knows Best.
Is it permissible for the mother to give her children from the Zakah (obligatory charity) of her money?
It is permissible for the mother to give her children from the Zakah of her money if they are Zakah-eligible recipients, and she isn`t obliged to provide for them.