Q: People give mehndhi of the dargah to a girl who is not receiving proposals for marriage. They say she must perform two rakaats Salaah before applying it. Is this shirk?

Q: Please could you advise the extent of removal of pubic hair. From the navel or from the pubic hairline? Scrotal hair? Area between the scrotum and back passge? Around the back passage? Also, what is the absolute maximum time that a person can go without removing such hair and is it a sin to go beyong this period?

Q: Is zakaat waajib on the payout received from a provident-fund, pension-fund or retirement-fund?

Q: Will the zakaat be fulfilled if it is given under the pretext of a gift or a loan?

Q: Will zakaat be discharged by paying a poor person’s light or water account?

Q: A person gave zakaat to a muslim whom he regarded to be eligible for zakaat. However, after giving him the zakaat, he discovered that he was not a recipient of zakaat. Is the zakaat discharged?

Q: Which people are not eligible to receive zakaat?

Q: Zaid purchased a consignment of goods from Pakistan with the intention of resale. The goods were thereafter shipped to South Africa. The shipment has not yet reached the port of South Africa and Zaid’s zakaatable year ended. Will Zaid have to pay zakaat upon these goods which he has not as yet taken possession of?

Q: Zaid took a loan from Bakr. Bakr demanded a certain amount of cash and jewelry as collateral for the loan. Zaid paid back the loan after three years. Does Zaid have to pay zakaat on the collateral and jewelry for the previous years?

Q: What is the Shar’ee ruling regarding a person who did not discharge the zakaat of his jewellery, wealth and stock in trade for many years? How should he discharge the zakaat of the previous years?