What`s the ruling on using the following materials in manufacturing cosmetics: olive oil, Vaseline, talc powder, glycerin, honey, almond oil, pine oil, galingale and marjoram?
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions. None of the above materials is forbidden, and it`s lawful to use them in manufacturing products that are beneficial to people. This is because, in principle, all things are lawful so long as there is no evidence in Sharia indicating otherwise. And Allah Knows Best.
Should a person feel pleased, or have a virtuous vision after offering Istikhara (guidance prayer) in order to do what he/she had offered it for?
The result of the Istikhaarah is not necessarily that a person sees something (in his dream), or feels pleased, but the most important result of the Istikhaarah is whether a person is enabled to do a given matter or not.
What is the expiation for perjury?
One who commits perjury should repent, seek Allah`s forgiveness and offer an expiation which is: feeding ten indigent persons, or clothing them, or giving a slave his freedom, but if that is beyond his means then, he should fast for three days. Allah, The Almighty, Says in this regard (What means): "Allah will not call you to account for what is futile in your oaths, but He will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths ye have sworn. But keep to your oaths. Thus doth Allah make clear to you His signs, that ye may be grateful." [Al-Ma`idah/89].
A man break his fast once during Ramadan and he already have an expiation of fasting for two consecutive months. He fasted for a month and passed away. Is it permissible for his sons to fast the remaining month equally?
Fasting for expiation must be performed consecutively. I advise his children to feed sixty poor people, giving each one half a kilogram of rice or its monetary equivalent. This is because if a living person is unable to fast, they are required to feed sixty poor people, and death constitutes an inability. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
