What is the Du`a (supplication) of Istikhara (guidance prayer)?
O Allah, I consult You as You are All-Knowing and I appeal to You to give me power as You are Omnipotent, I ask You for Your great favor, for You have power and I do not, and You know all of the hidden matters. O Allah! If you know that this matter (then he should mention it) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and for my life in the Hereafter, or he said: "for my present and future life" then make it (easy) for me. And if you know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my life in the Hereafter, or he said: "for my present and future life" then keep it away from me and take me away from it and choose what is good for me wherever it is and please me with it."
Is it permissible for a woman to inherit the same share as of a man?
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all if his family and companions. Thorough studies in which woman's right to inherit according to law of distribution of estate indicates that there are more than one case by which women inherit the same as man and sometimes much more, or to shed the lights regarding the right to inherit while men who share the same family line with her don't have the right to inherit because the deceased has closer ties of kinship with her. In addition to four cases whereas woman inherits half share in comparison with man's share although they had the same degree of kinship with the deceased. For further details as regards the latter cases, kindly refer to elaborated jurisprudence books. And Allah Knows Best.
Is it permissible to give my zakat to my grandson who is studying at university, while I am living abroad and my money is in my home country? Also, is it permissible to assign my father the responsibility of distributing the zakat to the people in my home country?
It is permissible to give zakat to a son whom his father is supporting if he is an adult and in good health, because his father is not obligated to support him, making him one of the poor among the Muslims. However, the student who may receive zakat is one who is diligent in seeking beneficial knowledge for the Muslims and is religious. Zakat should be paid in the country where the money is located, and appointing your father to distribute the zakat in the country where the money is is the correct approach. And Allah Knows Best.
What is the ruling on a man leading his sisters in obligatory prayer, or Taraweeh prayer (Night prayer in Ramadan)?
The prayer of the man who leads his wife, or sisters in prayer is valid, but it is more rewarding for him to offer obligatory prayer in the mosque. And Allah Knows Best.
