Which is superior: The Udhiyah (Sacrificial Offering) or giving its value in Charity (Sadaqah)?
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
Performing the Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is superior to giving its monetary value as charity (Sadaqah) to the poor and needy. This is because the Udhiyah is one of the manifest symbols of the religion. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts." [Al-Hajj/32]. This is further supported by the explicit and authentic Hadiths regarding its virtue, and the fact that the Prophet ﷺ and the Rightly Guided Caliphs after him consistently performed the sacrifice. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
When is supplication (du‘a) more likely to be accepted: before or after breaking the fast in Ramadan?
Du‘a is accepted at all times, and this is part of Allah’s mercy and generosity toward His servants.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "No Muslim makes a supplication that does not involve sin or severing family ties except that Allah grants them one of three things: either He grants their supplication immediately, or He stores it for them in the Hereafter, or He averts from them an equivalent harm." [Narrated by Ahmad]
However, in Ramadan, du‘a is especially likely to be accepted shortly before breaking the fast.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Three supplications are never rejected: the supplication of a fasting person until they break their fast, the supplication of a just leader, and the supplication of an oppressed person. Allah raises it above the clouds, opens the gates of heaven for it, and says: ‘By My might, I will surely grant you victory, even if after a while.’" [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi]
Is Zakah (obligatory charity) due on articles of merchandise even if they were stacked in the merchant`s stores for years?
Yes, Zakah is due on goods even if they were stacked in merchant`s stores for years, in this manner Islam struggle against monopoly.
What is the ruling on ablution without istinja' after sleep?
The sleep of one whose buttocks are not firmly seated on the ground invalidates ablution. Whoever wakes up and wants to pray must perform ablution only. Istinja' is not a condition for the validity of ablution, because it is for removing impurity from the private part. If there is no impurity on the private part, then istinja' is neither obligatory nor recommended. And Allah the Almighty knows best.
