Q: What does Islam say about a birth mark?

Q: Please advise on the following:

A father has three children. A daughter and two sons. One son is married.

The father owns a business and both the sons work for the father, while the daughter helps out occasionally.

For the son that is married, the father gave them a house, pays for their water, lights, car payments, fuel, phone payments, etc. The father also pays for numerous holidays and gives them spending money for the holidays. The son is then given a large salary at the end of every month. The father in law is also required to pay for all the daughter in laws wants.

The other son and daughter both live with the parents still and thus the basic food and housing needs are taken care of. The unmarried children are given an allowance which they use for any extras such as clothing, car payments, holidays, hobby's, etc. This often leads to a lot of conflict in the family.

My question are as follows:

1. In a case like this, is the father being fair and just to his children?

2. Is there any difference in providing gifts, or support to the married son and unmarried son/daughter?

3. Is it compulsory for the daughter to work in the business to be given the same as the son while the parents are alive?

4. If the father spends on his wife (mother), is it compulsory for the daughter in law to receive the same?

5. Is it compulsory for the husband to provide the wife with an allowance? (not to be used for any households expenses or personal needs)

6. What obligations do the parents have towards the daughter in law with regards to financial support for needs and luxuries?

7. Is it the parents responsibility to buy and pay for the married son's house, car for the daughter in law, supporting the children on the grounds that he is working in the business and is entitled to it? (this excluding a monthly salary)

Q: My neighbour wanted to buy a cooking pot for R100. I told her not to buy it as I will get one for her for just R70. She agreed because she was saving R30 on the same pot. However, my intention was that I will buy the pot for just R55 and tell her that it cost R70. In this way, I will make R15 without telling her. Is this permissible?

Q: Is it permissible to rock back and forth while reciting the Quraan?

Q: Is it permissible for women to leave their homes in order to go to the shops and buy items?

Q: My father passed away recently. My parents were divorced since I was 7 years old. We would only meet as a family a few times a year, so now that he is gone, we are left with questions.

1. If he did not fast due to diabetes, how do we pay fidyah for him? We do not even know the number of days/months/years he did not fast throughout his 64 years of life. Is there an average or estimated amount that we should pay?

2. We understand that wealth can only be distributed after paying off the deceased's debts. However, what happens if the deceased does not have any wealth? What if the debt is too large an amount for the children to bear? Is there a guideline to this?

Q: I have been living with depression, stress and especially with social anxiety for a long time. I am starting to lose hope and don't know what to do. It has affected my life in such a negative way. My classmates graduated 3 years ago and I am struggling with this mental illness. My grades are affected. I start to shake whenever I am sitting with a group of people. I get anxious when I get an email from school. I can't taste the sweetness of Dunya. Always living in a dark place. I got a treatment from a psychiatrist for months and finished it but it still existed. I have been making dua's and try to pray on time at work or university. But nothing helps.

P.S. It started since I moved to Europe from Africa. I cant go back to my country because of a war. And Islam is not well practiced in the country I am living right now. No righteous friends except people who pull you to haraam things. I am surviving alone. It would be much appreciated if you give some advice or remedy?

Q: I sell branded sneakers, bags, wallets, etc. I recently found out that Nike is haraam to wear. I did research on Versace as well and I found that it is also named after a Greek God. How do I determine which branded items are fine to sell and which are haraam? 

Q: My wife is a housewife and does not earn an income. I provide her with an allowance as well as contribute into a savings/investment account for her.

Questions:

1. Is she liable for zakaat on the money in her investment account (which I contribute towards) or am I?

2. If we have a joint savings account (in both our names), who is responsible for the zakaat in this account?

3. Since we are married in-community-of-property, would she be responsible to pay zakaat on any investments that are in my name?

Q: What is more important: segregation between men and women or keeping family ties?

I am asking because in my native place and family, people have almost completely left the rules of segregation between men and women. So, I'm afraid to visit my family members. I have been concerned about the rules of segregation that I stopped visiting my relatives for a long time. But because of this my relations with family members became really bad, which is another bad thing in Deen.

Also, in my current situation I can't survive alone. I need help from my family to survive. I cannot stop visiting them.

Also, many of them are not able to understand my stance on this issue. Many of them are getting a bad image of Islam when I give less importance to family relations. They seem to be going further away from Deen and Imaan because of me.

So, how should I balance?

I am a weak hearted person. I may not be able to boldly oppose the malpractices when I visit my family. Also, I can't bear to see their hearts broken because of me. I am also not able to convince them of our rules.

Now, I am feeling that I should give more importance to maintaing family ties. I am feeling that I should visit them even if I may unintentionally do some sin in the process. Is this the right way to proceed?