Q: I need dua hizbul nasr and permisstion for wazifa.

Q: "Most food products nowadays contain some type of flavouring - natural, artificial, or a combination of both. Many of these flavourings contain alcohol, which is used as a carrier or solvent for the flavouring." (foodguide.org.uk) 

Any product which contains the ingredient "Flavouring" has a chance of alcohol being used in the making process. (The flavouring can be a vanilla flavouring.) This includes chocolates, crisps, biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks. 

I am aware that if alcoholic flavourings which are from dates or grapes are not permissible. 

The GMWA foodguide (http://www.foodguide.org.uk/?page=viewquestion&id=200) have written:

" Flavourings from dates and grapes?

Alhumdulillah, to date from over 15 years of experience in the field, we have yet to come across flavourings sourced from dates and grapes in the UK market.

We don't issues fatwas at the drop of the hat, but pertinent information is necessary for a decision. Furthermore, we do not charge the companies or consumers for this service, it is totally a Lillah service.

To summarise:

Alcoholic Flavourings: They are permissible due to necessity and public predicament as they are so widely used in the food industry. Alcohol Extracts e.g. (vanilla, yeast and others): They are permissible due to necessity and public predicament as they are so widely used in the food industry."

My questions is:

Is it necessary to do tahqeeq (research) about every food product which contains the ingredient "Flavouring" or contains a alcoholic flavouring before eating it?

Q: If a cloth has najasat will washing it with soap suffice or we have to wash it 3 times?

Q: Can zakat be paid off in gold? Instead of selling some of the jewellery to pay zakat can we distribute some of the gold as zakat? For example we have to pay Rs, 52,000 in zakat, so we distribute 4 gold bangles equalling 1 tola of gold which would equal Rs.52,000 (assuming market rate is 1 tola=52,000.). Is this okay? Or do we have to sell the 4 gold bangles then pay the zakat in cash?

Q: Is it permissible to write the following line in a letter which will be sent to employees of a company before holidays: ".. and may we also convey our best wishes to John & Henry and other colleagues who are celebrating Christmas"? I.e. without wishing them Merry Christmas but just "convey our best wishes"

Q: I had a question about fasting for my mother. She is sick and on mediation? She can't fast do to sickness? Is she required to feed poor person or what she has to do?

Q:

1. Someone prays all Salaahs on time except the Fajr prayer which he misses for many reasons. One is that he watches TV, etc. Will Allah (SWT) accept from him the four prayers if he doesn't pray Salat Al-Fajr? 
2. I have sleep problem, I don't fall asleep easily.  I try using alarm to wake me up for fajr salah but it doesn't works.  If I wake up for fajr I can't fall asleep again so can I pray fajr as qaza during zuhr time, praying as qaza would fajr be valid?

Q: For years I suffered an inability to hold attention and concentrate on a task, like academia, work, social conversation etc. until I found a website called www.neuro -sculpting.com, which is helping me to build a stronger brain capacity for better productivity and concentration. Good diet and exercise help with cognitive development too. There are a range of techniques taught from intellectual, sensory and intuition, & their main purpose is to eliminate the overactive or chaotic mind, & help it to direct stronger signals of attention, mental focus & concentration on any activity. One exercise to help intellectually is a visualisation skill, where you hold a mental image in your mind like a square or your hand for as long as you can without it changing shape. This builds mental endurance. But there is a breathing exercise, which simply involves deep, slow, calm and rhythmical breathing, & holding your attention on your breathing. That’s it, it’s just breathing. It’s done to help eliminate procrastination & redress mental focus by slowing the mind down & paying attention better. I do know that this sort of thing is done in spiritual practices like Zen Buddhism, but the author of the website only applies it to help one build better cognitive control. All this has really helped my cognitive abilities, but is this breathing exercise allowed dear brother of Islam?

Q: Can we fast any day or there are any restriction that we can't do qaza on Friday or Saturday?

Q: I wanted to ask an important question on the topic of ghibat (backbiting) for I tend to become confused at times. Is it Haraam if you
are listening to someone's desperate problems and discussing it as a group in that case? And that person is being oppressed by others and needs immediate support by his/her friends?