Is it permissible for a young man and a young woman to enter into a covenant as a married couple without having a true seclusion (Khalwah) until their marriage contract is officially concluded?
The relation which isn`t based on a marriage contract is forbidden, and entering into a covenant as a married couple is unaccounted for and is from the evil suggestions of the devil.
Should one fulfill his vow of donating an animal to the poor and needy with one sheep although he had repeated the vow several times?
Each vow has to be fulfilled, and repeating the words of the same vow for confirmation renders its fulfillment obligatory as one vow. As for multiple vows, they have to be fulfilled as well.
What should a sick person, who is incapable of fasting, and who didn`t make up for missed fasting days, do?
One who has missed fasting days is obliged to make up for them, but if he/she wasn`t able to because of an incurable disease , or old age, then he/she has to pay a ransom which is feeding a needy person for each of the missed fasting days. 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.
