Q: Can you please advise me on the following matter:

I am and have been using my Zakaat money to distribute monthly food hampers to poor and destitute Muslims. Many of my friends and family have observed this and have now given me their Zakaat / Sadaqah / Lillah, etc. obligations to discharge on their behalf.

With this in mind the number of recipients whom I distribute to (all of whom are Muslims) have also increased. This has become a very labour intensive exercise for me to accomplish on my own. I have thus secured assistance - some externally (also Muslims) and others from within the people who receive these hampers from me to sort, pack, get ready and distribute these hampers.

The following are my questions:

1) Can I pay these persons who assist me from the monies given to me especially in terms of the Zakaat and Sadaqah?

2) If yes, is there a percentage that I should consider to cover those expenses

3) If no, can I increase the hamper size of the “helpers” who are Zakaat recipients in lieu of payment for assisting me Can you please advise me on this matter?

Q: We purchased a property in the auction in June 2019 (after zakaat calc for that year). We paid the auctioneer 10% commission and 5% deposit. The deposit was transferred to the conveyancing attorney and we further paid the attorney fees and transfer duty (these monies were misappropriated by the attorney). The balance of the purchase price was paid to our attorneys and placed as guarantee to the favour of the seller to be paid on transfer of the property. The property transfer eventually did not materialise due to various issues. The deal was formally cancelled on 11 May 2021, after zakaat calculation for this year.

1. Is zakaat payable on theses monies for the 2020 and 2021 years as we have now received refunds of these monies from the auctioneers and our attorney.

2. Also, monies misappropriated. We are still trying to recover this. What would be the position of zakaat on this?

Q: If I make aqeeqah for my grandson. Can the meat be used for a braai where I invite family members?

Q: If the in-laws give gold jewellery to their daughter in law on her wedding, do they have the right to take it back in any situation? Or will the jewellery belong to the daughter-in-law only? Will that jewellery belong to the girl's husband or the girl is the sole owner of the jewellery?

Q: My brother-in-law is a poor person and he lives in a house owned by his wife (my sister). My sister has gold jewellery and she pays zakaat on it regularly.

1. Can I pay my zakaat to her husband who can do business or spend that money on his wife and children?

2. Can my sister give her zakaat to her husband but she has no source of income and she pays her zakaat from the pocket money that she receives from her parents?

Q: In salaah, after reciting Surah Faatiha, if a person is reading from the middle of a surah, is it preferable to read bismillah or not to read bismillah.

Q:

1. What is the sharee ruling in the case where the toilet is built 38 degrees away from the direction of the qiblah? Will it be permissible for a person to use such a toilet?

2. How many degrees should the toilet be built away from the qiblah for it to be permissible for one to use such a toilet?

Q: I'd like to find out a masla regarding an item which was bought via WhatsApp.

A brother posted a picture of a blender in a such a packaging that it could not be seen that it's fake. It stated no guarantee nor warranty. Once the product was delivered, we found out that the blender was not original but rather a copy of the original. The advert did not state that its original neither fàke. I'd like to know if I'm obliged to take it and pay him or can I refuse him.

Q: Is it permissible to feed an animal such as a cow, chicken litter as an ingredient in the feed. This is used in majority of farms.

Q: Is it permissible to consume vegetables grown using manure from animals such as pigs.