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.
What is the Iddah period upon death of husband? What is the ruling when the woman observing Iddah after death of husband leaves her home to visit relatives although her Iddah hasn`t ended? What is the ruling on her wearing gold during Iddah period?
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
For a woman whose husband has died, the 'Iddah* is four months and ten days after the death of her husband. If a woman is pregnant, the 'Iddah lasts until she gives birth. Moreover, she has to mourn, not wear gold, perfume nor saffron-colored garment. The evidence on this is that The Prophet (PBUH) said: "It is not lawful for a Muslim woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days." [Agreed upon]. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
*The iddah is a waiting period that a Muslim woman observes after the death of her husband or after a divorce. The Quran says: For those men who die amongst you and leave behind wives, they (the wives) must confine themselves (spend iddah) for four months and ten days.
What are the conditions of the Aqeeqah?
The animals that are acceptable to be slaughtered for 'Aqeeqah are the same which are acceptable to be slaughtered for the sacrifice of 'Eed in terms of their age and lack of defects. The sheep should be one year old, and its teeth should have fallen off. As for goats and cows, they should have finished two years of age and entered into the third. The Aqeeqah should be free of any defects as regards meat, or price value.
In our region in southern Oman, specifically in the city of Taqah, there is a mosque that they say was built hundreds of years ago. This mosque is surrounded by graves, meaning it is in the middle and the graves are around it. People in our area differ, with some considering it permissible and others considering it forbidden to pray there. Moreover, my grandmother saw in a dream that she entered this mosque..."
Praying in this mosque is valid and and there is reprehensibility in its location so long as no grave exist within it. Besides, Sharia rulings aren't derived out of dreams. And Allah Knows Best.
