Is it allowed to use ants as part of a prescription to remove extra hair?
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of The Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
This isn`t allowed because animals shouldn`t be killed unless they are harmful or slaughtered to be eaten. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
My father passed away, and he had life insurance with "Alico" for an amount of 12,500 dinars. He had paid premiums totaling 2,000 dinars. The insurance company paid us the insured amount. Should we take it, or is it considered forbidden (haram) money? And what should we do with it if it is forbidden?
You may take the amount your father paid to the company. The remaining amount is not yours. However, if you must take it, then accept it and donate it to the poor. And Allah Knows Best.
What is the ruling on using bank cards such as Visa and MasterCard?
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upo all of his family and comapnions It is permissible to use such cards in accordance with the following conditions: 1- The issuing body does not stipulate collecting interest upon late payments. 2- The merchant does not increase the price of the goods due to an increase in the commission collected from him by the card issuer. 3- The purchased item(s) should not be gold, silver or currency in case the card is not covered. And Allah Knows Best.
What is the ruling on smoking?
All Perfect Praise is due to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds
Smoking is forbidden (Haram) since it is harmful to one`s health as confirmed by trustful physicians, and Islam has forbidden taking anything that causes harm. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "There should be neither harm nor reciprocated harm." [Ibn Majah and Ahmad]. And Allah Knows Best.