Various masaail of Business and Dealings

Q: I have a question that needs to be answered and it is bothering me so much.

1. I have read that there is a hadith which says having a halaal job is fardh, but I have read some say it is not saheeh? (Kindly clarify this to me) If so, then it is not  fardh to find a halaal job?

2. I have read someone (maybe a sahaabi, taabi'ee, Imam etc.) said: "Working for a living  and helping the poor with his earning is better than praying (worshipping) all day/night without working for a living". Kindly give the name of that person who said this if it is authentic?

3. Once it is a fardh act, we must exert effort to do it and find a way to achieve it.  If someone is procrastinating in doing a fardh act (which he fails
to do) he commits a major sin right?

4. Continuation to 3. If finding a halaal job is fardh, then it is fardh on a person to  exert effort to find ways to achieve it right?

5. And whenever he intentionally stalls in achieving it (halaal job) he commits a major  sin right?

6. And in my case, I am currently in college taking a course in allied medicine (my  choice for a halaal job) and in my 3rd year (2 years to go to
graduate). I sometimes feel lazy and procrastinate in studying (I sometimes do not study) which places me in a brink of failing (stalling to graduate and
achieving a halaal job). In this case, did I commit a major sin?

7. Also if a person does not do this fardh command (have a halaal job) and dies, does he  have the same punishment like those people that do not do
other fardhs (salaah, zakaah, saum, haj etc)?

8. If someone decides not to work, is it sufficient to just place full trust in Allah (tawakkul) that He will provide him and his ageing parents food/drink
everyday?

9. And lastly, the Ahlus Sunnah ulama all agree that if someone doesn't consider the kalimah, 5 prayers, zakaat, Ramadhaan, Saum and hajj as fardh, he becomes a murtad(correct me if  i'm wrong). Likewise if someone were to deny or don't believe that having a halaal job is fardh, does he become a kafir?

Q: Is a man allowed to make business with non mahrams if they are his cousins and friends with whom he laughs and is forced to speak beyond business to keep good relations.

Q: My family's financial condition is very severe nowadays. And here in India, I'm not getting a job anywhere in the companies because of my beard in spite of being highly qualified. My parents have some how gathered up money and also through a relatives' link have got me a job in U.S. And as I have to appear for visa interview, my parents have said me to trim the beard to less than a fistful length just for the visa interview and not to cut the beard afterwards as after reaching there it isn't going to be a problem inshallah. They're very sceptical that if I appear the visa interview without trimming, the interviewer might presume me to be a "radical Islamic fundamentalist" and reject me. And all the last pennies invested on me will turn to zilch. Also there isn't much hope here in India to get a job as I have tried to get one since last 3 years. Considering my financial condition, will it be allowed for me to trim my beard to less than a fistful length just for this occasion? Even I'm very reluctant to do it but my financial condition and the state of my family is such that I'm forced to entertain such vile ideas. Please advise me.

Q: A company where I shop at has given me a loyalty/rewards card whereby I earn points for products I buy and I can then use these points to buy other products. In other words these points are used to buy the products instead of cash. Is this permissible?

Q: I was paid for getting internet for a research project sponsored by the government. I went to local private phone company and purchased Internet connection for one year with unlimited use of internet connection. They gave me a small router that I can put in my pocket. I use it or I do not use it, it does not matter. Payment has been made. If I use it for my personal use in addition to the research project use, is it jaaiz? Such use does not burden or hurt the government or the phone company in any way.

Q: A person (A) refers a customer to another person (B) because A does not sell in goods required by that customer. B gives A commission for sending customer to him. Is it allowed in Shariah?

Q: I had purchased a computer from a shop. There are a few software which are not genuine. They are pirated version like windows etc. So is it permissible to use such software? We use this computer for our work, so will our income be lawful?

Q: Online promotion code and free online wallet money, is it haraam or halaal?

Q: Can I start a new company while working for another company without compromising on my work for the current employers? Do I have to inform the employers?

Q: I was talking to a friend of mine and I accidently talked about the preparation method of one of my parents businesses which was a chain store for smoothies. If I broke some kind of confidentiality agreement, do I have to ask for forgiveness? The thought crossed my mind but I for some reason kept going with the discussion not knowing if there was one.