Is it permissible to repeat the Istikhara (seeking guidance) prayer, and is it a condition that one should sleep after offering it?
All perfect praise be to Allah,The Lord of The Worlds Istikhara is offered once, but it is permissible to repeat it, and sleeping after offering it is not a condition for its validity. And Allah Knows Best.
What is the Islamic ruling on adoption, and what is the legal window through which a person can be kind to an orphan girl, attend to her needs and raise her as his own?
Kindness to an orphan entails a great reward from Allah, but adoption is prohibited and invalid. Therefore, it is permissible for the aforementioned person (for example) to make his brother`s wife breastfeed that girl so that he becomes her uncle by suckling provided that he informs her that she isn`t his biological daughter.
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.
If the Prophet (PBUH) was an Arab citizen in 2009, born in an Arab country ruled by an Arab ruler, saw what was happening to Gaza, what would he (PBUH) have done?
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions.
Had the Prophet (PBUH) been amongst us, Muslims would have supported him, and then he would do whatever pleases the heart of every Muslim. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.