Q: I would like to enquire about a woman's salah when she is wearing a niqab/burqa. 

1. Is a woman's salah valid if she performs it while wearing a niqab/pardah, covering her face, in the presence of non-mahram men? 

2. I have heard that during sajdah, the forehead must make direct contact with the ground and that there should not be anything obstructing it. Does wearing a niqab or pardah interfere with the validity of her sajdah? 

3. If she performs her salah with her pardah covering her face because non-mahram men are present, is she required to repeat that salah once the non-mahram men are no longer present? 

4. What is the ruling regarding burqas that get in the way during sajdah? Sometimes the loose material of the burqa falls forward and gets underneath the forehead when going into sajdah. Does this affect the validity of the sajdah? 

5. Similarly, if a woman wears a burqa that is low and hangs over her forehead, covering it, must she adjust it before performing sajdah to ensure that her forehead makes contact with the ground?

Q: When weaning a child, is it ok to follow the English calendar for their age to be weaned (Example, 2 years in January maximum, instead of 2 years in Rajab as maximum period). 

If yes, then will that also be for buloogh, according to their English calendar birthday, when they reach that age, if nothing else happens to make them baaligh?

Q: I would like to ask for guidance regarding a woman travelling for Umrah. 

1. If a woman’s menses begins while she is in Madinah, before she reaches the Miqat, and she still needs to travel to Makkah for Umrah, what should she do? Should she enter into ihram at the Miqat while menstruating, and how should she proceed? 

2. If her menses continue and she is unable to perform Umrah before her scheduled departure for her home country, what should she do in this situation? Is she required to remain in Makkah until she becomes pure and can perform Umrah, or is there another ruling that applies?

Q: Can I tell my second wife that I love her more than my first wife, even if that’s not true?

Q: Is it permissible to not read your sunnah muakkadah and cover up all your missed salaahs in place of it?

Q: If a Muslim became a Mushrik and worshipped idols then what is the way for this person to come back into Islam and gain the complete forgiveness of Allah?

Q: I received the following letter from my body corp. What is the ruling from a shariah point of view? 

The Trustees have noted an increasing number of incidents where carpets, rugs, mats and other items are being hung over balcony railings and common property walls to dry. 

Q: During the construction of the Musjid a large extractor fan was put in as a mechanism to assist with cooling. It never worked as expected and was used very few times, and has laid dormant for 5 to 6 years. 

Now a soup kitchen (which is a waqf) requires a similar machine. The Musjid wants to give the soup kitchen the extractor at no cost. However, the cost of removing the extractor and patching up aspects of the Musjid where the extractor was attached will be paid for by the soup kitchen. 

Please advise if this is correct. If not what should he done as the Musjid wants to get rid of the extractor.

Q: A woman with a master’s degree in psychology conducts online Islamic lessons, programmes, and individual consultations, combining psychological concepts with Islamic teachings. However, she lacks systematic Islamic training and qualified teachers, having studied primarily through YouTube lectures and books. 

She makes statements such as, “I do not have a teacher. Allah Himself teaches me the wisdom I share in my lessons,” “Ilham comes into my heart like rain,” and “I do not have a murshid; wisdom comes into my heart, and then I weigh it against the Qur’an and Sunnah.” She frequently claims to receive divine inspiration and guidance through dreams and uses her students’ dreams to support her teachings. 

One of her programme assignments is muraqabah, in which students are instructed to describe ordinary daily activities using expressions such as, “Allah made me wash the dishes and look after my children.” 

We would like to ask the following questions: 

1. What is the Islamic ruling on her conduct, teaching methods, claims of ilham, use of dreams as evidence, and attribution of ordinary actions to Allah in this manner? Is it permissible for someone without systematic Islamic training or qualified teachers to conduct Islamic programmes and offer consultations as an Islamic psychologist, combining psychology with Islamic teachings? 

2. Is it permissible for women to consult qualified male scholars regarding her teachings and practices when no suitably qualified female scholars are available? The woman objects to this, arguing that sharing materials from her women-only Telegram channel violates the amanah (trust). Are women permitted to share relevant materials with scholars for the purpose of obtaining an accurate Islamic ruling?

Q: I need guidance regarding an incident from my previous Umrah. I follow the Hanafi madhab. 

I was in the state of Ihram for approximately two days. During that time, I used scented baby wet wipes while changing my daughter’s diaper. I don’t remember how many times I used them. 

Initially, I didn’t realise that the wipes were scented. When I realised, I stopped using them. However, on one occasion, I forgot about the restriction and used the wipes again. I used only a small amount before remembering and putting them away immediately. 

I was using the wipes on my daughter, not intentionally applying fragrance to myself. However, a little fragrance may have transferred to my hands while changing her diaper. 

Could you please guide me according to the Hanafi madhab on whether any compensation is required? If compensation is required, please tell me the exact amount in Indian rupees, how it should be paid, and who is eligible to receive it. Since I cannot remember how many times I used the wipes, please also advise me on how the compensation should be calculated.