Q: I would like to know the Islamic ruling on engagement for a girl who is in purda.

Q: My parents have been together for over 20 years but have had marriage issues for a very long time. Constantly fighting and arguing. Most of the time they do not speak to each other at all and my father has left the house three times but has come back. My parents even did their nikaah a second time the last time my father came back, for fear that their nikaah had become void by their separation. Now my father has come back again, but my parents have not spoken to each other at all for nearly 2 years. They do not say salaam to each other or even look at each other, let alone speaking to each other. We have tried mending their relationship numerous times, getting the elders involved, etc, but in the end they continue to fight and argue and it never works. The only reason they are staying together is because of us. Three of us are older and understand all this, but my youngest sister is 6 and my parents don't want to divorce for the sake of their children. However my mother is extremely worried that because of the way their marriage conditions are, their nikaah is not valid and it is haraam for them to live together. So taking into consideration all that I have said, and the fact my parents have not spoke to each other or had relations for nearly 2 years, is their nikaah now invalid and is it haraam for them to live together? My father has not actually divorced my mother by saying it verbally.

Q: I am a boy and I want to know that if my both sisters take some share from inherited commercial property happily but not according to Qur'an, it is permissible according to Hanafi mazhab?

Q: Is Salah the same for men and women?

Q: Is it permissible for a woman to read salaah before the call of azaan?

Q: I am very stressed just wanted to know mufti. You the only person I know who can tell me what is right and what is wrong Islamicly. My husband is continuously communicating with his X wife and he hides what they discuss. When I ask, he says we are talking about the children and yet the last born of their kids is almost 25 years of age. So all four kids are big enough to come or call their father and talk to him themselves so why should he still talk to his X yet he told me I am not allowed to communicate with my X and ever since I do not talk to him but he says he needs to speak to his X. It hurts Mufti. I feel like I am nothing. What can I do?

Q: I had a excellent relationship with my in laws until Monday night. My wife made a request to visit her Granny at her parents place before leaving back to Cape Town. I agreed. We arrived at my inlaws place. I greeted everybody as usual and sat down with my father inlaw and brother inlaw. Azaan called and we all left for Esha. When we returned from Esha I did not go in to the house, I sat outside on the portch. I could overhear father inlaw, my wife, and my brother inlaw discussing his technicon registration, so the discussion went on for and hour or so while I sat outside on my own relaxing. My wife and father inlaw step out of the house, and my wife said she is ready to go, but she and my father inlaw was still saying a few words to each other, while I sat on the couch not saying anything. My father inlaw all of a sudden began to swear at me and shout me, telling me to get out. When i questioned him in a polite manner as to why is behaving in this manner he began to aggressive and wanted to beat me up. I was shocked. I got up jumped in my car and drove off. I was in a state of shock,it was the second time he has done this to me, The first I overlooked it and walked away. The next morning he sends me a text apologising for this, I did not reply as I am very upset as I have always respected this man and treated him like my own father. My question is, my wife shows no remorse for her fathers actions, secondly I need to know that i have decided not to go to my inlaws home anymore as I feel threatened and uneasy, is the permissible, and I will only allow my wife to visit once a week, and not go any where with her parents without my consent. Please reply with advise also.

Q: I would appreciate your insight into a family concern we are having at the moment. My father (a widower) is getting old, he is 78 years of age and currently lives on his own in a house 80 miles from my 2 sisters and 200 miles from me (the only son). Allahamdollilah over the years he has been in good health and is fully autonomous. But a recent event (a minor heart attack) have made us all question what is the right thing to do. Right now as the son, I am with him for at least a month to ensure he gets his full energy back. Beyond that though we have to think about the future and what is the right thing to do. My own current situation is that only within the last 2 years has my job situation become better (since moving to London). I am 33 and live in London (still single) whereas my father lives in Manchester 200 miles away. My sisters (who are settled with families) on numerous occasions have asked him to move to Birmingham (80 miles from where he lives) but he does not want to move there. The question is, I understand that as the son I have a duty of care to my father, but does that have to be at the expense of my own future? My line of work is not common in Manchester (where my father lives) and any jobs that do exist there are not very well paid. I do not have my own property in London so it is not possible for him to move down and also rent prices are high and he would not be willing to live in London anyway. He wants to stay where he is, does that mean as children we have to adapt our lives to accommodate his wishes?

Q: Can an Imaam charge you a fee when doing a Nikaah because I've asked everybody and everybody's answer is the same that the Imam is not suppose to charge but rather you can give what you can afford to give him as thanks. Also the islamic community pays the Imam for nikaahs, janaazahs etc.. so why should there be a charge?

Q: If mother slaps you on the knee and you have jeans on and no heat is felt no lust no desire no erection, does that constitute hurmat-e-musaahara. Been getting waswasa a lot. Please explain. I do not have any kind of lust towards my mother and will never. I am married alhumdulillah for over a month.