Using a microphone for Salaah

Q: Is it correct to surmise that young scholars using microphone for Salah and allowing their Salah to be broadcast in the homes for ladies to hear may be motivated by show, particularly in Fajr where the number of saffs are few and there appears to be no obvious need for microphone? If not show, what else could a reasonable rationale be?

Ambiguity in business transactions

Q: My wife bought a painting from someone which was still to be painted. She was given a description of what the painting would look like but she didn’t see it. She also didn’t know what the size of the painting would be. Also, when my wife enquired regarding the price, she was told, ‘‘Don’t worry. You don’t need to pay me.’’ After a few days, my wife asked the lady if she had started with the painting. She said, ‘‘No’’. So my wife told her that she no longer wanted the painting.

Two weeks later, the lady brought the painting and asked her to pay for it. My wife paid her because she didn’t want to cause problems. Besides not liking the painting, it was also too expensive. My questions are:

1. What is the condition of this transaction?

2. If the transaction is not correct, what is the way out?

Demise of a partner

Q: Two brothers are partners in a property which generates monthly rentals. The one partner passed away recently (may Allah Ta'ala forgive him). Now that the one partner has passed away, does it mean that the living partner and the heirs of the deceased partner automatically become joint partners? How should the property be distributed now? Can the one party purchase the 50% share from the other party? The living partner wishes to give his 50% share in the property to his three daughters. Can he do this? If yes, does he require consent from the heirs of the deceased partner? Also, how should he actually carry out this transfer? If he merely has a document drawn up wherein, he wilfully transfers ownership of his share (gifts it) to his daughters and has an independent person sign on his behalf, or merely verbally mentions this in the presence of two witnesses, will this be in order?

Funeral policy

Q: I live in Durban SA. I am from Punjab India. I want to know if it is permitted for me to take SA funeral policy to pay for funeral if something happens to my family here. In India we have society to pay every month, when there is a jannazah, the society gives you money to pay for the funeral. Is it ok for me to do the same here in SA?

Magic and doing tricks with cards

Q: I do magic tricks and I do cardistry (some sort of art form like juggle and make pattern using cards). My local ustaz said its ok to do magic tricks unless it does not make people worship you or think you have supernatural power. But I also found on some website that say it is haram to play poker and playing cards because it will make you tend to do haram things (maisir in this case). However about magic tricks with cards, it does not do anything that makes me tend to do anthing haraam. I also did not like to play poker because it's only a game of chance. I also perform my prayer. I only do it for fun.