What is the ruling on purchasing sacrificial animals and authorizing their slaughter via telephone?
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is preferable for the one offering a sacrifice (udhiyah) to slaughter the animal himself, in adherence to the Sunnah, or to be present at the slaughter if possible.
It is valid to authorize a butcher to purchase a sacrificial animal on his behalf and slaughter it, regardless of whether the animal is owned by the butcher or the butcher is acting as an agent in its sale—according to the Hanbali school—provided that the butcher specifically designates and purchases the animal for the person offering the sacrifice before slaughtering it. And Allah Almighty knows best.
Do ear and nose drops break the fast?
Yes, ear and nose drops break the fast because both the nose and ears are open passages to the body cavity.
Does collecting saliva and swallowing it break the fast?
Swallowing collected saliva does not break the fast, but it is an unnecessary and meaningless act.
Is it permissible for a woman to observe voluntary fast without her husband's permission?
A woman is not permitted to observe a voluntary fast (nafl) while her husband is present without his permission.