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.
A man donated a burial plot, but before registering it in favor of the Ministry of Awqaf and before burying anybody there he said that he didn`t want to donate it and planted it. What is the ruling of Sharia on this?
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.
If he had endowed it as a cemetery, then he can`t take it back, even if he didn`t register it in favor of the Ministry of Awqaf. If he said: "I have endowed this plot as a cemetery, then it becomes an endowment." However, if he didn`t endow that plot-but it was his intention to do so-then he is allowed to back down. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
Is it permissible for a woman who is in her confinement to fast upon seeing blood signs that are neither black, nor red ?
Brownish, reddish, and yellowish discharges are all considered confinement until there is no colored discharge which marks the end of confinement. Moreover, the aforesaid woman is prohibited from fasting until she attains ritual purity. And Allah Knows Best.
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."
