Food and Drink

Vanilla extract

Q: I wanted to ask some chocolates contain vanilla extract and vanilla extract has to be preserved with alcohol so if a chocolate bar has vanilla extract is it halaal?

Correct pronunciation of يا واسعَ المغفرةِ

Q: I read in Sunnats by Mufti Saheb

"8.19. It is reported that Nabi used to say “YA WA SI ‘UL MUGFIRAH” after eating the first morsel - Which means, “O! The one whose forgiveness is all encompassing.” (Muslim - S.K. - Vol. 1 : Pg. 227)"

Is this with a zabar on the ayn or a pesh?

If you write the arabic with it it will be better Insha Allah.

Drinking water with meals

Q: I know the sunnah of drinking water but would like to know the sunnah etiquettes of drinking water when partaking in a meal. Many say we should not drink whilst we are eating some say drink 1 hour before and after eating others say that it is sunnah to drink water in the middle of meal. Please can mufti saab please advise according to hadith?

Darjeeling tea

Q: Is it permissible to drink Darjeeling tea looking at it's history that the person who first planted it in India had stolen the seeds from China and then he planted it in India?

Sea creatures

Q: Allah Says in The Qur'an that all creatures of the sea are lawful. But, there is a general belief among Indian Muslims that we Muslims cannot eat sharks, crabs, eels, barracuda, octopus, squid and lobsters etc. among sea creatures. Please clarify whether we can eat all creatures of the sea. Are there any exceptions?

Eating in a restaurant wherein alcohol is served

Q: If I eat halaal food like fish in a Christian owned restaurant where they also sell liquor, do you think this food would be halaal? Another question is that the place where I stay there are KFC and McDonalds, they proclaim themselves to be halaal because they got some official documents of halaal certifications. So should we believe them as Halaal or what's the procedure now?