Q: I recently contacted a company called Arnott's to find out whether one of their chocolate filling biscuit products, 'TimTam' was halaal and this was their response:

"Small amounts of alcohol based flavours (like vanilla essence) are added to sweet biscuits. We know alcohol is sensitive to heat and we believe the alcohol is evaporated during baking, but there is a slight possibility that trace amounts could still be present in the finished product."

Is this biscuit halaal?

Q: A common business practice amongst university students is to buy and sell their used textbooks amongst each other (as buying brand new textbooks from the publisher is extremely expensive).

1. Students, along with selling their textbooks, sell the notes that they made and the lecture slides (pdf version) for that module (subject) as part of one 'package'. Our question is regarding the permissibility of selling the lecture slides - which the lecturer uploads online during the course of the semester - as some naive first year students are unaware that they will be getting them for free over the course of the semester.

2. A lot of textbooks come in an ebook (pdf) format which the publisher sells online (also expensive). It is possible to find a 'pirated' copy of the ebook on the internet and download it. Students also sell these as well at a cheaper price.

2.1 Is this permissible?

2.2 If permissible (2.1), will one get thawaab if one distributes it to students for free instead of selling it to them?

Q: My father scolds my wife for house issues. I told my father not to scold her because I am her husband and she is not his daughter. What should I do and what does Islam say regarding this issue? Is my father allowed to do that or not? 

Q: After intercourse, without taking a shower, can I feed my baby?

Q: I don't want my wife to wear veil/niqab. What should she do?

Q: A person was intimate with his wife. Thereafter, he performed ghusl. A few minutes after performing ghusl, he perceived some wetness come out of his private part.

Should he repeat the ghusl or is it sufficient to perform wudhu?

Q: Is it permissible to have animal hide on the floor in one's house?

Q: I read the following Hadith in a Tibb kitaab, however, the English translation of the last two words does not seem to be suitable. Please may the correct translation of the following be provided:

"Hazrat Ali (Radhiyallahu anhu) says that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that those who take 21 raisins (الزبيب) daily will be free from all diseases which give rise to inferior complex. [Abu Nu-aim: 813]"

Q: Is it allowed to seek help/advise from non-Muslim when one is stuck in a problem. It is also possible that he will not help or give the advice.

Q: What is the correct method of practising on this Hadith? Is it three times each?

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Khubayb (radiyallahu’anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said: ‘…Recite Qul huwallahu Ahad, Qul A’udhu bi Rabbil Falaq and Qul A’udhu bi Rabbin Nas, thrice every morning and evening. It will suffice you for everything.’

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 5041 and Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3575) Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) has declared this Hadith authentic (Hasan Sahih Gharib) . ‘Allamah Nawawi (rahimahullah) has also declared it authentic (sahih). Refer: Al-Adhkar, Hadith: 216.