Q: We would like your advice on the following: My wife had a very difficult birth and after that she had to have a ceaser and a hysterectomy, so we wont be able to have any more kids. This was our first child and she is a girl. A family member suggested that if she breastfeeds her nephew who is a year old (Her brothers first child) then at least our daughter will have company when she is older and she will have an older brother to look up to and she can still keep that relationship after she reaches puberty since he will be her step brother. I have a few concerns regarding that like, what if they want to get married, and we also stay very far away from each other (720km) so it seems a bit senseless doing that. Also our upbringing styles will be different, we will probably have a more Islamic outlook and they will have a more modern outlook.

Q: Is it better to shave the head or is it sufficient to trim our hair after Haj or Umrah?

Q: Which shoulder must we cover and which must we bare when we enter into Ihram?

Q: Why is playing chess haraam?

Q: How must be istikhara performed? Should the dua be read after two salams? Can the dua be read in my language, I can make mistakes in Arabic and also the text we add about the particular issue in the dua I know only in my language? Is it true that istikhara for one thing can be made up to 7 times or not more than 7 times?

Q: Can you please let me know can I wipe (masah) over normal socks? Not leather one's because im in Kuwait here most of the people do this. If it's not permissible, can I perform namaz behind them or should I perform individually? Please give me a clear answer.

Q: If a person is a musaafir, eg on jamaat

1) If moving from masjid to masjid in one locality, and will stay in that locality for more than 15 days, does he become muqeem?

2) If he continuously leaves out the sunnats whilst a musafir, eg whilst on jamaat, I know this is not correct, but does he become a sinner?

Q: I am asking that not long ago I found out that while doing wudu at the end when you do masah, I used to wash my ears first then wash my hair couple of times and I found out the real order and started doing it like the order you really should. So I'm asking that I'm not sure what's the ruling on that because some people say it's okay if you didn't know but now I'm sending this question to you because I really want to know?

Q:

1. Is it permissible to give my zakaah funds to my brother because he has lost his job and cannot make "ends meat"? (He does not have the zakaat nisaab).

2. If it is not permissible to give my brother, then , can I give it to his wife who also falls in the category of a zakaah recipient?

Q: Many Muslims belive that the prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) is alive in his grave with his own body. Is it believable?