Miscellaneous

Q: Is it permissible to drink cough syrup which contains alcohol?

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: 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?

Q: Is it permissible for a dentist to administer Botox injections and lip fillers to a patients face for cosmetic reasons or due to disfigurement as a result of missing teeth etc?

Q: A condition for applying for a firearm licence in South Africa is that one must submit 2 photographs wherein one may not be using any headgear ie. Hat, scarf, etc. My question is, due to this being a pre-condition for the firearm application, will it be permissible at all for a Muslim female to apply for a licence to own a firearm?

Q: The ringtones available on my mobile phone contain music, so I am searching for an alternative which is not classed as music. I found this ringtone which simulates the sound of a classical telephone: http://www.zedge.net/ringtone/425057/old-school-ringtone/

Can you please listen to the ringtone on the link I provided and inform me if it is permissable? Does it matter that it is not a recording of a real telephone, but rather a computer simulation?

Q: Is praising a non-Muslim allowed in Islam? And what is the sin of praising a non-Muslim?

Q: Does swearing using a hand gesture count as swearing?

Q: If you backbite about non-muslims will you get the sin of backbiting?

Q: Today many medicines/sedatives/pain killers whether allopathic and homoeopathic contain certain percentages of alcohol in them. Operations are also performed using anaesthesia. Hence, we are left with no choice but to use them for our well being. What is the Shariah ruling seeking cure using these alcohol based medicines? Are they Halaal or Haraam?  Please give details.