Q: I would like to obtain an opinion as to whether the business process described below is permissible in terms of Shariah Law:

We regularly purchase stock from a supplier and pay cash upfront for all our stock purchases. The supplier gives us an early settlement discount for paying for stock purchases in cash. We then pass on the bulk of the early settlement discount to our distributors for them to make a profit when they on sell the stock to their customers. Up until this stage, the business process is no different to established trade practices which are permissible in terms of Shariah Law. To confirm, the business process up until this stage consists of two transactions.

Transaction 1 - We pay a discounted purchase price for stock.

Transaction 2 – We on sell stock to our network of wholesalers and pass the bulk of our discount from the supplier on to the wholesaler.

The next stage of the business process entails an entirely separate and 3rd transaction.

Transaction 3 - The supplier, after having passed the early settlement discount to us, deposits the  stock payment  received from us into an interest earning bank account. The supplier uses the interest earnings to recover the early settlement discount given to us for a cash purchase.

We would like to emphasise that the supplier deposits the stock payment received from us into an interest earning bank account after we have received the early settlement discount and after we have received stock we have purchased. The sale of stock by the supplier to us is therefore complete by the time the supplier deposits our money into an interest bearing account. Our question is whether the third transaction in any way affects the validity of transactions 1 and 2 in terms of Shariah Law?

Q: Is it permissible to apply for a bursary at a bank? E.g. Old Mutual.

Q: I would like to know from which point on the face should the beard be grown to a fist length. Example, should it start from the top of ear, or from under the earlobe, or mid ear etc. Also, is keeping the beard to a fist length fardh or sunnah?

Q: Is it permissible to have banks and ATM's as tenants. Is the money from earned/received from these tenants Halaal?

Q: I wish to inquire about the scalding process at the chicken factories. The slaughtered chickens are immersed whilst still bleeding with the intestines, impurities etc into a hot water tank for softening the feathers etc, this water is filthy and some of the impurities are possibly absorbed into the flesh. approx 500 to 700 birds at any point in time with all the impurities etc could be in this hot water at any point in time, where it remains for approx 5min. how does this process affect the status of the meat? does the meat remain halaal or does it become makrooh or haraam for Muslim consumption?

Q: I am an art student, am I allowed to draw figures like batman, judge dredd, Michael Jackson, etc whose eyes are covered by a mask or a hat? Can I draw the mouth, ears, nose, etc as long as I don't draw the eyes?

Is the probition in Islam only about drawing eyes? Am I allowed to draw skulls which have empty eye sockets?

Q: I work in a company that deals with architecture, construction, design of buildings, etc.

1. If the client who is not a Muslim, asks one to include a room for prayers in the plan, is it permissible?

2. Is a contract for a haraam business e.g. a night club, bar, etc. permissible?

3. If one is aware that the person is going to do haraam in the building, is it still permissible?

Q: Sending Baaligh Muslim girls to other schools for quizzes, science fairs, debates etc. with the school bus accompanied by female staff members.

Q: Kindly advise us regarding on the following issues when they are done / used for educational purposes:

1. Using text books or magazines, posters or any such literature which has animated pictures in them.
2. Using caricature (cartoon) type of pictures when making a syllabus, specifically when we want to use them in preparing our own Arabic language syllabus. 

Q: I would like to know whether the usage of skype to talk to my relatives abroad is permissible or not? Will it fall under picture making? Skype is live streaming?