Miscellaneous

Q: What does Islam say about kissing and hugging one's mother?

Q: What does "was-salaam" mean? Is it Sunnah to end a letter with these words? Is it compulsory for the person who receives a letter which ends with "was-salaam" to audibly reply with wa alaykum salaam?

Q:

1. I am soon going to move into my new home. I want to invite my friends and our local Musjid musallees to come to my new home to recite Qur'an and thereafter I will feed them. Is it permissible for me to do so?

2. When one moves into one's new home, what A'maal should one carry out in order to bring blessings in the home?

Q: I am currently very over weight and I really want to get fit. I used to go jogging before but could not keep up and eventually dropped. I didn't have the will power. Now I am really interested in joining a gym, which is open for 24 hours. Is it permissible to join this gym and attend it at the times when it is very quite?

Q: I want to know, we have a da'wah group in our local Masjid, and our source of income or funding is sometimes mainly from Islamic Video CD Lectures that we sell purposely for da'wah and not for self purpose or interest, however all of these video lectures include international scholars in Deen and almost all of them do their lectures and recordings to be distributed for free, not doing it as a business. My question is, do we have to seek their consent before selling their recordings for da'wah purpose?

Q: If somebody tries to make me watch TV or show me a picture on their phone then what would be a wise response I could memorize?

"Many readers may not be aware that some ingredients of fizzy drinks such as Pepsi Cola, Coca-Cola and others have been dissolved in alcohol." Dr Muhammad ‘Ali al-Baarr says in his book al-Khamr bayna at-Tibb wa’l-Fiqh so is it out of taqwa these drinks are avoided? or are they permissible? Please explain how they become taahir if alcohol is used in case I need to explain to others.

Q: Is it permissible to use an electric/electronic device to kill off insects such as cockroaches, ants etc. Presumably such devices have a heating element under a plate and insects are literally roasted to death or simply electrocuted.

Q: I was wondering, what should one do when they cannot remember all the people that they have wronged? What will happen to me on the day of resurrection if I cannot remember?

Q: If a person commits a few major sins, does he have to make salaatut tawbah for all in two rakaats or separate rakaats?

Q: Something like photography for ID and passport reasons are permissible out of necessity. Similarly, to sit in an aero plane where free mixing and alcohol is served is also permissible. The same with going to a bank for a valid reason. Please advise if one should make Istighfaar when one's picture is taken for these reasons, or one is in an aero plane, or in a bank etc. The thought came to mind that since Allah Ta'ala has given us leeway in these matters, it is incorrect to make Istighfaar for such things as it is on account of His Kindness. However, I also thought because of our disobedience to Allah Ta'ala, He has subjected us to these systems of kuffaar and their governments as punishment. Hence, we should make Taubah and Istighfaar for being so sinful that we have to be disgraced at the hands of kuffaar and kuffaar governments (like photography, evil environments, banking etc.) on account of His punishment in the first place.