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.
After our father had passed away, my brother and I stayed with our mother for twenty years and served her to the best of our effort. However, she asked our other brothers (3) to support her financially but they refused to pay her anything. As a result, she gave her share of the inheritance to me and my brother. 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.
It is recommended to give one`s children, males and females, equally. However, your mother is allowed to give one of them more than the others because he/she is needy or more dutiful to her than the others. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
What is meant by "Recalcitrance of the woman toward her husband doesn`t render her divorced"?
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.
It means that her being recalcitrant (Nashiz) doesn`t make her divorced. Rather, she has to be divorced by husband or Sharia judge to be considered divorced. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
Is Buying a house in installments through banks?
Taking a loan from interest-based banks is prohibited and considered a major sin. Instead Getting a loan from Islamic banks is considered Murabaha and can be used as an alternative, provided all the necessary Islamic conditions are met. And Allah Knows Best.