Getting married as soon as a suitable match is found

Q: I know a girl for 7 years. In the last 6 months we started developing feelings for each other and dated a few times but nothing physical. We have decided to stop dating so that it does not damage our future together. We plan on getting married in 3 years time. Is it permissable to read istikaarah salaah now even though we plan on getting married later and what is your advice for this period of time?

Gay feelings

Q: I have gay habits in me and I am seeing a Muslim man. I am in my 30s and not married due to home responsibilities as I am taking care of my mum who has no legs and in a wheelchair. It worries me that I have these feeling in me from an early age. Please advise.

Haraam relationship

Q: Today one incident happened when I go through internet I get to no there is thing like if we do something that Allah doesn't like it's shirk so the thought that came to my mind is my friend who is a girl so I thought talking to her is shirk but I search in the internet in that they have told like it is minor shirk so I keep searching until I clear this doubt and then there were some post like it can be major shirk so to be frank I really don't want to do that if its major shirk but I want to make this doubt go dissapear so I kept searching at last I got to no Thera is no prob but now I feel like I was ready to talk even if it is major shirk but to be frank I don't no wat I thought ... it can be true that I might thought or not but am not sure but I was searching whole time to make That thing normal but now it feels like I commuted shirk and here after talking to her is shirk .... so I don't no wat is true what is right and wrong anymore unlike other issue this feel real because I was very clear than other incident that happened bcz of waswaas so now I can't say it's waswaas or me .. and definitely can't say like I was nt ready so what can I do ... I just want to be safe from shirk so is there is any way I can ask forgiveness and talk to hey normally or should I ask forgiveness nd stop talk to her ... u might be mad to hear this but plz hlp to understand.

Foregoing one's place in the first saff for a senior

Q: It has been observed in madaaris, khanqaas, marakis and masaajid in general that students, mureeds, mamoors and general musallies at the time of iqaamat forego their place of the front saff by stepping backward into the second saff to give preference to the ustaad, shaikh, ameer or another Muslim in general, to take their place in the front saff. At times these individuals are in the saff well before hand. On the other hand the one given preference comes much later or even a short while before salaah. Can Mufti Sahib please explain if it is correct to do this? Can one forgo one's reward for another? Please shed any other information you have on this subject.