ANSWER: Yes, these two rakas are called tahiatul masjid. One is not allowed to sit before praying it. However, if one joins the congregation immediately without sitting or offers sunnah of a prayer first, this exempts him from these two Rakah of tahiyatul masjid. 

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ANSWER: This is not permissible. You must recite the dua of istekhara in Arabic only. If you don’t know how to say it and can’t even read it from a paper, it is permissible to read it in your native language.

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ANSWER: For animals, this is permissible. For humans, this is murder. 

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