From `Abdul`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz to the honorable son May Allah guide him to all good! Amen
Assalamu `alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah's Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!)
Q 1: When the construction of a Masjid (mosque) is completed, some people claim that it is not permissible to deliver a Friday sermon or offer the obligatory Salah (Prayer) there until some cows or sheep are bought and slaughtered, and people are invited to eat from the offerings. Without doing this, people claim that the Imam (the one who leads congregational Prayer) of the Masjid will die before his appointed time of death in case he leads people in Salah there.
A: This is a groundless claim and a false belief. We should admonish those who believe or do so, because this is a Bid`ah (innovation in religion) and every Bid`ah is Dalalah (deviation from what is right). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in the authentic Hadith: He who does any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected. (Related by Imam Muslim in his Sahih (authentic) Book of Hadith)
Q 2: The permissibility of translating the Friday sermon from Arabic into other languages
Q 3: When people gather to take Sadaqah (voluntary charity), they place their hands on the Sadaqah and one of them supplicates for the person giving Sadaqah while the rest say 'Amen' loudly.
A: This behavior should be avoided, for it is a Bid`ah. As for supplicating to Allah for the person giving Sadaqah without placing the hands on the Sadaqah to be given and without raising voices in the manner mentioned, it is permissible. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Requite him who does a favor to you, but if you are unable to requite him, go on supplicating to Allah for him until you see that you have requited him adequately.'' (Related by Abu Dawud and AlNasa'y with an authentic Sanad (chain of narrators))